Ahead of the new Ryan Murphy and Bret Easton Ellis drama, the Valley landmark will host a free retro-mall experience with vinyl, arcade games, custom shirts, makeup and soft serve. On Aug. 1, the Sherman Oaks Galleria will trade its present-day polish for turntables, arcade games, analog photo booths and enough ’80s nostalgia to fill a food court.
The free activation takes place Saturday, Aug. 1, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 2, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests must be 18 or older, and admission will be first-come, first-served after registration.
The choice of venue carries its own history. Opened in 1980, the original Sherman Oaks Galleria quickly became a symbol of Southern California’s emerging mall culture. Its interiors appeared in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High,” while its reputation as a teenage gathering place became closely associated with the “Valley Girl” phenomenon. The mall was later rebuilt as the open-air retail and entertainment complex Angelenos know today.
For one weekend, FX is turning back the clock.
Visitors will receive a collectible credit card that unlocks several experiences spread across the recreated mall. Five modern and nostalgic brands are participating, with storefronts and displays designed to recall their early-’80s counterparts.
At the Licorice Pizza Listening Station, powered by RadioShack, guests can put on headphones, flip through vinyl records and listen to era-defining tracks on retro-inspired turntables. It is a tactile setup from a time when discovering music required a record shop, a recommendation and a little patience.
Maybelline’s Fit Me Matching Kiosk brings another piece of the decade into focus. Professional makeup artists will help guests find a matching Fit Me Foundation shade, with select Maybelline products available to take home for an ’80s-inspired glam look.
The Fit will operate a customization station where visitors can select nostalgic graphics influenced by 1981 Los Angeles and have them heat-pressed onto a T-shirt on-site. An arcade and photo booth will supply games and an analog-style souvenir, while the Suncrest 5 Theaters installation offers a photo opportunity and advance look at “The Shards.”
Then there is the Creamery, a throwback scoop-shop counter serving complimentary soft serve created by Creamy Boys Ice Cream. All products, shirts, cosmetics and other giveaways will be available only while supplies last.
The bright surfaces and playful brand collaborations provide an intentional contrast to the story FX is promoting.
Based on Ellis’ bestselling novel, “The Shards” follows a circle of privileged high school seniors moving through the wealth, parties and social hierarchies of early-1980s Los Angeles. At the center is Bret, played by Igby Rigney, an aspiring teenage writer whose sense of reality begins to fracture after the arrival of Robert Mallory, a magnetic and mysterious new student portrayed by Homer Gere.
Robert’s entrance coincides with the growing terror surrounding the Trawler, a serial killer targeting teenagers across the city. As Bret becomes consumed by suspicion and obsession, his relationships with Susan Reynolds, played by Kaia Gerber; Debbie Schaffer, played by Hayes Warner; and Thom Wright, played by Graham Campbell, begin to unravel.
The adult cast includes Wes Bentley, Evan Rachel Wood and Jordan Roth, representing a polished but cynical world surrounding the teenagers. Murphy and Ellis serve among the executive producers of the 20th Television production.
“The Shards” premieres Wednesday, Aug. 5, on FX and Hulu. Before the mystery begins on-screen, the Sherman Oaks activation gives Los Angeles a chance to step inside the series’ setting—where the music is playing, the soft serve is cold and something dangerous may be hiding behind the storefronts.
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Hours: Saturday, 11 a.m.–4 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.–5 p.m.
Location: Sherman Oaks Galleria, 15301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks
Age requirement: 18 and older
Photo credits: Photo courtesy of The Shards
