California Apparel News

Star power jolted Los Angeles’ retail scene this past year when two major designers, Marc Jacobs and Miuccia Prada, opened flagship stores on Melrose Place and Rodeo Drive, respectively.

While Los Angeles had long been building its reputation as a fashion center, the arrival of these stores was a bricks-and-mortar statement that Angelenos are ready to spend to dress to the nines despite the city’s reputation as a wellspring for laidback styles.

The stores’ arrival also might as well have been a statement that Los Angeles is ready for anything. The city’s retailers hold the keys to what’s next in fashion, from streetwear to avant-garde designs to clothes that dazzle on the red carpet.

California Apparel News has selected 10 must-see boutiques for buyers to visit. These shops not only offer a sense of discovery but also capture the spirit of leading-edge retail trends. They embrace the romance of entrepreneurship and take chances on introducing new designers. Many of these stores have been open for less than one year. Others are old friends worthy of rediscovery.

Active Ride 328 N. San Fernando Road,Burbank (Corner of Magnolia Boulevard) (818) 333-1580

Owners: John and Shane Wallace Year opened: 2004 (The company, founded in 1989, runs 13 stores, including the Burbank boutique.) Fashion focus: Contemporary boutique styles meet the latest labels in skate and surf for men and women. Active Ride was one of the first retailers to experiment in mixing boutique styles with skate and surf.Lines carried/unique merchandise: Obey, RVCA, Grn Apple Tree, Paul Frank, LRG, Matix, Lakai, Nike, Stussy, Ambiguous, Ben Sherman, Ella Moss and Citizens of Humanity.Price points: $17 to $50 forT-shirts, $49 to $225 for denim and $44 to $125 for woven shirts.Atmosphere: Art school for skateboarders. The store’s earth tones and plants provide a backdrop to exclusive art by designers from the hippest streetwear companies. The Burbank store features a 20-foot mural by Shepard Fairey of Obey.Clientele: The majority of customers are men and women between the ages of 18 and 30. They are equally adept at painting, making PowerPoint presentations and shredding concrete with their skateboards.Owner also recommends: “My favorite stores in L.A. include Fred Segal [Santa Monica] for clothing inspiration and Undefeated for footwear inspiration,” Wallace noted.

Aero & Co.8403 W. Third St., Los Angeles(Corner of South Orlando Avenue)(323) 653-4651

Owners: Alisa Loftin and Cynthia Vincent Year opened: 1999 Fashion focus: New designers with an avant-garde edge.Lines carried/unique merchandise: Rami Kashou, Grey Ant, Jasmine Shokrian, Jared Gold, Brian Lichtenberg, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, Alicia Lawhon and Stacy Kiehl.Price points: $300 for dresses, $150 for blouses and $250 for pants.Atmosphere: A gallery made whimsical by features such as dressing rooms covered by quilted poly-fiber paper curtains. “Everything must have a sense of humor,” Loftin said. “Or what’s the point?”Clientele: Women ages 25 to 35, typically creative types with good jobs. Stylists also check out the store, according to designer and stylist Marco Marco. “Everybody window shops there to see if they’re keeping up with fashion,” he said.Owner also recommends: “I love South Willard. It’s not trendy, and it’s not catering to Hollywood types,” Loftin said. “It’s hard to do that in Los Angeles.”

Alpha 8625 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood(Between Huntley Drive and San Vicente Boulevard) (310) 855-0775

Owners: Darren Gold and Christos Garkinos Year opened: 2004 Fashion focus: Men’s casual contemporary, as well as dress shirts and ties.Lines carried/unique merchandise: A.P.C., Paul Smith, Chassis, Band of Outsiders, Adidas Y-3, Cristi Conaway Los Angeles, Nike White Label, Cabral and Umbro by Kim Jones.Price points: $50 for T-shirts to $450 for cashmere sweaters.Atmosphere: It’s a guy’s hangout without the loutish behavior seen at a guy’s hangout. Clientele: Men ages 25 to 50.Owner also recommends: “The usual suspects,” Gold said. “I like to see what’s going at Ron Herman. I like Barneys. They have such a wide selection of designers; you can see everything in one place.”

