Guiding Light: Culver City
Culver City, the formerly industrial-feeling lump of land sandwiched in between WeHo and the beach, isn’t just a place to grab dinner and a movie anymore. It’s slowly morphing into a bastion of unusual, destination-worthy retail. Think early Melrose — with hip indie boutiques on the rise.
We scoured the mini-city's four corners to find its best retail spots.
FLASHBACK: The vintage designer room at the Red Bag boutique.
The Place: The Red Bag Boutique
The Deal: Supermodel Chanel Iman’s mother, China Robinson, partnered with Candance Simmons to open this new designer fashion haven that features a pristinely kept designer vintage clothing section in back. “We wanted to bring a little bit of Beverly Hills to Culver City," said Robinson.
The Deets: Located within an un-glamorous shopping mall, the boutique is setup like two stores in one; the front room boasts contemporary gear and the back room features designer vintage — much of it pre-owned by celebrities. Perky Iman (who got her start in modeling in L.A.) has her own rack, which is filled with her fave finds, including a Jason Wu sweater priced at $225, and pieces she's actually worn.
There's also a whole rack dedicated to Chanel, with dresses ranging from $200 to $7,500. Up front, Freelook watches are priced from $200 to $400 (only available here and in the Hamptons). Cute, crafted jewelry in the store is less expensive, tagged at between $15 and $60. We got really excited when we found a Gucci bad in the vintage room for $398.
The Steal: We got the sense that prices are slightly flexible for hard-core hagglers, though Robinson danced around the question a bit.
The 411: The Red Bag boutique, 10754 W. Jefferson Blvd Culver City, 310-559-7332.
GOODIE CENTRAL: Lundeen's seductive gift selection.
The Place: Lundeen’s
The Deal: Kathryn Lundeen’s stylish, well-organized gift shop features everything from super-soft baby blankets to fun cocktail glasses and letterpressed birthday cards.
The Deets: Lundeen opened the shop in 2008, inspired by all the new business filtering into the area. “The neighborhood is young and it just keeps on growing," said Lundeen. "It’s a great place to be." The store is conveniently broken down into sections: baby, bath & body, kitchenware, cards, etc., with prices ranging from $15 for a baby plate to around $80 for a handmade baby blanket.
The Steal: A range of cute costume jewelry for under $20.
The 411: Lundeens, 9726 Washington Blvd., Culver City, 310-842-8400.
EASTERN EXPOSURE: Vibrant colors and trinkets to treasure at Govinda's
The Place: Govinda's International Imports
The Deal: Since 1987, Tadit Beca has managed this 100 percent non-profit shop, located above Govinda's Natural Foods restaurant and next door to the Hare Krishna temple.
The Deets: “My hope was to create a sublime, spiritual oasis right in the heart of L.A.,” said Beca, who travels to India several times a year to handpick authentic fabrics, clothes, scented oils and body washes, along with musical chimes and Indian art. Find real silk, Kashmiri wools, colorful tapestries, saris and other traditional hand embroidered clothing. There are also healing herbs and spices such as jasmine and tuberose, and a selection of gold bracelets, necklaces and rings ranging from $5 to $360.
The Steal: Get your East on with hand-loomed pashminas, on sale for summer from $300 to $130. Or simply smell prettier — lilac-scented waters are $7.
The 411: Govinda's, 3764 Watseka Ave., Los Angeles (backing up to Culver City), 310-836-1269.
ART HALL: Royal/T's mixed-use art and commerce space.
The Place: Royal/T
The Deal: In 2007, art collector Susan Hancock opened Royal/T in Culver's gallery district — a mixed use space that includes a café, concept shop and art exhibition hall. The shop features merchandise that mirrors the exhibition themes, with a rotating selection of specialty merch and limited-edition artwork from featured artists.
The Deets: Right now, the store/space is festooned in fantastical imagery, which makes you feel like you're stepping into another, well, realm. There are limited-edition prints and products from artists such as Yoshitomo Nara (originals priced at $50,000) that are rarely found in the U.S. Art and photography books abound, for between $20 and $80. The standard Royal/T shirt is $35. Pullips, rare Korean dolls, range from $80 to $250, while handmade jewelry, some by local artists, is priced from $6 to $300. There's also a slew of homeware, toys, wallets, CDs and DVDs.