California Apparel News

Since 2007, shopkeepers on Los Angeles’ Beverly Boulevard have been waiting for New York–based jeans brand Earnest Sewn to open its flagship boutique on the street and, finally, the long wait might be coming to an end.

Earnest Sewn will open its 6,000-square-foot Los Angeles flagship in June, said Eleanor Ylvisaker, a partner in the jeans brand. It will offer the entire Earnest Sewn collection in a building at 7501 Beverly Blvd., which once housed the Town Tire Co. auto-repair shop.

Along with men’s, women’s, kids’ and custom-made jeans, the Earnest Sewn flagship will make space for popular New York bakery Babycakes NYC. The 1,200-square-foot bakery will offer vegan and kosher baked treats to Earnest Sewn customers.

Earnest Sewn signed a lease in early 2007 for the more than 90-year-old building on the corner of Beverly and N. Gardner Street, located between Fairfax and La Brea avenues. According to Ylvisaker, the jeans company had to go through a lengthy permitting process with the city of Los Angeles, which included efforts to make the building more earthquake-proof.

The Beverly Boulevard flagship will be Earnest Sewn’s second California location. It opened a Malibu, Calif., boutique in October. The company, which opened in 2004, also runs three boutiques in New York. Depending on real estate opportunities, Earnest Sewn plans to open more boutiques, according to Ylvisaker.

Boutique owners on Beverly have long believed an Earnest Sewn boutique could add more sizzle to the street, which was once famous as the headquarters for Los Angeles designers such as Richard Tyler. “I have been waiting and waiting and waiting,” said Diane Merrick of her upcoming neighbor. Merrick is the owner of her self-named boutique at 7407 Beverly Blvd.

Merrick opened her boutique in 2006 after operating a pioneering boutique on Melrose Avenue for more than 30 years. “It’s just coming together,” she said of the boutique scene on Beverly Boulevard. “People seem to be walking around more.”

Merrick’s customers seemed to have cottoned to a casual style recently. Among her top-selling items have been her Diane Merrick–brand cashmere shawls, which retail for $198. Other top-selling items include New York–based Hello Skinny jeans. The jeans, which retail for $176, are intended to make the wearer look two sizes smaller, Merrick said. Leggings from New York–based Plan B ($60) are also popular.

Other Beverly Boulevard fashion shoppers seek the formal with a touch of the avant-garde. One outpost is Lloyd Klein Couture at 7415 Beverly Blvd. In 2006, French designer Lloyd Klein fixed up a 1928 Gothic, castle-like building that now houses Klein’s design studio, as well as an atelier for his custom-made couture gowns, which can retail up to $10,000. Klein also offers ready-to-wear with retail prices of $200 to $2,500. Handbags retail for $200 to $6,000.

The boutique Beige is one of the pioneers of Beverly Boulevard. Since 2000, it has been located at 7274 Beverly Blvd. Cocktail dresses have been popular recently, according to co-founder Kelly Peterson. The store’s house brand, Exclusive by Beige, has been doing well. These cocktail dresses are constructed out of vintage silks, and they retail for $899 each. The shop also is doing well with the Los Angeles–based Michelle Mason brand, which retails from $220 for tops to $495 for cashmere cardigans. Another top seller at Beige is a motorcycle-style leather jacket by William Rast that retails for $615.

Beverly Boulevard continues to attract boutiques. On Oct. 15, boutique Ten Over Six held a grand-opening celebration for its store at 7427 Beverly Blvd. In an art gallery–like setting, it offers the Ten Over Six brand of shoes and accessories, as well as independent beauty products and books from Los Angeles publisher Tam Tam Books. For apparel, top sellers include New York–based lingerie line The Lake & Stars. The label’s panties retail for $58. The line’s body romper retails for $220. Ten Over Six also offers its exclusive line called CBC for Ten Over Six. Retail price points range from $785 to $1,000 for the line, which features coats.