B.NY.2449 Main St., Santa Monica (Half a block north of Ocean Park Boulevard) (310) 396-1616

Owner: Gregory Niebel Year opened: 1991 Fashion focus: Fashion-forward Japanese designers, as well as collections from France, Belgium and Italy.Lines carried/unique merchandise: Yohji Yamamoto, Issey Miyake, Masatomo, Undercover, Share Spirit, Martin Margiela, Hussein Chalayan, Antonio Marras, Maritheacute; & Francois Girbaud, Sacai, Kate O’Connor, Great China Wall, Habitual and Evisu.Price points: $155 for shirts, $800 for pants and $450 to $2,000 for jackets.Atmosphere: Artsy. The store is housed in the Edgemar retail complex, designed by renowned Los Angeles architect Frank Gehry, and was awarded a prize by Interior Design magazine for its interior by Margaret Helfand.Clientele: Professionals and entertainment industry insiders.Owner also recommends: “Maxfield. It’s been a leader in this industry as far as fashion-forward merchandise,” Niebel said. “[Maxfield owner] Tommy Perse was one of the first to bring in the Japanese.”

Diavolina 156 S. Robertson Blvd.,Los Angeles (Corner of Third Street) (310) 550-1341

Owners: Evelyn Ungvari and Mark Goldstein Year opened: 2005 (Earlier locations were open from 1998–2004.) Fashion focus: Rock ’n’ roll chic that’s unusual but wearable.Lines carried/unique merchandise: Issa, Jarbo, Mason, Olga Kapustina, Vivienne Westwood, Rami Kashou, Mayle and Costume National.Price points: $80 for flip-flops to $2,500 for dresses.Atmosphere: Diavolina means “little devil” in Italian, and the store’s milieu was meant to stoke every woman’s inner bad girl. Witness the store’s leopard-skin carpets, white leather couches and raspberry-pink ceilings.Clientele: Fashion-obsessed women ages 15 to 60, including students, professionals, actresses and Brentwood moms.Owner also recommends: “Marc Jacobs [Collection]. I’ve always been a fan of his fits,” Ungvari said. “His store is beautifully designed. It’s worth the long wait for it to open—kind of like mine. I also enjoy Mameg, Maxfield and Madison.”

Intuition 10581 West Pico Blvd., Los Angeles (Between Prosser and Manning avenues) (310) 234-8442

Owner: Jaye Hersh Year opened: 2001 Fashion focus: The latest trends andvintage-inspired tees. “It’s very celebrity- driven,” Hersh said. Her knack for putting her wares on celebrity bodies is so celebrated that The Wall Street Journal published a front-page article about it.Lines carried/unique merchandise: True Religion, Stitches, 575, Splendid, Mblem by Mandy Moore, Doe by Mighty Fine, Members Only and Lacoste.Price points: $25 for T-shirts to $300 for jeans.Atmosphere: The no-frills space almost looks like a general store.Clientele: Eleven-year-old girls to 70-year-old women. More than 60 percent of store sales are driven by the company’s Web site, www.shopintuition.com.Owner also recommends: “I love Fred Segal Fun. I’ve shopped there forever,” Hersh said. “[Owner] Jackie Brander has a great eye for trend. I love her selection.”

