Virgil Normal X Goom
Virgil Normal is a store blending curated fashion, home goods, and culture with art and music events—a Los Angeles based community hub. Located at 4157 Normal Ave, the shop collaborates with independent designers and artists to provide unique clothing, accessories, and home items.
When we first started Goom, we walked into Virgil Normal with a mix of excitement and nerves, hoping to share our first collection. Without hesitation, Charlie, the owner, welcomed the idea. Since then, our connection with the store has stayed close—something we deeply appreciate.
Today, we found ourselves back at Virgil Normal, catching up with Charlie. No formal interview, just an easy conversation—talking about music, creativity, and the ever-evolving energy of the space.
1. What do you dream about?
-Usually I dream about days out frolicking with friends. Those are my favorite. Maybe were hiking or just hanging out in a park. My least favorite dream is being stuck in traffic on the 110 near USC. I had that dream on repeat for 6 months. It was really bumming me out.
2. If Virgil Normal had a theme song, what would it be?
-Virgil Normal Theme Song is a toss up. We had Alexander Spit record an album here in Cafe Legs all in one day. It is called Alive at Virgil Normal. It’s about 20 minutes long and features a who’s who of artists in LA. They would come by and lay down some instrumentals or vocals. He finished the mix and began making 100 tapes. By 8 o’clock we had the premiere and everyone got a tape.. It is available on Spotify, check it out… Also, our friend Naomi Goss of Galaxie 500 wanted to make a music video for the store, so she enlisted Stephen Merrit of The Magnetic Fields to write up a jingle, Naomi and other members of the band played on the song.. It’s fantastic and both of these are such great gifts, I can’t believe we are so lucky.
Links: Youtube
And to Alexander Spit: Spotify
3. What’s the weirdest or coolest thing someone has ever brought into the store?
-Hmmm, not necessarily weird but Puk from The Real World brought in a bag of mushrooms and started handing them out. I guess it was just him and the way he did it that was unusual. Oh also someone mailed a huge bag of weed to us. That was scary, I was expecting some nefarious characters to come and collect it. But they never showed up, so I gave the bag to some friends, and they gave bags to their friends.
4. Any favorite nearby restaurants or shops you’d recommend?
-I always recommend the quesadilla across the street at El Charrito. They make their own giant corn tortilla. It’s like a big ol’ taco
5. If Virgil Normal had an official color, what would it be?
-It would be Black and white like our tuxedo cats
6. What’s something that’s really exciting you right now?
-Big chain rings and dreams of pace lines.
7. Tell us about your tuxedo cats - What makes them special?
-Well, Fanny has been the voted the cuddliest cat in Silver Lake, she’s very demure. Moondog Suzuki is a bit of rascal and loves connecting with trees and plants. He’s wanted by the FBI for gravy robbing. They both have their own collections here at Virgil Normal, Fanny has some home scents and cozy socks, whilst Mister Suzuki has a record store.
8. What’s your go to camera and favorite type of film?
-The trustiest and easiest camera to use is my Yashica T4, but I’ve become obsessed with sub compact cameras like the Cosina CX-2, Olympus XA, and Contax T… they are great for taking with me to events or bike rides. They fit nicely into my pocket, they are light and have very capable lenses.
9.If you could photograph any landscape in the world, where would you go?
-Griffith Park, we are lucky to have it.
10. What’s your favorite band or LP of this month?
-I just picked up a book about Krautrock called “neu Klang” so I have been finding out about groups and individuals I didn’t know about. The best surprise so far has been, Irmin Schmidt I am compiling a playlist on Spotify of my finds. It’s called Cool in the Pool,,, it’s really new, but look out for it to grow.
Moments like these remind us that Virgil Normal is more than a shop—it’s a gathering place, a source of inspiration, and a reflection of the community around it.
December 2023 at Virgil Normal was a great experience. We had the opportunity to take part in the Holiday Bazaar, where we introduced our airbrushed “Feel’s So Goom” T-shirts.
Spring 2025, we reworked the design into a screen-printed version, keeping the original idea while giving it a new look. Big thanks to Charlie at Virgil Normal for making this collaboration happen—it was a fun project and an exciting opportunity to create together.
***Explore our "Feel So Goom" collaboration tees! Available in Vintage black and Off white. Click the image links below for details.
(@phaserino wearing "Feel so goom" tee in vintage black ↑)
Visit Virgil Normal at their Los Angeles store, located at 4157 Normal Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90029, or explore their exclusive products online at virgilnormal.com. Stay updated by following them on Instagram @virgilnormal.
