Aero & Co. closes March 28; introduced the brightest generation of young L.A. designers

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I received an e-mail Thursday from Aero & Co. owner Alisa Loftin saying she was closing up shop on March 28 after 10 years of business.

It’s unfortunate that Aero & Co. would shutter its retail shop during this particularly blah and disjointed Los Angeles Fashion Week. A decade ago, in its first incarnation on Los Feliz’s Kingswell Drive, Aero & Co. debuted the brightest generation of L.A. designers in recent memory with informal trunk shows from Magda Berliner, Jasmin Shokrian and Rami Kashou. The store also introduced to a wider audience Cynthia Vincent (whom Loftin originally worked with as a publicist), Unholy Matrimony, Grey Ant and Jared Gold.

In July 2002, Loftin relocated Aero & Co. to West 3rd Street to entice a Westside clientele in a location only a short drive from Los Feliz; however, as Loftin put it, the ‘core Eastside customer wasn’t going over to the Westside.’ The store still stocked up-and-coming L.A. designers such as Brian Lichtenberg, but the 3rd Street customer wasn’t necessarily shopping for edgy local fashion.

”West 3rd Street was the only street in Los Angeles I would have ever considered moving to from the Eastside, because of its independent spirit and character,’ said Loftin. ‘My only regrets were the unintended consequences of leaving the Eastside community behind. I really expected them to follow us to West 3rd Street in greater numbers.’

Loftin hasn’t abandoned retail entirely -- an e-commerce site is in the planning stages. She’s also looking into a private label venture for young L.A. designer Maxine Dillon, who also worked in sales at Aero & Co.

8403 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles. (323) 653-4651. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

-- Max Padilla