L.A. boutique Satine moves to bigger digs on 3rd Street
This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.
Satine has expanded its retail presence on 3rd Street in Los Angeles, moving to a larger location across from the original storefront.
The new store, housed in a former restaurant, opened Friday. It’s nearly 4,000 square feet -- three times the size of the former space. Proprietor Jeannie Lee says Satine simply ‘outgrew’ its shell: ‘The racks were way too packed.’ The new boutique adds more changing rooms along with eight more parking spaces in the back.
The new Satine continues the old location’s unique ‘ultimate closet’ layout, placing luxe accessories from Lanvin and Alaia next to established local names such as Jenni Kayne, Magda Berliner and Kimberly Ovitz. The outsized boutique also devotes more space to up-and-coming L.A.-based lines including Seneca Rising, Miss KK, Modern Lovers and Society for Rational Dress.
Lee plans to introduce five new pieces a month from the boutique’s private-label collection, starting with a $395 silk jumpsuit and $495 faux-leopard coat for fall.
A special area of the new Satine, marked by black and white tiles, will be dedicated to new lines such as A.L.C., designed by Andrea Lieberman, who formerly styled Gwen Stefani. (The A.L.C. collection runs from $120 for T-shirts to $350 to $650 for dresses.) Lee says collections such as A.L.C. exemplify Satine’s winning strategy of mixing affordable high-fashion pieces that can be worn for more than one season with standout high-ticket items from luxury brands such as Dries Van Noten.
The centerpiece of the new store is a blue staircase that leads to an upstairs gallery, used for trunk shows and art installations. Artist Eamon Ore-Giron will inaugurate Satine’s gallery with an installation featuring old records and cut-out album sleeves.
Lee is optimistic about expanding her business on West 3rd Street, which has thinned out recently with many retailers closing up shop.
‘Third Street is still under the radar,’ Lee says. ‘If you walk up and down it, there are still mainly independent businesses. Robertson is very corporate and shiny, and that’s not where Satine belongs.’
8134 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles. (323) 655-2142. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. www.satineboutique.com
-- Max Padilla
Follow the Image section on Twitter