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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.
Image via The Travelers Way
Andrei Najjar is the VP of Junk Food Clothing Co., a job that he describes as 'basically help[ing] over 800 brands like NBA, NFL, Coca Cola, Hasbro, and Warner Bros market themselves in the fashion space.' This can range from installations in retailers such as Colette in Paris and Beams in Tokyo to red carpet events to runway shows. In his free time, he's also a professor of fashion marketing at OTIS. Najjar keeps pretty busy, but when he has a few moments of down time, he likes to wander into Shelter Half on La Brea.
"I'd have to choose Shelter Half on La Brea as one of my favorite spots. Aside from being a huge Save Khaki fan (they one of the few places outside NYC that carry it), I like the human aspect of the store. You can tell that the store owners really care about curating an experience that takes you back to a simpler time, but also has a beat of social responsibility. Also, many of the items are there for a temporary period of time so it is like a constant pop-up without the kitsch. I personally really like the art and books, which showcase Southern California culture. It is a small space, but is able to capture a full lifestyle. Like if the guy from the Apple commercials were to have a store, this would be it. If I had to describe it in three words it would be creative, artistic and curated."
· Shelter Half [Official Site]
· Junk Food Clothing [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked LA]