Day or night, Beverly Hills' North Canon Drive is a lively place. A steady parade of people strolls down the thoroughfare, dining at bustling sidewalk cafes such as Il Pastaio or checking into the stately Montage Beverly Hills hotel.

Just a couple of blocks away from iconic fashion destination Rodeo Drive, North Canon Drive is also a shopping street. It is the address for several boutiques, such as the multi-line Avedon, as well as flagship stores for independent brands, including menswear label Eddia and Royal Order, a rock 'n' roll-inspired jewelry line that also offers some apparel.

Fashion sold on the street is a mix of formal and "premium" or high-fashion casual. But in order to thrive on Canon, fashion retailers must guarantee their merchandise is unique, according to Avedon co-owners Reza Shekarchian and Yasmine Farmanara. "It has to be about stuff you don't already have," Farmanara said. And if the street's shoppers don't have it, they will open their wallets. "People who come here are buying more," Shekarchian said.

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