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Hello lovelies!
We are in LA this week for a little catch-up. Some years ago, when I was faced with having to move the location of my shop in Brooklyn because, to make a long story short, my lovely mom-and-pop landlord had sold the space out from under me to an evil corporate behemoth who wanted to triple the rent (erg), I gave some serious thought to moving it, and myself, to LA. I did a few exploratory trips...but in the end I just could not wrap my head around the way LA sprawls and that living there doesn't really work if you don't want to own a car. But there is definitely a lot to love about LA and I still sometimes wonder 'What if...?'.
And to top it all offâŚmy daughter, Olivia, is now living, you guessed it, in LA! I've asked her to tell me about some of her favorite places and I've mixed in one or two of my own along with a few new discoveries...
HARVESTER INTERNATIONAL |Â DTLA...
I discovered Brian Lee of Harvester International when I was working on the indigo story a few weeks ago. The winding path that led there started with LA-based photographer, Justin Chung, who, as a personal project under the name Faculty Department, has been documenting "noteworthy individuals" in their homes and studiosâŚhis first two books from 2014 and 2018 have recently been followed by Making Sense Vol. 1, created in collaboration with Le Labo Fragrances. Interestingly, the book was written by Leigh Patterson who also does the Moon Lists substack, and who I have previously featured...I love it when everything connects!
Brian Lee, who grew up in Pasadena, has been deep into the thrifting and collecting scene in Los Angeles since high school, and spent a number of years selling his vintage denim and workwear at fleas and other markets. During the pandemic he created the brand name Harvester International (named after his truck), kitted out the front room of his living-space-slash-workshop (where he tinkers at his other passion - fixing up old Yamaha motorcycles and classic trucks) as an appointment-only showroom, promoted it on his Instagram...and sales began to take off.
In October 2023 he decided to move his substantial collection into a sunny storefront at Row DTLA...where he is now a part of a rising cohort of companies that has helped turn it into a new hub for vintage shoppingâŚif youâre unfamiliar, Row DTLA is a creative industrial re-use projectâŚsee a short film about it here.
A garment can only tell you so much about a moment in time, the original wearer, or what it has witnessed. And yet thereâs a particular magic in holding something with the provenance of the past: it brings the black and white blurriness of history into sharp, three-dimensional focus. It helps make sense of the present by hitting us over the head with our shared humanity. We all yearn for lives that add up to something. And whether thatâs reflected in a patchwork quilt of our distinct experiences or simply a name written in marker on a tattered clothing tag, they serve as reminders of the same sentiment: Hey, I was here.
COUNTER SPACE | SILVERÂ LAKE...
Run by Kirill Bergart and Joe Lorens, Counter Space carries vintage furniture and objects from around the world, new and vintage ceramics, new homewares, and their own range of furniture pieces that are handmade in LA.
GALERIE HALF |Â HOLLYWOOD...
Galerie Half is devoted to European furniture, western antiquities, architectural relics and 20th-century design, both anonymous and famous. Inspired by a vast array of influences from modern classics, to minimalist Belgian architecture, to hip-hop, the curatorial eye and alchemy of the displays have been described as discreet, transcendent, timeless, peaceful, ever-changing, refined, covetable, exquisite, approachable...and itâs all true.
At first I was a little intimidated to go inâŚand I donât know if it was just that it was a slow day with no celebrities in sight, or if it was the winning smile of Miss OliviaâŚbut as it turned out, it could not have been a more lovely experience. We chatted briefly with the stylish young employee who seemed to be the only person there, wandered around unbothered for a while, chatted some moreâŚand then he asked us if we would like a tour of the other two galleries which are not normally open to the publicâŚwe said yes please!âŚso he locked up the main shop and personally escorted us through the back alleys to show us all the âhiddenâ treasuresâŚit was all rather magical!
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OLIVE ATELIERS |Â ARTS DISTRICT...
Olive Ateliers is relatively new so I haven't been there yet...but it does look rather dreamy! They have pieces sourced from Europe, Indonesia, Turkey, India, Morocco and more.
This reminds me of another place that I have been to...Badia Design in North Hollywood is a huge treasure trove if you like Moroccan and Middle Eastern design and antiques.
