Personality-driven boutiques
line West Third St., each with its own unique experience and optimism.
These stores showcase the best of what
Stepping out: West Third Street shopping guide
Block out an entire shopping day for West Third St.
By Julia Ford-Carther, Special to Metromix
December 11, 2007AERO & Co.
8403 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-653-4651
Designer Cynthia Vincent and her former publicist, Alisa Loftin, thrive on locally grown labels. Find favorites like Vincent’s Twelfth Street and Grey Ant, and be introduced to new obsessions like Inca handbags, funky Huyl sandals, the Ina Celaya collection and Hollywood stylist Magda Berliner’s recently launched clothing line. With an art-gallery twist, the store décor is as well curated as the collections, with jewelry displayed in frames, on antlers and on disfigured mannequins.
Polkadots And Moonbeams
8367 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-651-1746
A two-part act, Polkadots and Moonbeams consists of two stores, one vintage, the other current trends. The decidedly more fun vintage half features Victorian-style dresses, flapper dresses, corset gowns and a bevy of hats, and is outfitted in appropriately antique furniture. The sister store is a more modern-day version, housing the best of best designers, and is a popular choice among Hollywood’s elite.
Zipper
8316 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-951-9190
The old-time concept of the general store lives on with a modern-day twist. It is difficult to describe everything this store has to offer, as new products turn up each time one visits. To be sure, one can find a wide range of beautiful and unique gifts, from jewelry and fascinating books to gorgeous handmade pottery, classic and refinished furniture, toys, and photographs. The list of what you can find here is endless but thrilling, with new surprises at every turn.
Douglas Fir
8311 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-651-5445
For the GQ subscriber looking for the seriously high end. The British sales staff won’t recognize any Hollywood A-listers here, which means you get treated like one from the moment you step inside. Look for designs by British favorite Paul Smith, Comme de Garcons, former Hermes designer Martin Margiela and Sieze Sur Vingt dress shirts crafted in Italy.
Kristin Londgren
8308 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-653-9200
The Madame of eveningwear showcases her line of self-described “cocktail-length, bias-cut dresses with soft draping” in her Los Angeles showroom. Designed by architect and friend Richard Corsini, the storefront could pass as an art gallery, with a group of floating mannequins wearing Londgren pieces. The designer also carries accessories from newly popular jewelry designers that will complement your selection perfectly.
Sigerson Morrison
8307 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-655-6133
The eponymous store is the brainchild of London-native Miranda Morrison and Kari Sigerson, who was raised in Omaha, Nebraska. The pair met at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, and found they shared a similar vision of “simple, clean, modern, and occasionally, cheeky” footwear that combined Morrison’s British quirk with Sigerson’s Midwest pragmatism. Soon after its New York debut, the collection acquired a cult following; a handbag collection soon followed, as well as the designers’ Belle collection—a younger, edgier line of beautiful shoes and sexy boots at a slightly lower price.
Flight 001
8235 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-966-0001
Make travel fashionable and fun with bright luggage, high-end overnight bags, and an extensive collection of travel guides. The futuristic store is modeled after a Boeing 747: Find bags in overhead compartments, and check out at the ticket counter. Find the perfect gift for that jet-setting friend, or take home an in-flight game for yourself to ease mid-air boredom. You'll also find items for the landlocked, including umbrellas, handbags, leather-bound journals, beauty kits, cameras and watches.
Hillary Rush
8222 W. 3rd Street , Los Angeles(323) 852-0088
I heart NY. And you will, too, after you visit this store. Rush hails from Manhattan and came to L.A. to pursue a marketing career with Lulu Guinness. After five years with the company, Rush took over the boutique and made it her own, showering us with her grounded Manhattan style. A Samantha Treacy structured pleat dresses works on Park Avenue or in Park La Brea, and the Nili Lotan cotton tuxedo dress is perfect for night out at Koi (on either coast). J Brand palazzo denim pants take you from work to weekend, whether in the Hamptons or Malibu. Swimsuits and “other cool stuff,” as described on the Web site, include Syla vintage-inspired bikinis, Dolce Vita birdcage flats and Kenneth Jay Lane jumbo emerald-shaped cocktail rings.
Milk
8209 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-951-0330
Hailed for being a one-stop shop, Milk has been recognized for its collection of clothes, shoes, accessories, reading materials, home goods, beauty products and children’s items. Designers include local favorites, New York labels like Jill Stuart and Diane von Furstenberg, and European names like Derek Lam and Missoni. Milk shoppers will also love the hard-to-find indie labels from Sretsis, former Miu Miu designer Giulia Piersanti and Sue Stemp. The shop owners are proud of their MilkMan section of men’s clothes, featuring Loomstate organic denim, Trovata shirts and Huna. The only vintage items in the store are the decorative milk bottles on the shelves.
Rodan vs. Griffith
8207 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-951-9220
The duo came from Philly to save L.A. style from hoochie shorts and oversized T-shirt brandings. All items in the store boast a Rodan vs. Griffith tag and are made locally. The store hosts many events and performances by local indie bands, and art books for sale feature local photographers. Rodan and Griffith are making the Los Angeles image accessible and down-to-earth.
Satine
8117 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles323-655-2142
Check out the “new and never been seen” here. The store’s name is a testament to what lingers inside: a carefree spirit dressed up in luxury. The fashionably inclined might feel like kids in a girly candy store, amid a mixture of Lanvin, Balenciaga and Chloe, and cult labels Lulu Frost, Thakoon and 3.1 Phillip Lim. The owners are just as passionate about fashion as you are, making each style discovery in their store a memorable one.
South Willard
8038 W. 3rd St, Los Angeles323-653-6153
Dating duet Ryan Conder and stylist Danielle Kays are the masterminds behind this refreshing home to such designer names as Raf Simons, Patrik Ervell and Band of Outsiders. With minimal décor, South Willard is the very essence of a boutique—a comfortable space that is neither overstuffed nor pretentiously bare. Coffee table books for purchase lay sprawled on an antique wooden table in the middle of the floor. South Willard carries labels for both boys and girls.
Trina Turk
8008 W. Third St., Los Angeles323-651-1382
One of the most successful lines to come out of L.A., Trina Turk is a world-renowned designer whose style is easily identified by bold colors and prints. Turk draws most of her inspiration from Palm Springs (where she lives and has another boutique), infusing her designs with an upbeat ‘60s disposition. Both store locations were designed by Kelly Wearstler, who is also responsible for the designs of the posh hotels Viceroy, Avalon and Maison 140.
EM&Co.
7940 3rd St., Los Angeles323-782-8155
The store’s mission, as stated by owner and Eveline Morel, “Don’t wear boring clothes,” embraces individualism, passion and living life to the fullest. Don’t you think you should dress the part? Morel strives to “think global and act local,” and in doing so houses one of the world’s most interesting and inspirational collections, from France’s American Retro and Deadbirds & Lionheart from Finland to the Australian menswear line Chiodo. The store also sells Morel’s own EM Reconstruct collection, and supports other in-house designers like Cyrus & Sonny, Seed and Uriel Saenz. Lose yourself in one of the racks and emerge enlightened.
Scout
7920 W. 3rd St.,
Los Angeles
323-658-8684
Owners Joseph Grana and Greg Armas scour the globe for the best up-and-coming independent designers, and pride themselves on editing an exclusive collection of progressive labels and rare finds. Scout has introduced new designer Henrik Vibskov from Copenhagen, cult-phenom Jeremy Scott and the Australian Nom*d. New designers shack up alongside vintage timepieces from Alaia, Vivienne Westwood, Comme de Garcons, Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.
