To Le Gala and Beyond!

Le Gala, formerly known as The Laboratory, owes its reputation to being the first sneaker and streetwear consignment shop located in OKC’s Midtown, and has been Oklahoma’s leading destination for sneakerheads and fashion enthusiasts alike since 2016. On June 7, the transition to Le Gala was made official under new ownership—the grand re-opening ushered in with raffles for Pop Mart Labubu’s The Monsters and gift card giveaways, free taro milk tea and butterfly lemonade with branded Le Gala to-go cups, exclusive merch, live screen printing and a DJ set by local favorite Kora Waves. With a line of eager customers extending along NW 11th Street from the time the doors opened, the traffic (and excitement) remained steady the entire day—and considering that it was a rainy Saturday morning in Oklahoma City, it was a good sign that the momentum won’t be slowing down anytime soon. 

New owner Jack Dao was one of the key suppliers responsible for bringing in much of the exclusive and fashion-forward merchandise for “The Lab” over the past few years. Born and raised in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dao moved to Oklahoma in 2013 to attend the University of Central Oklahoma. An opportunity to attend high school in Seattle initially brought Dao to the United States, thanks to an Action Student program he was accepted into as a teenager. When it came time to seek colleges, he had his sights set on a university in Maryland, but credited one particular conversation with his dad that encouraged his decision to choose Oklahoma instead. 

“I actually got a better scholarship offer in Maryland, but my dad worked for the Ministry of Education in Vietnam,” he says. “The country had sent him to UCO in 2011 to do a 10-month study in Oklahoma. When it was time for me to go to college, UCO also offered me a scholarship and my dad told me, ‘Just test it out in Oklahoma. You’ll like it.’ So I picked Oklahoma and majored in mechanical engineering, because UCO has a very good engineering program, and I’m now still here.” 

Dao began to make new friendships and connections in the streetwear community after moving to Oklahoma City. “I never moved back to Vietnam, but I go back to Vietnam often,” he says. “There was a time after I graduated that had me thinking that I really wanted to go back, so I went home for three months. But my dad keep telling me to ‘Just go, do something on your own, and you can always come back home later.’ In Oklahoma, everything was not so expensive and had easy living conditions.”

Being so close to China and parts of east Asia where the majority of global fashion production takes place, Vietnam has naturally become a hub where the fashion industry thrives. For example, a childhood friend of Dao manufactures clothing for many activewear brands including household labels like Calvin Klein and DKNY. Dao’s connections like this to Vietnamese brands and manufacturers have given Le Gala the ability to design and create unique merchandise for the store. He wants its pieces to look and feel like the kind of clothing that you want to be a part of your everyday wardrobe, versus typical “merch” that generally consists of graphic logo tees normally found at consignment sneaker stores. “I also want to bring a lot more Vietnamese brands to the U.S. I want people to know that, hey, Vietnam can create incredible things; we can really produce anything, just like China.”

Dao’s multicultural upbringing is reflected in his approach to bridging his two worlds through fashion. “I love history and the stories behind different cultures, because I learned Vietnamese history, then I came here and I learned about U.S. history. Even though I learned about the same topic, everyone had different angles. Like, how every book is speaking from different perspectives. So it’s good to know other than just, you know, one country’s history.”

“A lot of people say that the Oklahoma City Thunder has the best-dressed team in the NBA, so they have to be able to shop somewhere.”
–Jack Dao

Le Gala’s logo represents the “galaxy” that Dao aims to create, with the stars representing the dots he’s connecting across the global fashion communities of Oklahoma, Vietnam and beyond. “I love my country; I love Vietnam,” he says. “Even though I’m a U.S. resident now, I want something that connects us and Vietnam. I also want the store to have a little taste of French culture, because Vietnam was under French colonization for 40 years—a lot of culture, architecture and food was impacted by French culture and is still seen in Vietnam today.” This multidimensional concept inspired the rebrand, thus renaming the store “Le Gala.”

The current growth of Oklahoma City reminds him of the rapid growth that Vietnam has seen in the past 10 years. “I can now go back to Vietnam and tell people I’m from Oklahoma and people know where that is,” Dao smiles. The recent NBA championship has brought a new wave of attraction to the city, which also makes it an exciting time to breathe new life into the local streetwear scene. He remarks, “A lot of people say that the Oklahoma City Thunder has the best-dressed team in the NBA, so they have to be able to shop somewhere.”

Dao’s overall vision is for Le Gala to be a place that people can come to find a community of like-minded people who love fashion and pop culture. “We have talented people in-house, and we can help you put up your feet for the day, or show you a new brand you might love if you come by the store.”

Stop by Le Gala to check out the new space stocked full of rare sneakers, exclusive streetwear and limited-edition apparel. From brands like Nike, Jordan, Yeezy, Supreme, Chrome Hearts and Bape to Pop Mart Labubu’s The Monsters, Le Gala aims to curate only the highest-quality inventory met with a unique in-store experience blending fashion, culture and community. •

Follow Le Gala on Instagram @legalastoreokc and shop online at legalastore.com or in-store at 525 NW 11th St., Suite 123, Oklahoma City.