THE NOT-TRESPASSING TOUR OF MODERN HOMES IN LOS ANGELES...
I recently came across this very enticing shot of the Eames House by LA-based photographer Samuel Elkins...and it reminded me that I had stashed a link a while back from Kelsey Rose Williams who is the Archivist of the Eames Office, and who writes the Absolument! newsletter. It is a meticulously crafted driving tour, with corresponding google map, of 29 mid-century houses that "starts in Pasadena, swoops down to Echo Park and Silver Lake, makes a quick sprint to Los Feliz, then to Hollywood and Westwood, ending with the modernist cherry-on-top: the Eames House"! Fantastique!
CANYON COFFEE | ECHOÂ PARK...
Started from their LA apartment, Canyon Coffee (named after Beachwood Canyon where they first met) is the baby of Ally Walsh and Casey Wojtalewicz, partners in both business and life. Inspired by a love of exploration, they were (and still are) frequent travelers, and visiting beautiful coffee shops became a focal point of their trips. Inspired to turn their passion into something more tangible, they partnered, in 2016, with James Klapp - a friend and talented coffee roaster - and Canyon Coffee was born. After 6 years of doing pop-ups, launching a coffee subscription, selling coffee & home goods online, and wholesaling...theyâve now grown to become a full-service coffee roaster and, in 2022, opened their first coffee shop in Echo Park...which is now Oliviaâs favorite neighborhood place to hang!
I particularly enjoyed discovering their series of travel guides which are free to download...I got the Portugal one! They also have a very well done Journal section where they publish, along with recipes and other tidbits, a regular "Morning Rituals" feature where they interview other creatives and photograph their homes and coffee rituals. They also carry some useful coffee gearâŚ
1-3 Gemini Express Stovetop Espresso Maker - Red $49; Three Month Coffee Subscription $66.00; Hario Cold Brew Bottle $31.50
4-6 Hario Mini Hand Grinder $62.50; Canyon Tumbler $45.00; Hario Bona Pourover Kettle $65.00
DES PAIR BOOKS | ECHOÂ PARK...
The next three places were all suggested by Olivia as her favorites and are new to me...
"Conceived on a rainy evening in New York by two Southern California transplants" Des Pair Books (great name!) began in 2019 as a small independent press. Two years later, Addison Richley, one half of des pair returned to LA to grow the project into a brick and mortar bookstore. They offer a selection of new releases, film and art books, and some of the founder's personal favorites, along with hosting rotating exhibitions and events. According to GQ "it's a deeply IYKYK sorta shop"...so now we know!
LOS RODEOS | ECHOÂ PARK...
Los Rodeos was started with the goal of creating "an enjoyable and affordable vintage shopping experience". And, according to Olivia, they change out the entire collection each week...as a shopkeeper myself that sounds absolutely exhausting...oh to be young again!
ZINQUĂ | VENICE...
ZinquĂŠ is "a high design, low-key neighborhood restaurant with french-inspired dishes"...sounds good to me! They have multiple locations (WeHo, DTLA, Malibu, etc) but Olivia suggests their original location in Venice because they also have a market, Ă cĂ´tĂŠ (the name as well as the location)âŚwhich is a concept store carrying primarily European lines of artisan & culinary goods, from home products to independent wines and coffees.
HmmmmâŚ(*side note) I tripped across an article saying that the Ace Hotel in LA which had closed in January has re-opened as Stile and is offering Airbnb-style accommodation through a company called KasaâŚnot sure if thatâs good but itâs interesting!
Yikes...(*another side note)...I just discovered this Echo Park neighborhood guide written by Ally and Casey of Canyon Coffee on the site of Martha Stoumen, a California wine maker whose site also looks deeply interesting but...it's press time so I'll have to get back to it later!
OhâŚand this is OliviaâŚof whom I am the very proud mother!
Thank you all for reading...let me know if you have any thoughts!
xo,
Please smash that ⼠button if you liked this postâŚ
Mood board credits: 1-3 Justin Chung; Justin Chung; Willem Verbeeck 4-6 Samuel Elkins; ZinquĂŠ; Justin Chung 7-9 David Hockney; Justin Chung; Justin Chung
I would 100000% love to not-trespass with you! Thank you for the love!!
You're the coolest Mom <3