Subway Sect
More than two decades ago, boutiques on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue buzzed with a creativity fueled by punk rock music and new fashion design. On Dec. 1, retailer and designer Cody Varona hoped to reignite that spirit when she opened Rebels De Royale, a 1,750-square-foot boutique on the corner of Melrose and Curson avenues.
Varona hoped the store would function as a hangout, an art gallery and a soapbox for unique designers who are inspired by rock music. Price points range from $36 to $2,400 for many pieces that Varona says are one-of-akind. The store offers Los Angeles–based labels such as Juuml;nker Designs, Gasoline Glamour and a jewelry designer, Black Victory. In addition to Rebels De Royale, Varona owns Catwalk, the punk-edged boutique she opened in 1990 in Huntington Beach, Calif.
The store designer for Rebels De Royale, who goes by the single name of Zoey, crafted the store’s look to be similar to a modern, clean subway station, with subway graphics, cylindrical-shaped changing rooms and neon lighting.
He also left a lot of room for punk-style provocation. The walls of the boutique’s back section are covered with paintings of the outrageous covers of the tabloid Weekly World News. Zoey also intends to paint a modern version of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel mural on the store ceiling. Next up, Varona plans to debut a Rebels De Royale fashion label. The store “will always be a work in progress,” she said. —Andrew Asch
