New season, new wardrobe. From the city to the sand, discover a fresh crop of Los Angeles shops dishing out summer style in spades.
By Suzanne Ennis, adapted from WHERE Los Angeles magazine
1. AMANU
Inspired by custom sandals procured during an Italian vacation, celebrity stylist Anita Patrickson brings Capri to Cali with Amanu, her new made-to-measure sandal brand. At Amanu’s West Hollywood studio, customers select from a variety of simple silhouettes and sumptuous materials, perfect fit with an on-site maker (trained by an Italian cobbler, no less), then, within half an hour, walk out wearing their dream sandals. (A sampling of the seemingly infinite combinations is pictured here.) One satisfied customer: Patrickson’s client Julianne Hough, who has hit the town wearing styles 3 and 7. Appointments are recommended.
605 W. Knoll Drive, West Hollywood, 424.279.9466. amanustudio.com
2. Acne Studios
Just like its store on Broadway downtown, the Swedish fashion label’s West Hollywood outpost made a splash when it opened this spring. But whereas the DTLA store feels moody, the new space—designed specifically for the Melrose Avenue location—is a bright, open palimpsest of the art galleries that formerly stood on the spot. Two entirely glass walls allow passersby to ogle a tight edit of the brand’s retro-meets-modern spring/summer collections, which surround a large-scale sculpture-cum-fitting room by artist Daniel Silver.
8920 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, 310.734.7157. acnestudios.com
3. Cynthia Rowley
Rowley may be based in N.Y., but her Endless Summer Pop Up at the Malibu Lumber Yard belies a soft spot for the Left Coast. The shop carries the designer’s seasonal ready-to-wear, accessories, fitness and surf/swim collections (including what must be the cutest wetsuits and boards in the sea) and merchandise from like-minded brands. Complementing the colorful fashion is artwork from Exhibition A, an online source for contemporary art editions founded by the designer and her husband, Bill Powers.
3939 Cross Creek Road, Suite 150, Malibu, 747.219.4982. cynthiarowley.com
4. Miansai
Two years after opening a flagship on Abbot Kinney, the Miami-based jewelry and accessories brand is expanding its L.A. presence with a fleet of mobile units fashioned from vintage vehicles. The latest stop is the Malibu Pier, where a restored 1949 Airstream II is stocked with top-selling Miansai designs—including leather bags and watches that would be perfect Father’s Day gifts (hint, hint).
23000 Pacific Coast Hwy., Malibu. miansai.com
5. Tomas Maier
The Bottega Veneta creative director is also fresh in from Miami with his eponymous label’s first L.A. pop-up shop, open through June. In the former Alexander McQueen space on Melrose Avenue, the 3,300-square-foot store carries Maier’s women’s and men’s luxury-meets-laid-back resort and spring collections, plus accessories and lifestyle items (e.g., furry sandals and collaborative Diptyque candles), and a selection of chic swimsuits worn by those in the know, all assembled with the L.A. audience in mind.
8379 Melrose Ave., L.A. tomasmaier.com
6. Varley
The Platform lifestyle complex complements its downtown-cool mix of permanent retailers with rotating pop-ups, including a new one from this breakout L.A.- and London-based activewear company. Founded by husband-and-wife team Ben and Lara Mead, the brand offers fashion-forward, flattering cuts—hello, sexy sports bra!—and performance-oriented fabrics. (A skin care collection just launched, too.) The combo has earned it a following that includes Kardashians as well as competitive athletes.
8840 Washington Blvd., Suite 103, Culver City. varley.com/usa
Tomas Maier photo courtesy of Kate Jones.
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