ReadyMade: Instructions for everyday life

Boutiques We Love

In the latest issue of ReadyMade, we brought you the story of Wendy Yao and her eclectic clothing-and-music store, Ooga Booga in Los Angeles ("Shop Girl," August/September '09). Here's an expanded look at boutiques we adore.

Ooga Booga
943 N. Broadway, #203, Los Angeles; 213-617-1105, oogaboogastore.com

Owner: Wendy Yao

Modus Operandi: Yao’s second-floor haunt in an industrial-toned Chinatown building is where loads of highly conceptual labels get their start. Not only because of its off-the-beaten-path appeal, but also because Yao is something of a soothsayer when it comes to what is both unusual and cool. Now well-known collections like Opening Ceremony set the pace for upstarts like Leif and Tooya with their gorgeously draped tops, and Anntian’s shift dresses edged with triangles. She also lends plenty of shelf-space to one-off art books and new releases from area bands. 

Local flavor: Yao used to be in a punk band, so she gives local musicians special treatment. You can get first-round pressings and compilations from groups like Silver Daggers and No Age. Also, don’t miss L.A. based jeweler Saran Clendening’s kookily strung necklaces.

Little-known fact: Yao’s assistant Max, has a blog that is a spin-off famous street-style site The Sartorialist, called The Cartorialist (thecatorialist.blogspot.com).

Reward
55 N. Second St., Philadelphia; 267/773-8675, rewardproject.com

Owner: Shari Roulin

Modus Operandi: Helmed by a former buyer for Urban Outfitters (arguably Philadelphia’s biggest export), this year-old spot occupies a space in Old City that was once home to an 18th-century pottery manufacturer. But despite its historic roots, Roulin champions only the most forward-thinking designers, whether it’s the Emilie Casiez collection out of Paris composed of doodle-strewn tops and artfully constructed dresses, or the well-priced Seneca Rising line with miniskirts and slouchy tops that ring in for well under $100.  Roulin is also the first to pick up Barcelona’s Gemma Degara, a small line of ruffled tops and gorgeously draped dresses. “That’s a big part of Reward’s mission, to support new talent from all over the world,” Roulin explains. There are also picks for men, including Scandinavian labels like Henrik Vibskov and Our Legacy.

Local Flavor: PostModernTease—a line of deconstructed and shredded T-shirts made in Philadelphia—can be found here, too.

Little-Known Fact: Even though Roulin grew up in a rural town in Pennsylvania, after her first trip to NYC when she was just 9, she asked for a subscription to Vogue.

Roslyn
2035 N. Damen Ave., Chicago; 773/489-1311, roslynboutique.com

Owner: Roslyn Dulyapaibul

Modus Operandi: Dulyapaibul, a Chicago native, left the city to study textiles and apparel management at Cornell. She then worked as a merchandiser for both Abercrombie & Fitch and J.Crew before eventually returning home in 2006 to open Roslyn. “I wanted to bring a new perspective and show people why it’s so much more fun to shop at boutiques than larger chain stores or department stores,” she explains. A well-conceived mix of purposely rumpled oxfords by Steven Alan and Liz McClean’s tie-dyed halter dresses set a bohemian-inflected, slightly preppy tone. Striped cashmere sweaters from upstart label Demy Lee and Isaora, a brand-new technical outerwear label that’s equal parts warm and fashionable, underline it all. In an excellent effort to keep everything in the store special, Dulyapaibul never buys more than four of each piece.

Local Flavor: One of Roslyn’s bestselling labels is by Chicagoan Elise Bergman, who turns out luxurious layered silk dresses in soft peaches and crisp grays. Bergman works at the store every Friday, which means she’s often on hand to provide styling tips.

Little-Known Fact: Dulyapaibul’s two life goals are to learn how to surf and how to drive a stick shift, since some day she’d like to own a café and scooter rental shop in a small European town near a beach.

Seaplane
2266 NW. Lovejoy, Portland, Oregon; 503/234-2409, seaplanedesign.com

Owner: Tacee Webb

Modus Operandi: Webb’s personal history reads like that of someone five times her age. After she started a line of vintage clothing stores 16 years ago (now five locations strong in the Pacific Northwest), she turned her attention to the biofuel movement and launched a company to retrofit cars to use alternative fuels. After that, she selected and designed the first 50 stores for American Apparel. This trail led her to buy Seaplane from two friends two years ago.  Webb grew up in the San Juan Islands, where her Alaska-native ancestors settled in the 1800s. “I came from a family of women who made everything for themselves,” she explains. “We learned to be crafty from absolute necessity.” After a recent relocation into a space that’s big enough to lend studio space to some of its designers, the nine-year-old endeavor continues to foster and support some of the area’s most talented labels. Highlights include an exclusive Seaplane collection by Luxury Jones designer Niki Eatmen (the Portland-based designer turns out super-glamorous, vintage-inspired tops and dresses) and one-off gowns from Holly Stadler and Katherine Towers.

Local Flavor: Project Runway star and Portland native Leann Marshall launched her pretelevision career selling one-off pieces here. “All of the Portland design community felt like it had won when Leanne made it on Runway,” Webb explains.

Little-Known Fact: Webb’s 11-year-old daughter, Palace, was one of the stars of Girls Rock. She speaks and sings in fluent Japanese.

Shop SCAD
240 Bull St., Savannah; 912/525-5180. 3096 Roswell Rd., Atlanta; 404/253-2769, shopscadonline.com

Owners: Savannah College of Art & Design

Modus Operandi: One of the country’s more unusual boutique concepts, ShopSCAD is the retail endeavor that only traffics in the work of current and former Savannah College of Art and Design students, faculty, and staff. There are outposts in Savannah and Atlanta, though we like the latter better (it’s bigger!). There’s ample room for the standout collections of BAZZdeGRANT, a new collaboration of vintage-bead bedecked necklaces from well-known jeweler Thea Grant and her husband, Nicolas Bazzani, and Working Class Studio’s Melamime trays.

Local Flavor: Due to the nature of its premise, everything here has local flavor even though contributing alums are now scattered all over the world, from Ecuador to Taiwan.

Little-Known Fact: SCAD was the first college in the world to offer an MFA in accessory design, which is arguably why the shop’s jewelry selection is so strong. And believably, ShopSCAD has supplied furnishings for three MTV Real World houses.