Venice Beach Shopping Guide by Cynthia Rosenfeld
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Long an enclave for American artists drawn to the West Coast by its sea breeze and easy living, L.A.’s Venice Beach now counts less creative types with more capital among its residents. Modern case study houses line the narrow canals from which the area takes its name while glassy mansions sprout up along the sand that leads directly into the cool blue Pacific Ocean.
Luring cash from the wallets of these acquisitive arrivals, a bevy of eclectic art galleries, gourmet cafes and boutiques have opened their doors beneath the soaring palm trees along Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Precariously close to the gang-dominated Oakwood housing projects, these trend setting addresses nonetheless attract fearless accumulators undaunted by any obstacle to looking fabulous.
Drug deals regularly get conducted down the block but behind the electric blue façade at Surfing Cowboys (1624 Abbot Kinney Blvd.) everyone seems high on life. Rare psychedelic surf posters and vintage photograph line the walls while mid-century modern furniture by Frank Lloyd Wright and unsung California designers fills the floor. Their “Charlie Don’t Surf” tees and hoodies have a cult like following.
Metrosexual men can realise their linen and silk lined dreams at the shabby chic Kevin Simon (1358 Abbot Kinney Blvd.). Lightweight poet coats and tuxedo shirts feel barely there but look entirely appropriate in this neighbourhood of bohemian billionaires. Budding brides can mix and match from Simon’s existing couture designs to create original garments for the big day, but even eternal singletons can dress themselves up in linen or velvet Saunter skirts. Perhaps the lace trim Love skirt will turn help turn their tides.
Catherine Malandrino ruffle blouses and feminine skirts may be conceived in France but they look lovely in the California sunshine. Hollywood’s starlets like Jennifer Garner get theirs along with embellished bags by Isabella Fiore at Claudia Milan (1350 Abbot Kinney Blvd.).
The sombre grey exterior at Colcha (1336 Abbot Kinney Blvd.) belies the exotic treasures within. Since opening earlier this year, the lifestyle shop has proven a veritable atlas of global chic from Mexican nesting tables to charming stuffed animals handmade in Kenya.
Don’t hold her past as Ozzy Osbourne’s costume designer against Pamela Barish (1327 ½ Abbot Kinney Blvd.) whose eponymous shop beckons romantics like Meg Ryan with chiffon blouses and elongated velvet slip dresses.
Sneaker freaks swap the secrets of finding obscure Japanese imported brands at Waraku (1225 Abbot Kinney Blvd.) where limited edition Nikes, Pumas and Converse start to look almost common alongside Tokotani’s fake snakeskin flip flops and Namitatsu rabbit graphic slip-ons. Racks crammed with irreverent and often irrelevant tees direct from Tokyo line the white walls.
The name alone draws curious customers into Strange Invisible Perfumes (1138 Abbot Kinney Blvd.), a garden of olfactory delights named after a line in Antony and Cleopatra. The shop’s own botanical perfumes can be combined to create signature scents but premixed body lotions like lavender-lemon are good to go.
The faux phone booth out front comes direct from London, as do many of the niche designer labels like Issa and Laura Tabor hanging from the racks at Brick Lane (1132 Abbot Kinney Blvd.). “Please don’t feed the models” and other snide but true tees let customers get innermost thoughts off of their chest while Orla Kiely laminated canvas bags covered in her signature multi-coloured leaf print are as pretty as they are practical.