Indie Boutique Moves Into Show Pony Space
Earlier this year, Los Angeles’ independent fashion community mourned the closure of Show Pony, a boutique that championed new and independent designers. On July 11, Tavin, another independent fashion boutique, will move into Show Pony’s former space at 1543 Echo Park Blvd. in Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood.
Novice retailer Erin Tavin will own, manage and do the buying for the boutique. The former costume designer and stylist has sold Tavin, her own fashion brand, at the popular Rose Bowl Flea Market, which is frequented by Los Angeles’ independent designers. In its day, Show Pony was a destination for independent designs in the bohemian Echo Park neighborhood. Tavin hopes her new boutique will provide some of the same opportunities for new designers and be a new destination for the fashion community.
“When people walk in, I want them to feel like they are on a side street in Paris,” Tavin said. The store will carry Los Angeles designers, including Park Vogel, Juuml;nker Design and Compai. The store also will sell Tavin, a collection that takes vintage fashions and redesigns them into new creations. Boutique price points will range from $15 for a T-shirt to $350 for a reworked vintage skirt.
Tavin acknowledged that opening a store in a weak economy was challenging, but she said there are also benefits. “You can get a better rent,” she said. “But I have to keep the price point at very reasonable. Women still want to shop, but they don’t want to spend over $100.” —Andrew Asch
