California Apparel News

With graceful suburban houses and Hollywood studios sharing real estate, Los Angeles’ Studio City neighborhood is a mashup of two opposing California dreams.

The split personality has retailers scrambling to outfit the two separate sides of the San Fernando Valley town.

Should retailers stock their stores with collections for the fashion-forward Hollywood crowd? Or do they reserve their retail real estate for the more casual suburban set? For veteran Studio City retailer Danny Marsh, such questions are a waste of time. His town blends styles. “It’s where Hollywood comes to have a family life,” said Marsh, whose boutique, Sy Devore, has been in business in Studio City since 2000.

The mix of the film industry and the nuclear family has been a lure for retailers. In the past year, more than four boutiques—Essex Clothing, Cherry Blossom, Royal Dutchess and Menemsha—have set down stakes on Studio City’s main drag, Ventura Boulevard. In June, an American Apparel boutique will open at 12202 Ventura Blvd.

But the more things change, the more things stay the same. Designer jeans and a fashionable top always seem to be in fashion in this town, said Jaime B. (born Jaime Bernstein), a stylist and buyer for Dungarees, located at 12230 Ventura Blvd. One of the longstanding fashion retailers on Ventura Boulevard, Dungarees has been selling premium denim since 1991.

Top-selling bottoms include denim-cut pants with stripes made by Hudson Jeans, which are retail priced at $178. For fall, Jaime B. bought jeans with distressed looks. It’s a return to a denim style that was popular more than 18 months ago.

For summer, her store will feature short shorts or the skimpy jeans bottoms sometimes called “Daisy Dukes.” The store carries Italian line Replay’s version for $210. Hudson Jeans’ contribution to this style retails for $155.

For tops, labels such as Traffic People, based in Los Angeles, and Chili Pepper, a United Kingdom–based line, have been selling well. Chili Pepper’s gray hooded dress retails for $152. A red chiffon dress with a floral pattern costs $120. An embroidered chiffon shirt by Gold Hawk retails for $348.

Jeans and fashion tops also are a staple at the Studio City location of M.Fredric, located at 12124 Ventura Blvd. The key to unlocking the neighborhood’s fashion desires is to offer something trendy but wearable, said Jenn Wexler, a spokesperson for M. Fredric.

Paige Premium Denim’s “Laurel Canyon Waterfall” jean is popular. It is a mid-rise denim pant that retails for $164. Also popular is a tunic top by Haleacute; Bob, priced at $198. Dresses continue to be popular at M.Fredric. Best-selling dresses include Bailey 44’s cotton dress featuring spaghetti straps, an empire waist and pleats, priced at $166. Also popular is Bailey 44’s baby-doll dress, with a cowl neck and a painterly print, which retails for $192.

For outerwear, brightly colored trench coats by Fillmore have been selling well at $198.

In the guy’s section, formally called M.Fredric Man, T-shirts by Los Angeles–based Monarchy do well. The colorful shirts retail for $78. Belted cargo shorts produced by label Jet Lag also sell well at $105.

The distressed denim is also making a comeback at Sy Devore, located at 12930 Ventura Blvd, according to owner Marsh.

“Dark and clean [denim] did bupkis,” he said. “I bought a lot of distressed jeans for fall and spring. They’ve been doing great.”

The denim selling well at Sy Devore is PRPS. The jeans are Japanese-designed and produced with cotton from Africa. According to Marsh, the PRPS style selling best is the $430 “Busted Fly” jean. True to their name, no flap covers the jean’s fly.

For T-shirts, styles by Los Angeles– based Wet Cement have been selling well. The shirts marked by burnout treatments retail for $80.

Men’s suiting is one of Sy Devore’s specialties. Suits by U.K.-based Paul Smith London, priced from $1,200 to 1,500, have been doing well. Marsh anticipates the label’s quieter styles—without the brand’s signature bold stripes—will do well in the fall. A little more detailed, Etro suits in black seersucker have been selling well. With bold details and a paisley lining, the suits retail for $1,600.