Cameo Takes a Bow at Lily Simone
Simone Porter hoped to be the first retailer in the Los Angeles’ neighborhood of Eagle Rock to sell Southern California fashion labels such as Grey Ant and Rachel Pally. She achieved her goal when she opened the Lily Simone boutique in April 2004, but she may not have foreseen how local the fashions in her store would get.
A recent top-selling item was designed by a label located in Los Angeles’ HIghland Park neighborhood, less than two miles from the store. It’s a wool tweed reverse-cuff blazer made by Cameo, a line by Dusty of California. The contemporary label debuted in 2003 with a line of lingerie and women’s sheer T-shirts.
Porter said the Cameo jacket, retail priced at $165, is made of light brown herringbone tweed with a black paisley lining. It also features vintage leather buttons and a key charm that hangs from the pocket. The blazer is fitted at the waist and hugs the shoulders like a riding jacket.
Porter, a first-time retailer, formerly worked as a stylist. When she designed the store with green floor tiles and pink walls, she hoped to re-create the milieu of a pre-1960s dress shop. She said her retail vision is like the clothes in her boutiques.
“I try to find stuff that’s fashionable, easy to wear and at the same time classic,” she said. Other Los Angeles brands she carries are Desanka and Tart. —Andrew Asch
