L.A. Will Always Be Epic
It’s a pity, really. Ask any average Angeleno on a given Sunday what three fashion brands best represent the city, and you’ll likely get answers that will make you wince as though you’ve endured hardcore tattoo removal. Disappointing, because there’s something about L.A. fashion—namely its resistance to prevailing norms elsewhere—that should be celebrated, or at least pushed to the front of the line among the style ambassadors we send out into the world.
“What makes L.A. special is that we don’t have to play along with the rules of the season. In a way it enables a lot more freedom,” says Tristan Scott. A Monterey-area native, Scott moved here at the tender age of 19 with dreams of becoming—need we say it?—an actor. And while he’s no thespian hack (Scott stars in an upcoming independent feature film), he quickly delved into the world of L.A. retail upon arrival. You may remember him from such roles as the always ebullient manager of Buffalo Exchange on La Brea Avenue, where I first met him. I assumed his acumen of all things avant garde meant he was on to … epic projects of his own making.
For once, I was right. Years later, Scott is launching his own store, Echo Park Independent Co-op, with business partner and co-owner Rhianon Jones, an eco-fashion devotee. Together the duo has a mandate for their project: L.A. designers only.
LOCALS ONLY: E.P.I.C. co-founders Rhianon Jones and Tristan Scott
I’m not aware of any boutique in this city with the same hook. (Correct me if I’m wrong.) Recently, we stopped by E.P.I.C. to check out the store pre-launch. Poured concrete and exposed brick? Check. Vintage, re-upholstered furniture? Check, and amazing. The rest of the store was a work in progress, but the clothes were all on hand, and our lovely contributing stylist Mona May went to work immediately to pick out what she loved. With fashion week here still an unpredictable pastiche, it's reassuring to know there's at least one more boutique truly devoted to local designers. “L.A. is filled with artists and creative people who do amazing work all the time,” co-owner Rhiannon Jones says. “It’s just a different format from New York, which is like ‘fine art’ [those are her airquotes]. In L.A., it’s film, which incorporates everything—visual, sound, acting.”
The pieces sold at E.P.I.C. — from Brian Lichtenberg to Dear Creatures to amazing headpieces by Deadbird and necklaces by Laura Kranitz — are not Forever 21-friendly. “I think there are enough boutiques that have a safe selection,” Scott says. “And I think it’s kind of … boring.” And the prices aren’t rock-bottom absurdity, either (driving past an H&M billboard today, I spent the rest of my day wondering how a jean jacket could retail for under $20). But while I concede that fast fashion has become a requisite in the apparel world of the modern era, I also think it’s necessary for anyone interested in style to have at least a capsule collection of rarified pieces to make their style whole. Which is what L.A. does really, really well.
The “Cooperative” of Scott and Jones’ creation isn’t mere gimmick. They have curated L.A. brands, some already well-established, others unsung and nonetheless brilliant. “L.A. needs to work on itself; it’s not the world’s fault that we’re perceived this way,” Jones says. “The talent needs to be showcased. And it needs to be focused.”
