Mr. Hadar's Movable Store
If there’s one thing that Lorenzo Hadar has learned from his 20 years of keeping shop at chi-chi Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood, Calif., it’s that anything is possible.
The possibilities could run to something as wild as giving his women’s store, H. Lorenzo, a bit of a fixture in Sunset Plaza, a sense of exotic impermanence. That’s exactly what he wanted to do when he remodeled the 5,000-square-foot store earlier this year.
“The whole store is like a movie set,” Hadar said. “You can change everything here.”
Sections of the store, even the dressing rooms, are separated by luxurious string curtains that can be moved around at a moment’s notice. So the store can coin a new look every time it sells the latest fashions from European labels such as Emilio Pucci of Florence, Italy, and Veronique Branquinho of Paris.
But the boutique’s top-selling item of the week comes from Japan. Junya Watanabe’s wool cardigan cape top is perfect for Los Angeles’ winter days, which are cold one moment and warm the next. If the sky looks gray, the cape can be buttoned down the front, making for fashionable protection from the elements. If the sky is returning to its typical blue self, the cape can be unbuttoned and worn over the shoulders. The piece retails for $529.
Other popular Watanabe pieces include a $929 top made of soft, sheer wool and a $649 cardigan wrap.
Another top seller is a T-shirt vest by Belgium-based Ann Demeulemeester. This $199 top covers every base, said H. Lorenzo General Manager Zainab Sumu-Koroma.
“It’s edgy, it’s loose, and it’s relaxed,” Sumu-Koroma said. “It’s chic without trying too hard.” —Andrew Asch
