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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.
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Alex Maine founder Bron Heussenstamm launched his company in part to bring textile jobs back to America and produces 100% of his products stateside. He recently opened his first brick-and-mortar location on the Sunset Strip, but that doesn't mean Heussenstamm can't travel beyond his corporate confines to get inspired. His favorite spot? Manhattan Beach's BLVD, a shop that encapsulates the area's vibe to a T.
"I love BLVD in Manhattan Beach. When people think of LA and clothing, culture and style, you never hear about Manhattan Beach. You hear about Malibu for Hollywood's beach and designer clothes, Silver Lake with its hipster goodies, Melrose for retro finds and Beverly Hills for the high-end stuff. And that's why I like BLVD so much. I feel like it just totally captures the area's lifestyle. It has higher-end contemporary clothes, but the shop is not trying to be anything other than what the vibe of Manhattan Beach is all about. It houses nice and upscale clothing, but nothing too over-the-top. Area residents seem to be moving out of the action-sports way of dress and into a more contemporary markets. And BLVD seems to capture that essence perfectly."
· BLVD [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked LA]