Friends and family. We feel like every one of you reading this are more family than ever at this moment in time. It's inevitable that all brands, passion projects, communal movements, etc have a lifespan and we all grow and evolve over time, this is natural and known at the start. If you would have asked us what we wanted to do more than anything for the last 7 years as a job, we'd have all said this exact thing. Our physical store has been the most fulfilling, passion-filled, joy-centric, bond-building project we could have ever dreamed of (and more). We would take back nothing about this process and experience. All of us as a staff have phones filled with friends for life from this business and memories that won't ever be replaced, and the brands we've labored on now live in the homes and wardrobes of people on a global level, and for this we are grateful.

2020 has been strange for all of us, every small business has navigated the waters of this unprecedented season and fought to keep afloat and push forward in light of a set of challenges we've never seen before. We are one of those small businesses and as a team we have thought long and hard about how to restructure and pivot our model and refocus given the circumstances ahead as things (hopefully) normalize in some way. Whatever these new seasons may look like, one thing is certain, the future looks a lot different than we imagined it would entering this year.

In January we took a big risk, but an important one, and moved Lone Flag to the front of our building in order to build out our entire back studio space, and former store, as a communal gathering center aimed at creating a refuge center for the arts in our city, a place for youth at risk, and a gallery space and venue. We believe in cultivating community and this action was a tangible way to create value for our city in order to really live out our core values on the ground. In our excitement to launch this project with all of you we created the space, massively updating our building at a high expense to the brand...but none of us obviously knew what was ahead in that events would no longer be an option in 2020 due to the pandemic which surfaced just as we finished our overhaul. Our heart has always been community building manifested through the vehicle of our physical space, hosting people, product launches, giving haircuts in the barbershop, talking podcast with guests in the airstream out back, in-person meet-ups, surf sessions, patio dj sets, and any other form of interpersonal contact and promotion of culture in all forms on the coast.

Relational business is the lifeblood of who we are, and our failure to see the studio space launch as planned this Spring is a major setback, but such is life. Here we are, things have changed for everyone in the world and some things we can control and others we cannot. We embrace this reality. After months of mandated shutdown, it's at this critical junction of time for our beloved brand that we have made the excruciating decision as partners to put the physical store on pause and go into hiatus until, and if we can, figure out a new way to continue operating at a level of integrity that we expect for Lone Flag. We don't know what that looks like in the future, but right now, we are assessing all of our current options as well as the real obstacles ahead of us in a pragmatic way. These are difficult and nuanced decisions that affect all of us.

None of this is lost on us.

In complete transparency here, the harsh reality is that we have increasing rents on the block with no relief in sight, reduced production capabilities in LA, increasing overhead costs, as well as changing life seasons for each us in terms of family needs, time, and future goals. As a group of brothers we have spent hours working out what this means together for our company as a family and, at the end of the day, we are collectively deciding that we want to move forward on a high note and exit this season on our beloved corner in Encinitas with our heads held high and pride in our hearts for what this brand means and what it has accomplished.

We have so much passion for Lone Flag, what it has brought to San Diego and the world, and how many people it has touched and the friendships that have been forged along the way over the last 7 solid years.

It feels like such a blessing to have even been involved in it all to date, and especially to have been able to serve all of you that have participated with us along the way in our brick & mortar. There are a lot of variables ahead, but we remain optimistic about the future and new beginnings and iterations for all of us here in the Lone Flag family. Over the days ahead you'll be seeing us move forward on steps to close down the Encinitas brick & mortar and start a next chapter ahead in a different format and space.

Thank you for being a part of this brand with us thus far, it means the world to us and we have never taken that for granted. Feel free to reach out to any of us, we're here to talk and we remain friends and family going forward.

Long live CA denim.

Feel free to reach out to us. We're in it together.