Prototype Issue
Bakin' up the Goods for Fashion
By Kamren Curiel
(page 1 of 1)Like an idiot I decided to leave the confines of my workspace, located outside of Chinatown, and head west on the freeway at 6pm. Self-destructive much? Check.
The only thing that kept me from falling asleep while stuck in gridlock on the 405 South was the invitation I held tightly in my sweaty palm: ecookie Invites you to Attend Their 1-year Anniversary Celebration.
I can’t lie. The last thing I wanted to do after slaving away on the computer all day was drive out to Venice Beach during rush hour and look at beautiful people and even more beautiful clothes. My 10 pound weight gain and PMS set-in made shopping feel like the enemy. But the invitation did mention something about sushi and cocktails. Oh hell yeah! What? I keep it real.
When I finally arrived at the ultra stylish Abbot Kinney boutique I was greeted by a very sweet PR person named Jennifer who kindly introduced me to the ladies of LaRok, whose winter sneak peak was enough to make you want to book the next flight to anywhere cold, and Pade Vavra—an LA native whose nature-inspired peach and black gold jewelry put my Forever 21 pieces to shame.
It was pretty evident by her good eye for fashion’s finest that owner, buyer and stylist specialist Elaine Francisco used to be the fashion and accessories editor for People magazine before retreating to a more mellow scene in Venice Beach. Her peony flower-scented store carries everything from sexy Jezebel intimates to functionally fashionable Lewis Cho dresses.
The dressing rooms, draped in black and white vintage wallpaper and mini chandelier lights, make the oftentimes dreadful experience of trying on ‘fits tolerable. The highlight: body slimming mirrors that’ll have you looking so good, you might just have to take those mouth-watering high-wasted bell bottoms straight to the register.
Oh, and the Wabi-Sabi sushi? Priceless.
Discussion