Mollycoddle Morphs Into Mishka

What’s in a name? Everything and nothing.

Independent retailer Mollycoddle has changed its name to Mishka and received a minor face lift. Located at Sunset Junction, a boutique-rich strip of Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles’ Silverlake district, owner Shelley Maxwell said she was tired of customers asking if her name was Molly.

“Of course, now they ask if my name is Mishka,” she said.

Mishka means “little bear” in Russian. “I love the name and was looking for something that would be more marketable for men and women,” said Maxwell. Mollycoddle means “to pamper and overindulge” in English, “but no one knew what it meant.”

The new name also reflects Maxwell’s amicable split from her former business partner, Devon Sedlacek, who recently opened jewelry store Sedlacek Design in West Hollywood, Calif.

The store carries home decor items as well as men’s and women’s fashion with an emphasis on new Los Angeles–based talent. Lines include Suo Motu, Nu, Moss Mills and Hussy Jr. The store opened in April 2002. —Christian M. Chensvold