Fashion giant CO Solar is out to re-tell the story of retail in Beverly Hills with its inside-the-scenes boutique Sita 1910.
“There are no brand names here, only manufacturers,” she said on a tour of her highly curated, subreddit space, where personal attention is paramount.
Sita was pulled out of the pandemic when Soler, a former designer and creative director, noticed what had been followed over the years by the under-the-radar talents who were suffering the most from the cancellation of all their orders.
So, she started selling pieces of a condo unit she wasn’t using. “I said send me 15 jackets, and I’ll sell them,” she explained of the impromptu set-up, where she invited friends to visit the store.
The idea developed into a store located behind the Peninsula Hotel, and soon inside when Sita 1910 arrived there from August 1 to November 1.
Meanwhile, Sita’s upstairs space on Lasky Drive resembles a chic apartment more than a boutique, with black-and-white retro glamor shots on the walls, colorful graffiti art, Tim Ryan’s disco fringe knits or Soler’s private label crochet clutches and pompoms. There are baskets overflowing with. The slide dressing room is boudoir-like, with lots of couches for friends, robes and slippers, drinks and snacks. “I want girls to feel like this is their wardrobe,” she said, adding that customers stop by for a while.
Sita in 1910, Beverly Hills, California.
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A member of the British Fashion Trust, Soler wanted to highlight designers from around the world on her racks and shelves, but they’re not the names one would expect. Ryan is an Alexander McQueen alum, Carlos Pineda is a Mexican eveningwear designer known for joyfully ruffled pieces, and Piferi is a line of vegan shoes by former Jimmy Choo designer Alfredo Piferi.
“Seventy-five percent of what’s here can’t be found anywhere else in America,” Soler said, adding that she wants to respect designers as creators, not “screw them” with Markdown. “If you want to return it in 45 days, don’t shop here,” she said of her out-of-season purchases.
Soler’s tastes range from bohemian to western, rocker to resort-chic, but above all it’s a la
She stocks designers from all over the world, selling boho suede jackets with hand-painted florals, Louis Vuitton and Gucci logos whipstitched handbags made from leather scraps and breezy embroidered kaftans from Ukraine by Yulia Magdich, hand-assembled The clothing was carried by Columbia-based Claudia Gontovnik, and LA labeled Aquarius Cocktail’s vintage T-shirts, sweatshirts, and flannels with positive messages like “Be the Light.”
“Part of the criteria is that your line is better, but so should you,” laughs the curating designers.
Apparel and accessories prices range from $38 to $2,500. There are also giftable style books, greeting cards and novelties, including fashion designer pillows and a jewelry gum ball machine in the likeness of Donatella Versace and Karl Lagerfeld.
For Solar, with the pressure the pandemic has put on retail, the future of shopping is all about experience, exclusivity, sustainability and fun. “Because what is luxury?” he said. “Is it a logo, or is it something that no one else has?”
Sita in 1910, Beverly Hills, California.
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Sita in 1910, Beverly Hills, California.
manners
Sita in 1910, Beverly Hills, California.
manners
Originally published at Pen 18
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