Blackburn + Sweetzer Has Moved

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I finally made my way over to The Reformation in the former Silho Furniture space at 142 North La Brea Avenue, a smidge north of the American Rag fray. YaYa designer Yael Aflalo and Chi Bui have partnered up, offering reworked vintage pieces, as well as contemporary dresses and separates, much of which falls at the $200 and under mark. In fact, somewhere around $75-$175 seems like their sweet spot in terms of price range.

Crafted by Bui and a full-time seamstress, I asked Bui how difficult it is to find such pristine vintage fabric. “We’re always searching. It’s not easy.”

The space, the merch, and lots of pics after the jump!

But their hunt yields lovely results. Dresses and tops the color of gemstones line the walls, blouse-y with a vintage feel, but modern in cut and fit. This boutique really appeals to me—the saturated hues, the undeniable femininity without being fussy, a sophisticated sexiness, the curated approach (there’s no filler here).

And, what’s really unusual is flipping over a price tag and thinking that seems about right, and not for fast fashion, for an actual piece, a real live addition to your wardrobe which will absolutely not be tossed to Goodwill in six months.

The space itself is simple but not spare, with touches that make the experience memorable—graffiti artist Mark Whalen’s work along the walls in candy hues, a lush sitting area toward the back, wood and vintage furniture warming the cool of the white walls and cement floor.

And Bui says they’ve been doing well, despite, or perhaps, in part, because of the economy, which is good to hear, especially since many retailers outside of the American Rag hot zone have struggled to make something last on La Brea (Iconology and recently, Presse, were two sad losses, both with notably higher price points). Notably, there’s word from The Pipeline that an NYC shop is in the works. The Reformation has new store hours, now open Mon-Sat 11am-7pm and Sun 12pm-6pm.