Hollywoodmay be a baby by European standards, bur she is rich in history when it comes to coining a cinematic saying, establishing a smooth dance move or an iconic look. Be it the Audrey Hepburn slack, the Jimmy Dean T or the Marilyn white halter dress; it all started in Hollywood before the trend went worldwide.
As you pull up to Shareen Vintage's sprawling fashion warehouse in downtown LA and walk past a chalkboard sign that says "No Boys! No Joke!" you'll know you've reached feminine nirvana.
For any vintage diva, it takes a minute or two to catch your fashion breath and take in the scale of the warehouse/shop. Alice would be clicking her fashion savvy heels if she fell in to this wonderland of cutting edge threads.
There are stacked racks placed whimsically around the lofty room amidst a wrought iron bed, a couch, a table filled with teen savvy snacks (Twizzlers, M&M's, pretzels, soda and water) and a bevy of fashion magazines. Women are dressing and undressing randomly around the room and commenting to one and other about individual fashion choices while Shareen, a commanding statuesque blonde and former actress directs the production center stage.
With the precision and eye of a savvy celerity stylist she can tell you from a distance what will work for you. She is futzing over the girl's choices, pinning in, making suggestions and completing looks left and right. She is flawless with her finishes.
Her business is a mix of many vintage pieces sourced from every era imaginable inclusive of the recent 90s. Her own line Shareen is on hiatus while her restructured pieces are the stars of her salon.
"My girls want one of a kind pieces," says Shareen. "They're stand out ladies who want to turn every head at an event. They're not afraid to wear something truly bold and unique."
If you are privy to the back-of-house tour, you will see the piles of ethnic fabrics, brocades of all colors and unrealized pieces. They are the paint, her reconstructed vision is the brush and her customers the canvas.
Behind the piles are a few racks called "The Perfect Dresses" for perfect bodies. These dresses are for tip-top design teams and international fashion houses and their eyes only. She can't say the names, but I'll give you a minute to do the math.
Her celebrity stylist's clientele that have come to pull have alerted the many fashion houses in Milan, Paris and NY of her racks. They now slip in on a regular basis, scheduling appointments to pull inspiration pieces that will then influence their next season.
Holding up one of her trendsetting threads, Shareen surveys an orange floor length vintage halter dress that was once wrapped around the slim hips of Christina Ricci. She says wistfully, "I can't let this piece get in the hands of just one girl who wears it to the prom. I can't do that to this piece. If this gets in the hands of a designer, it could end up on hundreds of women."
If you're looking for something to wear that will caue a stir in the room and an opportunity for you to stand out at your next summer soiree, then this is the direction to head in. Be forewarned, you must brave the back alleys of downtown LA to find this hidden gem. Fear not vintage kittens, its well worth the urban adventure in. Go forth in fashion.
Shareen Vintage is open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays only. Every Saturday her regulars drop in to get first dibs on the three racks of 300 new vintage pieces each week. Dresses can range anywhere from $38 to several hundred dollars.
For east coasters jonesing for a slice of this retro heaven, Shareen recently opened an outpost in New York at 13 West 17th St. second floor. #212-206-1644. Hours are Wednesday and Thursday from 5pm to 10pm and Saturdays from 12pm to 6pm. New merchandise arrives from LA once a week. The price point is the same, as fabulously affordable, as LA. There is no sign, nor a storefront. If they are open a red dress hangs off of the fire escape on the second floor. The name Shareen sits at the buzzer. Ring if you wish. Shareen Vintage # 323 276 6226 or # 310 694 1071 in LA.
By Karen Loftus
You can follow Karen on Twitter @LAKarenLoftus
