Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Los Angeles has more stores than anyone could physically tackle, but somehow we always keep returning to the usual suspects. To break out of the rut, we've asked some local shopping and fashion gurus to provide their hidden retail gems—those unique stores around LA that we might not all know about. Cue the Beatles: We're about to get a little help from our friends.
Image via Fidoo
Personal stylist Lauren Messiah is the director at School of Style, the world's only (as far as we know) school for wardrobe stylists; prior to that, she was a regular contributor to AOL's blog Stylist. When she's not working with her clients, she maintains her own blog about fashion and breaking into the industry. Racked LA caught up with Messiah during her downtime and found about about her favorite shop in Echo Park.
"E.P.I.C (Echo Park Independent Co-Op) is one of my favorite shopping destinations in Los Angeles because not only can I find unique items, but I can also support up-and-coming LA designers at the same time. I'm so welcomed by the ridiculously friendly staff every time I visit that it kind of makes me feel like I am in some random small town and frankly, who doesn't love some small town lovin'? This is also my go-to place for unique accessories as I always find great jewelry that I can't find anywhere else. And as an added bonus, it's affordable. Speaking of affordable, they always have a sale rack full of deals. So if you want clothes that I think are pretty cool and that no one else has, this is the shopping spot for you."
· E.P.I.C - Echo Park Independent Co-Op [Official Site]
· Lauren Messiah [Style For Hire]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked LA]