L.A. brand The Bohemian Society opens The Brutique — an eclectic shop-in-shop

Rocker-inspired L.A. brand The Bohemian Society, which has always mined eclectic waters aesthetically, has opened The Brutique -- a space inside the downtown bookshop The Last Bookstore that's "part boutique, part showroom, part performance space," said brand founder and designer Victor Wilde.

The tiny DIY-style shop, which is open by appointment only (and during the neighborhood's monthly Art Walks on the second Thursday of each month), so far stocks a variety of fashion pieces — from limited-edition dresses made from vintage silk parachutes to graphic T-shirts, retooled vintage looks and new cut-and-sew items. The price range for looks  —  $20 to $2,000 — reflects the hodge-podginess of the store itself.

Wilde plans to create a new, artful window installation for every Art Walk, no doubt infusing his rock 'n' roll aesthetics with all manner of influences.

And he's not letting his space limitations limit his ideas. "The shop itself is not very big," he conceded, "but it has four large windows that face the northwest corner of 5th and Spring. [It's] a great opportunity to make a splash visually."

And there's a bigger splash to come: Wilde is building a stage inside the space for performances.

The Brutique at The Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., Los Angeles. (213) 377-6514.  

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-- Emili Vesilind

Photos: One wall of The Bohemian Society's The Brutique. Credit: The Bohemian Society