SORUM NOCEThere's A Party At Melrose Space
BY PAMELA CHELIN
Posted: 03/27/2009
If music be the food of love and the soul of the man is his clothes, then rock-star drummer Matt Sorum (ex Guns N' Roses, Velvet Revolver ) is doing Shakespeare proud.
His Melrose shop Sorum Noce (translation: Nothing Original Comes Easy) threw a party on Wednesday night to celebrate the store's relaunch. Leave it to the dapper rocker and his new business partner, wardrobe stylist Tony Sartino, to throw a classy soiree. DJ Morty Coyle (whose business card reads, "I DJ, You Pay Me") spent the evening spinning 60s and 70s tunes in the courtyard, free booze flowed all night, and celebrity guests mingled (Sugar Ray's Mark McGrath, tattoo queen Kat Von D, Motorhead singer Lemmy Kilmister, The Cult/Camp Freddy's bassist Billy Morrison) with high fashion clothing.
Dressed in a Sorum Noce suit and sitting on a loveseat in the store's side courtyard, Sorum was beaming like a proud papa. Initially laughing and attributing both his desire to open a shop and create a couture line to the fact that he's "crazy", Sorum became serious.
"I was looking for a change, something to fulfill my creative ambitions besides music. When I'm not on the road, I tend to go a little crazy. I've quit smoking and alcohol, so this is a much better and healthier thing to do. It's a good space for me to hang out and there's a bar inside where we serve espresso, beer and wine, so it's a good meeting space. And, friends can come by and visit me here."Recent visitors include Johnny Marr (The Smiths), Steve Jones (The Sex Pistols) and members of Blondie.
Inspired by his favorite, fashionable rock stars of days gone by -- The Kinks, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones -- Sorum describes the clothing as "English influence with a New York twist." And, he's committed to clothing that is exclusively manufactured in the good ol' US of A and fashioned from "super high end materials."
Sorum (who previously designed three houses) designed the store with elegant spaces and tasteful displays to showcase a variety of merchandise options. The leather-paneled bar in the corner of the store provides a down-to-earth feel, the hardwood floors and red walls in the back infuse the atmosphere with intimacy and sensuality, and black and white photos of Janis Joplin (1968), The Who (1967) and Keith Richards (1972) set the mood c/o legendary photographer Jim Marshall (the only photographer allowed backstage at The Beatles' final concert -- it will cost you two grand if you want to take one of these framed babies home).
The cost of Sorum Noce, custom-made clothing ranges from $1800-$3000 for suit jackets, Esquivel boots run $625-$900, jeans are $350, suits start at $3000, and Gunner Foxx custom hats go for $600-$1000. Gunner, himself, sported a top hat for the occasion. Though the shop largely caters to men, ladies can still rock an order of custom made leather pants and jackets.
As if being a full time musician and running a store isn't enough, Sorum plans, sometime in the future, to open a bar, and a gallery for his photography.http://www.la.com/celebrity-gossip/ci_12012388
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