Scout, Erica Tanov Celebrate Openings
The distance between Third Street’s newest boutiques is just a few storefronts, yet the two Los Angeles shops might as well have been on different planets when both held grand-opening parties on Feb. 19.
The Erica Tanov event, at 7938 W. Third St., was reminiscent of a witty salon. Los Angeles handbag designers such as Leslie and Jennifer Kale browsed the store’s Spring collection while tasting the wine and hors d’oeuvres.
The Scout event, at 7920 W. Third St., felt like a college kegger. Luminaries from the vintage-clothing scene, such as Aldo Palmieri of La Brea Avenue’s Rockin’ Rodeo boutique, chug-a-lugged bottles of beer with young Hollywood types, including Samaire Armstrong from the Fox television series “The O.C.”
While these two worlds didn’t exactly see eye to eye, each could claim a stake in their own corner of the design world.
For Tanov, her Spring line was simple, yet exotic. “It’s a romantic collection,” said Tanov, who visited from her home in Berkeley, Calif.
While many of her fabrics, including silks from France and Italy, remained the same as in the past, her Spring offerings included new angles, such as beautiful pinwheel designs crafted in India.
For Scout, everything seemed either vintage or Southern California–inspired. Store co-founder Joey Grana stocks his half of the 1,400-square-foot store with some of the globe’s finest vintage togs. Most popular are designer clothes from the 1950s and 1980s. Greg Armas, the other co-founder, claims the rest of the store for Los Angeles labels such as Ladies of the Canyon, Wooden Moustache and Society for Rational Dress.
Grana said his side always wins out. “All fashion is vintage-inspired these days,” he said with a grin.
“I’d have to back him up,” Armas answered. “In the past 10 years, fashion hasn’t been about creating. It’s about recreating and editing.” —Andrew Asch