Metropark 2107 Glendale Galleria, Glendale (On the second level of the GlendaleGalleria by Macy’s) (818) 265-1270

Owners: Privately held company. Founders include Orv Madden, chairman and chief executive, and Lawrence Tanenbaum, president.Year opened: 2004 Fashion focus: Casual contemporary boutique styles for men and women. Premium denim, as well as T-shirts with an art and music influence. The company’s mission is to bring boutique styles to the mall. The company could open 300 Metropark stores throughout the United States, Tanenbaum said.Lines carried/unique merchandise: Chip & Pepper, Howe, G-Star, Obey, RVCA, Seven for All Mankind, Triple 5 Soul, True Religion, Rock & Republic, Joe’s Jeans and Topless.Price points: $26 for T-shirts to $270 for women’s premium denim.Atmosphere: Mixes the best of boutique and bachelor pad. A deejay spins records in the front of the store, and clothes are displayed in the middle. A lounge in the back of the shop provides ample space to catch up on the latest art and music magazines.Clientele: The median age is 24, said women’s buyer Lisa Anderson. “She’s rock ’n’ roll,” Anderson noted. “She’s an individual.”Owner also recommends: “Fred Segal Santa Monica,” Tanenbaum said. “I like the guys at Black & Blue. They have a tight assortment and a handle on the up-and-coming designers.”

Satine 8117 W. Third St., Los Angeles (One block west of Crescent HeightsBoulevard) (323) 655-2142

Owners: Jeannie Lee and Sophia Banks Year opened: 2003 Fashion focus: Mostly casual clothing mixed with some high-end apparel. Lee said the merchandise is “girly with an edge.”Lines carried/unique merchandise: Rolland Mouret, Y&Kei, Peter Som, Tsumori Chisato, United Bamboo, Tsubi Denim, Rebecca Taylor and Edun.Price points: $50 for T-shirts and shorts to $2,200 for a Rolland Mouret gown.Atmosphere: The 1,000-square-foot space feels laidback, with old movies playing on a vintage TV console.Clientele: Young Hollywood stylists, celebrities and professionals.Owner also recommends: “I love Diavolina,” Lee said. “I love Tracey Ross. She has a more rock ’n’ roll style than me. I love Scout because they’re really good vintage buyers.”

Sirens & Sailors 1104 Mohawk St.,Los Angeles (Corner of Sunset Boulevard) (213) 483-5423

Owner: Jennifer Phillips Year opened: 2001; expanded into a new 1,700-square-foot space in 2005.Fashion focus: An eclectic mix of fashion-forward clothing with a vintage influence, including many Los Angeles designers.Lines carried/unique merchandise: Grey Ant, Desanka, Szulika, Evil Genius, Harvey’s, Magpie Rita, Prospect 44, Hysteric Glamour and Harkham.Price points: $50 for handmade blouses to $250 for handmade dresses andblazers.Atmosphere: A quaint California bungalow charged with Echo Park do-it-yourself style.Clientele: Men and women ages 25 to 45. Everyone from Echo Park hipsters to Malibu fashion seekers.Owner also recommends: “Aero & Co. Alisa Loftin has a great eye for talent,” Phillips said. “Wasteland is still my all-time favorite. I always find something I can’t live without there.”

South Willard 8038 W. Third St., Los Angeles(One block east of Crescent HeightsBoulevard) (323) 653-6153

Owners: Ryan Conder and Danielle Kays Year opened: 2004Fashion focus: New designers for men and women with an emphasis on avant-garde but wearable styles.Lines carried/unique merchandise: Alexandre Herchcovitch, Rachel Comey, Rag & Bone, Band of Outsiders, Bernhard Willhelm and Bon & Ging.Price points: $44 for T-shirts to $1,000 for dresses.Atmosphere: The store has the ambience of a New England writer’s study. The desk in the middle of the store and the books lining the 1,000-square-foot space perfectly complement South Willard’s understated style.Clientele: Men and women ages 16 to 80.Owner also recommends: “Mameg. The store gets great designers,” Conder said. “They’re showcased in a way that really cares about the clothes.”

Our Perennial Favorites Fred Segal Melrose8100 Melrose Ave., Los AngelesH. Lorenzo8660 Sunset Blvd., West HollywoodLisa Kline136 S. Robertson Blvd., Los AngelesMaxfield8825 Melrose Ave., West HollywoodTracey Ross8595 Sunset Blvd., West HollywoodScott & Co.8710 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood