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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 Optical Sphere/Facebook
Alejandro Rodriguez is the man behind LA-based contemporary menswear brand Beautiful Fül. Big name celebs like Usher, David Arquette, Jeremy Piven and Jessica Alba's hubby Cash Warren are all fans of the LA native's cool clothes. To boot, Beautiful Fül has a rad Downtown shop, which just celebrated its one year anniversary with a big bash. However, clothes aren't Rodriguez's only love. He also has an affinity for vintage eyewear. Here, he shares his favorite spot to score retro specs.
Anybody who knows me knows I'm kind of obsessed with 1950-60s glasses. I've gone through a few different styles over the years, but no matter what they're all from that time period. I came across Optical Sphere a few years ago and became obsessed. Alex, the owner, is a Russian guy who was legally blind and somehow got his eyes fixed in Russia. He then dedicated his life to glasses and sunglasses. He's one of the most knowledgable guys I know [when it comes to] sunglass history. Just be prepared to spend a few hours. He says on any given day there are over 10,000 frames to search through.
· Optical Sphere [Official Site]
· Beautiful Fül [Official Site]
· All Shopping Confidential Posts [Racked]