California Apparel News

The sales of small, new fashion designers can turn into an insurance policy against tough times. Just ask Linda Davis.

Her Koi boutique, located at 1007 Fair Oaks Ave. in South Pasadena, Calif., focuses on small, new and often local fashion designers. After the Wall Street financial meltdown of 2008, many of her customers were worried that her store would be another casualty of the economic chaos that gripped the world. So they voiced their support of Koi the only way that seemed to count then. They started shopping.

“Everyone has their own independent style,” Davis said of her fellow boutique owners in South Pasadena. “It makes a difference. We have a loyal customer base.”

Being independent and providing an alternative seems to guide retail and lifestyle in South Pasadena. For its city planning, South Pasadena successfully fought an epic, decades-long battle to stop the 710 freeway from going through the town. Preserving historic residential neighborhoods of craftsman-style bungalows seems to be a municipal obsession. Few national chains have moved their addresses on the city’s main drags of Fair Oaks Avenue and Mission Street. There are no big-box retailers in town.

Many customers for Koi and other South Pasadena boutiques come from town. They feel their boutique’s buying policies echo the South Pasadena aesthetic, and some of these stores buying are meant to be exacting, said Mimo Boghossian, the co-owner of South Pasadena boutique Rue De Mimo, located at 1514 Mission St.

“It’s either unique or nothing at all. There is no room for mediocre inventory or product that is a waste of time,” she said of her store’s buying policy.

Boghossian takes pride in curating new and small labels at her 1,000-square-foot store. Popular items have included the “Prancer” dress from the Kelly Lane label. It retails for $210. Another popular item is the fitted, full-length “Olive Oil” dress by Los Angeles label Dick & Jayne. It retails for $159. The High Neck Prose tunic designed by Los Angeles–based label Spirit House has been selling well. This tunic retails for $232.

Another popular item at Rue De Mimo is a blouse sewn into a sweater by Spanish label Hoss Intropia. It retails for $232. Another popular Spanish item is a jersey tunic from Skunkfunk, which retails for $82. The Skunkfunk label is headquartered in Spain’s Basque region and operates flagship stores in San Francisco and New York.

Adjacent to Rue De Mimo is the boutique Camille Frances De Pedrini, located at 1516 Mission St. The store is decorated with wire-hanger sculptures by artist Michael Provart, who also is the husband of boutique owner Camille De Pedrini. The store focuses on special-occasion lines with unique details.

Top-selling brands at De Pedrini include French line Lilith. Its price points range from $165 for T-shirts to $445 for taffeta ball-gown skirts. Dresses from Israeli label Ronen Chen start at $325. Lightweight, silk wedding dresses from the Camille De Pedrini label are priced from $1,500 to $4,000, according to De Pedrini, who also designs the wedding dresses.

Much of the deacute;cor of Koi boutique on 1007 Fair Oaks Ave. is decidedly Asian. Thai lanterns and large portraits of Buddha are reminiscent of Bali, a favorite place of owner Davis. One top-selling item is a belted jacket from Cynthia Ashby, a Chicago line. It retails for $298. Another popular item is a black, platinum tunic from Israeli line Kedem Sasson. It retails for $298. The 1940s-inspired dresses by Loco Lindo are also popular. They retail for $128.

By the end of the year, Koi will expand beyond fashion to include a home section.

The latest addition to the South Pasadena boutique scene is Mi Vida, located at 1325 Huntington Drive. Cousins Noelle Reyes and Danell Hughes opened the 1,200-square-foot store in February 2008. Reyes said her store aims to provide a fashion alternative with a Chicano flair. Top-selling items include Industrias Ilegales, which designs T-shirts with Aztec graphics and politically tinged images. The T-shirts are priced from $20 to $24. Another top seller is Los Angeles–based Market. Its blouses and dresses are distinguished by their floral embroidery. Its price points range from $24 to $32.

If price points are more moderate here, Reyes said her independent vibe makes her a good fit for South Pasadena.

“Our family and friends said that we should try to be more mainstream. But we said no. The shop is a reflection of our style,” she said. “We love punk rock. We love vintage. We are total swap-meet girls and bargain hunters.”