Stylist Renata Abbade's Favorite Shop Features a Big Unicorn

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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 Facebook

Renata Abbade doesn't like labels, especially when it comes to pinpointing exactly what she does. So, she goes by 'freestylist', meaning someone who wears many hats. While she's most recognized for her styling work (she's worked with magazines and clients like Purple, Brazilian Vogue, Italian Glamour, Arena Homme Plus, VPL, ThreeAsFour, and Levi's), she also has a good eye for off-the-beaten-path kooky shops, like this colorful gem in Echo Park.

"I love this small artsy shop called The Dog Show. It's almost like a concept store, or a set of a 1980s surreal fantasy movie. They sell a fantastic selection of vintage finds (mostly from the '80s), their own line of LA Gear-inspired clothes, as well as their friends' lines, like awesome custom-airbrushed pieces by artist Malcolm Stuart. They also offer dog-sitting, psychic readings and nail polishing. Anna and Tina have been best friends forever, they moved to LA from Kansas (I think) with years of savings and a dream of having this store. They hand-built a massive unicorn outside, they painted the store in shades of pastel pink and lilac, they hand-made a pink chandelier out of braided hair...it's quite something. The store is hard to miss because of the unicorn out front, but it is on the quiet side of Echo Park Avenue. Being that it is LA, where you are always in a car, it really makes you want to park and go in."

· The Dogshow [Official Site]
· Renata Abbade [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked LA]

The Dogshow

1930 Echo Park Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90026