Designer shopping in California
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Gump's
About 150 years before Pier One reduced Asian import chic to wicker papasan chairs, Gump's was quietly outfitting Pacific Heights meditation rooms and Nob Hill Japanese gardens with authentic decor touches. Since 1861, San Franciscan Solomon Gump's posh import and export gift emporium has been the purveyor of a range of high-end-to-overpriced, tasteful-to-bland antiques, decorative arts and Asian home furnishings, all lovingly presented in lavish window displays.
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B
Rabat
A frenetic collection of high-end and local designers (some of whom even work in-store), Rabat offers style without sacrificing function, with trim Nanette Lapore jackets and Michael Stars tees. The owner makes frequent trips to Europe to personally select the bounce-in-your-step men's shoes and flat-yet-snazzy women's shoes found at 3909 24th St - be prepared to pay the price for such stylish imports.
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C
Venus Superstar
Head-to-toe originality isn't an urban legend but an actual possibility with one-off Coma & Cotton screen-printed tees, skirts ruched beyond all recognition by Death + Co, and chunky statement jewelry by designer/owner Rebecca Vandersteen. Call ahead: The hours are erratic, and if you wait on this corner, people will think you're in the market for something more psychedelic than local fashion.
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D
Propeller
Don't think of it as a design store, but a cocoon where decor metamorphoses occur: a single Wellington boot becomes a cheeky vase, rosy-cheeked porcelain baby-doll heads turn into uniquely sinister candle holders, and meticulous layers of hot glue make a mesmerizing lampshade. For truly original gifts, this design showcase highlights innovation and local designers, not just trendy brand names.
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E
Lemon Twist
Refresh your wardrobe with a little Lemon Twist, a relentlessly inventive local designer who doesn't wait for the seasons to change, but adds a new outfit every 42 days. They'll whip up any design you like in the fabric of your choice, tailored to fit - check out the swatches and rolls behind the counter. Don't miss Lemon Drop either, the new line for babies in polka dots and bold stripes.
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Nest
Remember the last time you sneaked into a bedroom at a party? That's the thrill of Nest, where this intimate space is dominated by a wrought-iron bedstead draped in teal Chinese silk bedding, celadon petticoats waving in the breeze from their hangers and nymphets skipping across framed Victorian book plates. Even the chandeliers are bound in twigs, indulging their nesting instincts.
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Fashion District
Heading east on Olympic Blvd takes you into the heart of the Fashion District, a 90-block nirvana for bargain hunters, even if shopping around here is more Middle Eastern bazaar than Rodeo Dr, and haggling is ubiquitous. There's a head-spinning selection of samples, knockoffs and original designs at cut-rate prices.
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Laku
Hair clips with cherry blossoms in kimono fabric, baby hoodies in reclaimed cashmere with bunnies in built-in pockets, and velvet rosebud slippers you'll wish came in your size - hey, you're in luck. Owner and designer Yaeko Yamashita brings whimsy to everything she makes, including the brown paper packages tied with striped string.
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Betsey Johnson
Shameless flirting is the natural reaction to putting on a Betsey Johnson number, cut for dangerous curves, nights out and high kicks. Since the '60s, the American designer to rockers and rebels has been adding trademark playful feminine touches to urban designs. Couches welcome the fashion-weary.
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Ruby
As resident pug-in-chief Ruby sniffs suspiciously at your ankles, browse necklaces made of tiny fern fronds captured in resin, robot-chic rings made of watch mechanisms and purses made of vintage upholstery fabric.
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Theodore
A stylista haven, Theodore has far-out fashions from Ann Demeulemeester, Alexander McQueen, Roberto Cavalli, Great China Wall and other hot designers.
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Gregg Fleishman Studio
Like Eames on acid, Fleishman puts the ‘fun' in functional with his ingenious bent furniture and modular playhouses.
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