Something Old, Something New
Nestled between the Hollywood Hills and Silver Lake, Los Angeles’ Los Feliz Village combines the Golden Age charm of its northern neighbor with the urban chic of its eastern cousin to form a distinct meacute;lange.
It is no surprise the area served as the principal stomping ground for the nouveau hipsters of the indie film “Swingers.” An eclectic neighborhood traversed by Armenian immigrants, child-shuttling SUVs and artist types, Los Feliz features a prime shopping destination: North Vermont Avenue, which stretches between Hollywood Boulevard and Franklin Avenue.
Creatively blending new and vintage clothing is a hallmark of Eastside Los Angeles style, and many of the avenue’s boutiques reflect this formula.
At 1764 N. Vermont Ave., Oou blends vintage dresses and dead-stock shoes and sunglasses from local, New York and Argentinean designers. Current hot items include Genevieve Cruz’s flowing, off-the-shoulder tops in sheer fabrics, said Janice Bigio, who co-owns the store with partner Nina Galbert. Tops by Fig that can be worn frontwards or backwards are also popular, as are slightly flared, low-slung pants by Le Ciel Divine. Reconstructed men’s vintage Tshirts by Orange Label are also flying off the shelf.
“The fit [of Orange Label] is amazing, and the selection is really good,” Bigio said.
The ’80s-influenced line by Nisa and tops and jewelry by Nina Lucas round out the store’s best-selling items.
Una Mae’s, which opened nine months ago just off Vermont at 4651 Kingswell Ave., also mixes new and vintage.
“It’s a good way to put together a look that’s totally unique,” said owner Karen Prendergast, who operates another Una Mae’s in Chicago.
Havaianas’ colorful, comfy Brazilian flip-flops ($12) are her hottest items, and vintage summer dresses are also staples.
“They’re $24 a pop, and you’re the only one in the city with that great dress,” Prendergast said.
Shoppers are also scooping up Italian brands Fornarina and Miss Sixty, she said.
Even though her clothing lines are new, Melissa Ritchie, owner of Atmosphere at 1728 N. Vermont Ave., is always searching for items with vintage appeal.
The store’s men’s section is dominated by resuscitated brands such as Ben Sherman and Fred Perry and also features the Los Angeles label Modern Amusement.
Hot lines for women include Juicy Couture and Ella Moss, which grooves to a ’70s vibe, Ritchie said.
Los Feliz is also home to one of the two X-Girl stores located outside of Japan. (The other is in New York.) The brand, which was originally founded by Sonic Youth member Kim Gordon, has a steady following.
“This location isn’t like Melrose,” manager Naoko Kurosawa said of the X-Girl store at 1766 N. Vermont Ave. “There aren’t many stores here. So most of our customers come [specifically] for our stuff. It’s a destination store.”
Customers scoop up the X-Girl label’s T-shirts, slim and baggy pants, and cotton cargo pants with ankle ties.
Next door, at 1768 N. Vermont Ave., is XLARGE, founded by Mike D. of the Beastie Boys. XLARGE carries men’s and women’s clothing by various labels, with a focus on menswear.
Limited-edition slip-on shoes by Vans are the current must-have items for guys, while new Los Angeles label Daggers Drawn is the store’s pseudo-couture line, manager Hayden O’Donnell said. The brand offers creative silkscreens on dress shirts, among other items. XLARGE is the only store in the United States to carry the line, according to O’Donnell. Shirts and hats by graffiti artist Slick are also popular, as is the house brand’s extensive line.
T-shirts are the store’s staple items for women—the crazier the better.
“Fashion’s going wild,” O’Donnell said. “People want something that looks homemade to a certain degree. It’s graffiti almost. Everything’s really layered. Eighties colors and cuts are popular.”
Ghia Fam found he needed to get funky to fit into Los Feliz. He opened Zen-Tropa at 1720 N. Vermont Ave. six months ago, offering his own designs and those of Antonio Aguilar.
Fam discovered his intial prices—which ranged from about $200 to $900—were a little too high-end for the area. He ended up filling the store with lower-priced French brands, such as Ludmilla.
Currently tres chaud are mesh dresses and anything in “borderline neon colors,” Fam said. Shoppers are also snatching up knit handbags, including those by French designer Paulette Nguyen.
