International fashion hides Downtown

By Laura Cueva · Daily Trojan

Posted August 13, 2011 at 2:05 pm in Lifestyle

Los Angeles is a hub of international food, culture, religion and, of course, fashion. The city boasts trending fashions from countries all across the world, including India, China, Paris and even our own uniquely American designs — so you can find clothes to fit your style no matter where you’re from. You just have to know where to look.

Jade alert · Bohemian Crystal, on Maple Avenue, is home to droves of beads and jewelry, most of which are made in China. Here you can get everything from jade beads to wooden and seashell necklaces. - Laura Cueva | Daily Trojan

Looking for amazing Indian harem pants or tunics? There’s no better place for unique and authentic international wardrobe than Los Angeles’ Fashion District. Few shops sell authentic international fashions, but the ones that do sell them at a complete steal.

Style in Fashion, an importer and distributor of Indian fabrics and clothing, sells some of the most magnificent and ornate Indian fashions around. Located on Olympic Boulevard in the heart of the Fashion District, bright colors and patterns adorn the walls in the forms of dresses, tunics, skirts and tops.

Some are impressively complex: pastels, some featured with intricate designs stitched into the fabric and accessorized with beads and dangles. Others are more simply designed but equally beautiful, like all-white tunics with smaller,
crocheted embellishments.

Once you’ve found an outfit, walk down Olympic Boulevard to Maple Avenue to Bohemian Crystal, a bead shop with imaginative accessories. Nearly every piece of jewelry is made in China, adding a unique Asian flare to the necklaces, bracelets, earrings and headwear.

From jade bead pieces to wooden and seashell necklaces, you can customize your jewelry or buy it straight off the rack, making this a one-stop-shop for everything pretty, lovely and bead-dazzled.

For something a little more authentically Asian, try Los Angeles’ Chinatown or Little Tokyo. These are centers for their respective fashions: Chinatown has the Saigon Plaza, in the Chinatown Plaza, and Dynasty Center; and Little Tokyo has the Japanese Village Plaza, all of which offer fantastic deals on imported fashion.

You can find embroidered silk dresses in most of the shops in Chinatown. The craft and handiwork that goes into making these pieces is often worth the hundred-dollar price tag. Cheaper dresses can be found, but you can also haggle with storeowners and get them to drop the price significantly.

Similar to the Downtown Fashion District, Chinese-inspired tops and wraps hang from shop walls and dress mannequins, so you can quickly see the styles and ask for the ones that most catch your eye.

Knitted caps, which are very in right now, are often hidden in the racks in Chinatown shops. Though it takes a dedicated shopper to find them, chances are you’ll be wearing them out of the store.

Little Tokyo’s Japanese Village Plaza is much less hectic and just as worthwhile. Customers aren’t allowed to touch the delicate kimonos in most of the shops, but if you ask, a clerk will show you his most popular pieces and how to wear them correctly.

You can find Japanese make-up kits, jewelry and other accessories in the plaza as well, and even a select number of American-style (think Forever 21) blouses, bottoms and summer dresses, imported directly from Japan.

If you’re just looking for random styles with no particular country in mind, the Fashion District is probably your best bet. Walk one block and you’ll stumble upon everything from African-style animal and safari print specialty stands to Hawaiian and tropical wear shops.

Of course, if you don’t have the stamina to withstand a hunt through the Downtown fashion alleys, you can always go to Forever 21 at The Grove. They’re fully stocked with Bohemian tops and dresses, Mexican style embroidered tops and hippie skirts for every girl’s taste. And you may just see a celebrity while you’re there.

One Comment on “International fashion hides Downtown”

  1. [...] this article: International fashion hides Downtown | Daily Trojan « Critical GOP presidential contest brings excitement, entertainment … Saturday [...]

More News

  Daily Trojan Spring Awakening Supplement

Blogs

Daily Trojan Poll

Which headliner did you enjoy most at Springfest?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...

Archives

August 2011
S M T W T F S
« Jul   Sep »
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  

Browse Archives

News

SPECIAL FEATURE: Prof loses tenure bid after appeal

On April 3, Assistant Professor of International Relations Mai’a Keapuolani Davis Cross, who had traveled cross-country from her tenure track position at Colgate University to ...

Center to host more concerts after deal with Nederlander

The Galen Center entered into a deal last week with Nederlander Concerts, a Los Angeles-based company that organizes concerts with venues, to increase the numbers ...

Annenberg creates community pay phones

A group of USC students, community members and local artists in Leimert Park are bringing the pay phone back into service — and hoping to ...

Opinion

’SC sets example in lowering dropout rate

A report sponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reveals that the nation’s higher education system is facing a dropout crisis. Produced in part ...

Should the GuantĂĄnamo Bay prison remain open?

The prison must be closed as it stands for hypocrisy and infringes upon international human rights.  One hundred of the total 166 inmates at the Guantånamo ...

The Internet celebrates 20th birthday

Tuesday marked the 20th anniversary of the creation of World Wide Web. The organization responsible for building the Internet, CERN, also created the Large Hadron ...

Sports

Trojans begin three-game homestand against TCU

As the USC baseball team enters the final month of its baseball season 11 games under .500, it can at least feel good that it ...

USC faces North Florida in first round of tournament

For the No. 4 USC women’s sand volleyball team, its entire season has led up to this tournament. The team will finally be put to the ...

Jovan, Monica Vavic earn league awards

When it comes to dominating the competition in the pool, nobody does it better than the Vavic family. Following a season in which head coach ...

Lifestyle

An Exercise in Authenticity

Though Generation Um
includes a star studded cast—Keanu Reeves, Bojana Novakovic, and Adelaide Clemens—this film surprisingly has more of an indie vibe.  Set in New York ...

History behind shakes

Though finals loom as obstacles between now and summer, Ground Zero Performance Café has the perfect solution for both cooling down and serving your study ...

Play creates darker version of J.M. Barrie’s classic tale

Before Disney’s Peter, Wendy, John and Michael flew over “poor Nana” toward Big Ben and continued to the second star to the right and straight ...

Photos

In Photos: Washington comes to USC

In Photos: Washington comes to USC

The Schwarzenegger Institute held an immigration reform forum titled "Washington comes to USC", with U.S Senators John McCain, Michael Bennet and former President of Mexico ...

In Photos: Armenian Genocide

Photos by Ani Kolangian [gallery link="file" ids="66554,66555,66556,66557,66558,66559,66560,66561,66562"]

In Photos: Springfest 2013

Photos by Priyanka Patel. [gallery link="file" ids="65587,65586,65585,65584,65583,65582,65581,65580,65579,65578,65577,65576"]