Classics Meet Indies on West Third Street
In the rush of Christmas shopping, Los Angeles’ West Third Street is looking forward to a new year with new shops.
There’s the highly anticipated Civilianaire—the first boutique from the new label launched by Lucky Brand Jeans founder Gene Montesano. The boutique will debut at 8312 W. Third St. before the year’s end.
Work was recently completed on an 11,000-square-foot building called City View, located at 8231 W. Third St. City View is reviewing prospective tenants and could lease more than five retail spaces, according to Matthew May, a real estate broker connected with the project. Another recent addition to the street is the Alexis Bittar boutique. The accessories label debuted its boutique at 8383 W. Third St. on Oct. 27.
The influx of new retail is a vote of confidence in the fashion thoroughfare, according to Deborah Wolsh, president of the West Third Street Business Association and owner of the Ethel boutique at 8236 W. Third St.
During the recession, many boutiques closed on the street. But the fashion savvy continued to be drawn by the area’s high-profile, independent boutiques, including Polkadots & Moonbeams, one of the area’s fashion pioneers, which has been selling women’s fashion since 1982; EM & Co., which champions new Los Angeles designers; and the expanded Satine boutique.
Last year, the Satine store moved across Third to an emporium-sized space at 8134 W. Third St. At 2,500 square feet, the store is almost triple the size of the former boutique. Satine owner Jeannie Lee helped design the space to look like a hipster’s apartment in Paris—casual with a certain savoir-faire.
Other key retailers on the street include Milk, Hillary Rush, House of Petro Zillia, Douglas Fir, Trina Turk, Lotta Stensson and Elaine Kim. West Third Street’s consumers are often people working in Los Angeles’ entertainment fields, and “they’re looking for the right amount of edge” in their fashion, Wolsh said.
With the economy improving, more people are shopping, Wolsh said, and they are attracted to the street’s retailers’ wide-ranging styles. “Every store is someone’s creative vision,” Wolsh said.
POLKADOTS & MOONBEAMS8367 W. Third St. (at S. Orlando Ave.)
bull; Butter by Nadia’s “Signature Wrap Dress,” which retails for $300. The three-piece outfit comes with a cotton or silk skirt and two straps that can be arranged in a multitude of stylish ways. bull; Black Halo’s “Jackie O” dress sells for $355. Popular prints have been a white and black houndstooth pattern and a solid gray. The dress features a draped top with a slim skirt.bull; Sold Design Lab has been the top-selling denim choice. Price points range from $98 to $118. The two popular fits are the skinny jean and the bell-bottom. The jeans feature little embellishment or details but have been popular for their fit and sizing range, which goes from extra, extra small to large, instead of the typical sizes of 0 through 14 and up. “You can still be extra small if you gain a few pounds,” said store manager Kuei Miao. ETHEL8236 W. Third St. (at Sweetzer Ave.)
bull; Novelty shirts from Los Angeles label Pete. A V-neck shirt with a side tie retails for $110.bull; Moto leggings from Sanctuary Clothing feel soft and comfortable, but they feature some gritty-looking biker-pant details. The leggings retail for $138.bull; Los Angeles–based label Beautiful People’s sleeveless, draped tops with leather backs retail for $212. bull; The “Laudine” dress by the Samantha Sung label, which retails for $458. The stretch-cotton dress features tie dyes with charcoal-color stripes.EM & CO. 7940 W. Third St. (at Fairfax Ave.)
bull; Los Angeles–based eco-fashion line Sworn Virgins’ bamboo jersey dresses. Retail price points range from $60 to $150. bull; A half-sleeve black blazer from Los Angeles–based label Costa Blanca, which retails for $138. SATINE8134 W. Third St. (at S. Crescent Heights Blvd.)
bull; Maxi dresses from the New York–based Suno label, which feature an abstract paint-splatter print and retail for $780. bull; Solid gray, sleeveless tank dress by New York–based Yigal Azroueuml;l. The dress, which retails for $940, features a fitted bodice and flared skirt.
