How long have you been in business?
8 years and counting!

Can you describe the overall aesthetic and feel of your store?
Unexpected, fun, edgy. Fashion but make it comfy!

Why did you choose this location? What attracted you to this neighborhood?
I love Venice for all its multitudes — it’s hyper international in terms of its population but also extremely local in terms of its vibe and culture. Venice Beach is also one of the last neighborhoods in LA that is culturally diverse, as long as you get off the beaten path of the quite gentrified Abbot Kinney Blvd.

How would you describe your customer? 
They are idiosyncratic. They love fashion not just for fashion’s sake, but for how it makes them feel — powerful, creative, beautiful. Our customers don’t care to look like anyone else, they are absolutely unique and magical.

What are some of your favorite designers, products, and/or elements from the store?
We just started carrying Wales Bonner, whom I am obsessed with and have been stalking for the past few seasons. This past June, I took a long hard look at our roster of designers and found that I had really failed to support Black designers and so I took up Aurora James’ 15 Percent Pledge. The experience of researching and learning about more Black designers was incredibly eye-opening and also heartbreaking — to see how much talent is out there but not supported.

How has COVID-19 impacted your business?
I’ve always joked that working in fashion retail is like running a marathon barefoot over hot coals. Well, Covid-19 makes the analogy more like running a marathon one-footed over hot coals while dodging laser beams.  I was devastated to have to furlough nearly all my employees. I was devastated to see our sales drop by 80% after working my butt off these past 8 years to highlight and support other small designer businesses. I was worried beyond belief that I might not be able to pay my invoices, knowing that I would be failing friends and partners who might be struggling themselves. Luckily, I tend to operate well during high stress situations and due to a lot of quick thinking, fast pivots, and many sleepless nights we have been able to really build up our online business and flesh out our lifestyle categories to provide items to make quarantine life more comfortable and (dare I say) fun.  Business is still down from last year but thanks to my scrappy team things are starting to improve.

What are your plans for reopening?
We re-opened our Venice Beach store back in June. The neighborhood has been extremely supportive, for which I am so grateful.  I’m preparing to re-open my downtown LA store next week!  It’s very exciting.

What do you love about fashion retail?
The people!!  This is a business that is all about relationships — relationships with your vendors / designers, relationships with your clients, relationships with your staff to keep them excited and motivated.  At the end of the day, it’s the people that make everything worth it.

Explore LCD online here.