California Apparel News

Once an unglamorous section of Los Angeles’ Los Feliz neighborhood, the 4600 block of Hollywood Boulevard in Los Feliz developed a beatnik sense of cool in the past few years, and it may be on the verge of becoming a fashion street. In the past six months, three fashion boutiques opened on the block. Boutique owner Jonathan Harrison Kanarek said the newcomers were welcomed on the hipster boulevard because they deal in one of the obsessions of the street’s denizens.

“They deal with niche, very independent designers,” said Kanarek, who opened his boutique Everything’s Jake/Jake Vintage at 4644 Hollywood Blvd. in December 2007. Independent designers are the object of obsessive acclaim by “the creatives”—the artsy types working or seeking jobs in the film, music or fashion businesses, Kanarek said. Los Feliz is one of the places they flock for inspiration. He said his street’s new stores—Apartment 3, Confederacy and Solutions—are doing their part in bringing more of these hipsters to the neighborhood.

These customers keep strong opinions on what they will put on their bodies, said Regina Ramirez, manager of Solutions. What might sell well in other neighborhoods won’t stand a chance on this block. “We don’t get customers asking for rhinestones, crosses or fleurs de lis,” she said.

But the street’s fashions are not entirely cut off from the rest of the world either. Cocktail dresses produced by celebrated New York designer Alexander Wang are popular at Confederacy, located at 4661 Hollywood Blvd. Retail price points for Wang’s fashions range from $450 to $760, said Ilaria Urbinati, Confederacy’s co-owner and buyer. Also popular are soft, striped T-shirts from New York–based Proenza Schouler. With neon yellow and purple stripes, these tees retail for $368.

Urbinati is a former buyer for Los Angeles boutiques Satine and Milk. She opened Confederacy in October 2008 with co-owner Danny Masterson, deejay and actor, who starred in television’s “That ’70s Show.” The 5,000-square-foot Confederacy store carries men’s and women’s apparel, as well as art and accessories. The store features unique features, such as dressing rooms made to look like early-20th-century phone booths. The boutique’s look dovetails with the neighborhood’s obsession for a unique look. “We really focused on the aesthetics of the place, and I think that is partly what keeps the locals happy,” Urbinati said.

Apartment 3 moved from downtown Los Angeles to 4634 Hollywood Blvd. in February. The store’s new home is a 1920s residential building that has been zoned for commercial use. Owner Kristin Knauff designed the space, which features a chandelier and some 1970s-style fashion art.

Apartment 3’s top-selling brands for men include Long Beach, Calif.–based Matte Black. The “Paris Faire” T-shirt retails for $52. For women, Los Angeles–based Smoke & Mirrors Clothing has been selling well. The “Tuberose” bustier retails for $156, and the “Flutter” dress retails for $170.

Solutions opened at 4677 Hollywood Blvd. in December with a focus on new denim brands such as Japan-based Naked & Famous and Los Angeles–based City of Others. Top-selling brands for women include Dylan George’s “Lucy Zip” jean, which retails for $215. For men, J Brand Denim Co.’s slim, straight-leg “Kane” jean ($158) is also popular.

Denim is a big part of the fashion at motorcycle-lifestyle store Glory Sales & Service, located at 4659 Hollywood Blvd. It opened in 2000 as a motorcycle-accessories shop and later started selling T-shirts, jackets and jeans. One big seller is the store’s house brand, Glory Utility. The brand’s straight-leg jean, inspired by 1950s denim styles, sells for $145. Another popular brand is New York–based Jean Shop. Its clean selvedge denim, with orange stitching, retails for $255.