Drake fans camp overnight for flagship store opening in L.A.
People waited more than 12 hours to shop at the opening of Toronto rapper's new boutique
The lineup to get into Drake's flagship store in Hollywood was so long you'd think the Toronto rap artist was going to be selling the clothes to fans himself.
Thousands of people waited in a queue that traveled a full city block and around the corner just to shop Drake's OVO clothing line on opening day in Los Angeles.
"I've been here for 14 hours, no big deal," said Ryan Stiffelman, an actor and writer.
"It's the Drake pull. He's got magnetism. He brings people out. People want it and it's worth sleeping in the streets for and I guess a lot of people agree," he said about the Hotline Bling singer.
OVO stands for October's Very Own and has a signature owl on its tees, hats and sweatshirts. Prices range from $40 US for a tee shirt to $250 for shoes.
'It's a lifestyle,' says OVO fan
"It's not just a brand name, it's a trademark. It's a lifestyle," said 21-year-old Darnell Ferris, dressed in head-to-toe OVO with an owl tattoo on his back shoulder. "It's sort of a vibe, that's what makes him really different."
While Drake's logo owl might be flying south for the winter, it's also bringing Toronto's flavour to the west coast along with it, according to one Canadian in the crowd.
"He's a big artist. He's the biggest out right now and he's got a big influence all over the globe," said Hussein Adatia, visiting from Toronto. "If nothing else, his music just speaks for itself."
In addition to his 12 hours outside the store, it took yet another hour in a slow-moving lineup before Stiffelman got into the shop. Still, he came out with a full shopping bag and a smile.
"I'd do it three times over," he said.
"A little sweat for Drake is a small price to pay," he said, putting on his newly purchased OVO toque in the blazing sun.