Prospecting on Ventura Boulevard
Gary Friedman felt like a pioneer in 1991 when he opened fashion boutique Dungaree on a stretch of Ventura Boulevard in Studio City, Calif., that was lined with banks, not retailers.
“There was Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Union Bank of California, Glendale Federal. It was like the Federal Reserve here,” Friedman said.
Flash forward 13 years, and Friedman sits in the middle of a retail hot spot. More than eight high-end boutiques are open for business on the few city blocks neighboring Friedman’s store, located near the corner of Ventura and Laurel Canyon boulevards. More fashion boutiques, including Stacey Todd and Belle Gray, have opened shop on Ventura Boulevard west of Coldwater Canyon Avenue.
The neighborhood, home to many people working at nearby television and movie sound stages such as CBS Studio Center, was aching for high-end retail for some time, said Robert Piken, president of The Piken Co., a commercial real estate business with offices in Studio City and West Hollywood, Calif.
“Studio City has a cutting-edge vibe because of the entertainment industry and because it’s so close to Hollywood,” Piken said. “Valley residents who don’t feel like making the trip to Hollywood or Beverly Hills can shop right here in Studio City.”
The majority of apparel retailers in the area said they earn 15 percent to 50 percent of their revenue from supplying clothes to the wardrobe departments of nearby Hollywood studios. Retail spaces lease for $2.50 to $3.50 a square foot in the area, according to Scott Roberts, managing director of The Piken Co.
Shopping may get easier in the area on Nov. 13, when the city of Los Angeles opens a 397-space parking structure on Ventura Boulevard near Laurelgrove Avenue. Laura Wagner, co-owner of Tryst, a casual contemporary boutique across the street from this parking structure, hopes it will create a boom for the retail neighborhood.
“It will give people a chance to walk around the area,” Wagner said. “I’d like it to become like Old Town Pasadena.”
Tryst opened in April 2004 to outfit guys and girls with stylish attire. Items like True Religion Brand Jeans, based in Los Angeles, are top sellers for both men and women at the 1,500-square-foot shop. Price points range from $175 to $220. Other big sellers include Buddhist Punk, a London-based label whose soft cotton Tshirts ($95) have rips and tears for a rock ’n’ roll feel. Also popular for women is a scarf coat by Los Angeles–based Grey Ant ($195) that features a scarf sewn onto the neck. Popular items for guys include T-shirts by Los Angeles–based James Perse ($35) and woven shirts by Steven Allen ($160), based in New York.
Lisa Angel Clothing & Accessories, one block east of Tryst, specializes in women’s clothes with a classic feel, said Lisa Angel, who co-owns the store with her sister Cha Cha Weinstein. Recent big sellers include the Leesa pant by Alhambra, Calif.–based Trina Turk ($180).
“It’s a great classic pant that everybody looks good in,” Angel said. “It’s not too low. It’s not too high.”
Also popular are cashmere sweaters by Los Angeles–based Ya-Ya ($335) that mix a conservative cable-knit pattern with a plunging V cut in the front and the back.
Dari, co-owned by Melanie Shatner and Tiffany Wendel, offers a retail mix of formal and contemporary casual apparel. A black hooded top with sequins by Australiabased Sass & Bide ($900) is one piece for the red carpet. Los Angeles–based Chip & Pepper’s patchcovered “Backwoods” jeans ($210) and distressed “Brantford” corduroys ($177) have been popular with the casual set.
Belle Gray, owned by actors Lisa Rinna and Harry Hamlin, opened on a patch of Ventura Boulevard west of Coldwater Canyon Avenue that once was virgin territory for high-end contemporary casual boutiques. Denim here is an obsession. Big sellers include skirts crafted out of vintage Levi’s by Los Angeles–based J Bush Hollywood Creations ($80) and boot-cut jeans by Citizens for Humanity ($158). Store manager Kathy Shawver said women find an easy fit in these jeans.
Vanity, a 500-square-foot store with mint-green walls, is one of the newest tenants in the area. Co-owners Jessica Lee and Janey Strouse, who both worked in sales at Fred Segal Santa Monica, mix bohemian-inspired pieces with labels that have a simple, casual look. For the bohemian, blazers by Grey Ant ($250) and Los Angeles–based Nickel ($495) mix conservative tweed with art-inspired details.
Gwen Stefani’s line L.A.M.B., based in New York, makes a popular ribbed tank top with a bookmark-sized label ($40). Lee forecast that L.A.M.B. and anything tweed will be big for fall in the San Fernando Valley, an area she said is embracing its own fashion district.
“People are so appreciative when a new store is opened here,” Lee said. “They love not having to drive to the Westside.”
