Long Beach's Garden of Contemporary
When Alan Hall asked Delilah Camacho to help him remodel his Long Beach, Calif., boutique in 2004, she advised him to try a retail mix that was feminine but with an edge.
Hall, whose store was then called Mezzanine, took her counsel. He opened the revamped shop one year ago, switching from moderately priced clothing to more expensive wares appealing to the same demographic, 20- to 40-year-old women.
Hall also changed the name of his store to Eden. He redid the boutique, located on Second Street in Long Beach’s fashionable Belmont Shore district, as a fabulous primeval garden with leafy plants and chandeliers he made himself.
Camacho, Eden’s buyer/manager, said the remodel helped the boutique attract women looking for fashionable contemporary denim and tops to make them look stunning as they traipse down Second Street in search of coffee or clothing.
Among the recent bestsellers are tanks and halters by Los Angeles–based Sky. Camacho said Eden’s clients are buying the tank tops ($48) for their sexy cuts and silhouettes. They are also purchasing Sky’s “Meta” halter ($56) for its shape, she said. One of its distinctive characteristics is a 4-inch-wide medallion embedded with turquoise beads and sewn just below the plunging V neckline.
Other top-selling items are jeans and tops by Los Angeles’ J & Company ($125–$145 for jeans and $110 for tops), which are prized for their close fits and studs. Looks from up-and-coming Los Angeles jeans company People of the World ($220–$242) are popular for their intricate stitching. Junk Food’s rock tees of bands such as The Beatles and Lynyrd Skynyrd ($36–$38) are often winners with women born well after those musicians’ heydays.
Another trend on Camacho’s radar screen is the camouflage bottom. While she said denim will always be popular, she has seen camouflage become a viable alternative for skirts, shorts and pants. “Women are ready for a change,” she noted.
Eden is located at 4900 E. Second St. For more information, call (562) 433-4585. —Andrew Asch
