We had the good fortune of connecting with Mark Aquino and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Mark, what is the most important factor behind your success?
Service. Which is why I think retail brick & mortar stores will always have a place in the world. Sure, some people’s shopping habits have changed via e-commerce and Amazon but at the end of the day what sets you apart from an algorithm is service. And you can only attain the best of that through human touch and connections.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I think the path that I’ve taken has honed my general taste and vision. Spending over 20 years at places like Union, Supreme and TASCHEN have made my sensibilities about art, design, and retail, in general, sharper. I also got to witness the initial struggle in accepting e-commerce as a viable income stream while also trying to not lose your brand’s identity through this new accessibility.

The irony of that is that I set up my store to have pretty much a minimal presence online. Sure, I’d like to expand my e-commerce figures but I knew that I wanted the physical storefront to be much more than just a place to buy books. Much in the same way Union and Supreme were sort of clubhouses I wanted my store to emulate that feeling of a gathering place for like minded people and the surrounding community.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
In no particular order:

Huntington Gardens
Dal Rae Steakhouse
The Roost
LA River Bike Path
Vroman’s
2 Kids Coffee
Lasita
Dulan’s
Visvim Exposition
Ghiaia
Chemosphere
Mt. Wilson

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shout out to my wife and dog.
Shout out to South Pasadena.
Special shout out to all who’ve come support, write about, and just hang out in the store.

Website: https://propsect.la

Instagram: @prospect.la

Image Credits
Photographs by David Gurzhiev

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.