Pioneering Fashion in Culver City, Calif.
Seven years ago, Barbara Phillips pioneered the fashion retail business on thriving Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, Calif.
Now she’s uncovered a new retail gem in another nearby neighborhood.
Phillips’ latest find is in the Art District of Culver City, Calif. It’s got a great location, only 10 miles west of downtown Los Angeles. It is packed with hip restaurants and art galleries. But there aren’t many fashion boutiques sprinkled among the small businesses in the area.
Despite the challenges, on Nov. 12 Phillips celebrated the one-year anniversary of her Minnie T’s women’s fashion boutique, located at 8638 Washington Blvd. Yet she concedes it will take more time for this growing neighborhood to reach its fashion potential. “People are finding out about it through word of mouth,” said Phillips, who does not advertise.
Veteran menswear shop Alandales is one of the only other better fashion boutiques in the area, which is home to Sony Pictures Studios and The Culver Studios. It is also the location of Smashbox Studios, where Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week was produced until 2008. Alandales’ owner, Irene Becker, said she gets a lot of business from the studios, and her store remains a destination for men who have been clients for years.
One advantage of the Art District is that rents are relatively cheap, averaging about $2.30 to $5 a square foot. Yet, if there is a stumbling block, said commercial real estate veteran Chuck Dembo, it is this: The district’s commercial spaces might be too big for many fashion boutiques. Also, the area is not as compact as Abbot Kinney, which might discourage people from walking around the area.
However, Dembo, a partner in Beverly Hills–based Dembo & Associates, believes its potential will gradually grow. But that’s not discouraging Phillips. “When I opened on Abbot Kinney,” she said, “everyone thought I was crazy.”—Andrew Asch
