On a recent trip to Paris we had the chance to see a first-time visitor fall in love with the City of Lights. Crashing with locals, our group took the obligatory (but no less bewitching) trips to bistros, cafes, cathedrals and grand museums—but also managed to squeeze in a few…
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Spoiler alert—today is the last day to purchase a gift online at most retailers and still receive it in time for Christmas. While several shops have already closed their digital doors, we’ve scoured the Cool Hunting gift guide to find an array of clever items that are still available…
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In recent years e-commerce has been booming at light-speed in China. Shoppers have quickly become familiar with online wonderlands like Taobao that suck you in as you start looking for an air purifier, only to lose track of time browsing design replicas and smartphones until finally you shut down…
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by Vivianne Lapointe “We’re Revolting,” a new pop-up installation at Creatures of Comfort, is LA-based blogger Su Wu’s golden opportunity to translate her popular website, I’m Revolting, into something concrete. Earlier this summer, Wu was commissioned by Creatures of Comfort owner Jade Lai to collaborate with a selection of her…
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A gluttonous, gun-slinging, pill-popping pop-up at Shizaru Gallery in London
“Bad for Me,” a pop-up shop that seeks to explore the complexities of what is considered harmful, opens at the Shizaru Gallery in London’s Mayfair this week. Curated by Grey Area, the shop presents objects without judgment to allow audiences to draw their own conclusions. From a small pile…
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Designer Tom Budding puts a creative spin on an essential Hackney shop
When you ask East Londoner Tom Budding to tell you about the selection of items in his newly opened shop, his face lights up. Stocked with a handsome assortment of practical goods sure to delight any discerning adult, J. Glinert is Budding’s professional take on a store that entertained…
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Portland gets a high-design shop with an editorial bent
Table of Contents, a recently-opened concept shop in Portland, Oregon, is a quiet refuge within the bustling Old Town neighborhood. Located just off Burnside Street in Chinatown, Shu Hung and Joseph Magliaro’s new venture is a welcome departure from the eclectic mix of dive bars, arcades, Internet cafes and…
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An enterprising young duo exports Africa’s finest talent
Just two summers ago, Aaron Kohn was a Cool Hunting intern eager to make videos about Africa. His passion for the continent was impressive, to say the least, so we couldn’t be happier to see that he’s now channeled his fervor into an online marketplace that is home to…
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Pajama suits for modern dandies from an NYC atelier
Creative director Aaron Black offers the urban gent a truly bespoke, handmade tailoring experience that nods to the ideals of Savile Row with his new boutique in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. His brand White Chalk (the name a tribute to one of the key tools in the tailor’s arsenal)…
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Our interview with the founder of LA’s new home design and accessories shop
With a style owner Scotti Sitz describes as “modern natural,” the new Los Angeles boutique Garde inhabits a tranquil and airy space stocked with eclectic handmade items.
Summoning her years of experience in fashion and interior design, Stitz filled the richly textured, light-filled shop with merchandise highlighted by carefully selected furnishings like hand-crocheted collars by Nathalie Costes, 2550º Candles and jewelry by Naomi Maslon arranged on tables made by Kristan Cunningham and Scott Jarrell.
We caught up with Sitz to learn more about the store from its opening to the constantly evolving collections she curates.
We are definitely a gift shop with home accessories. I wanted the opportunity to bring in designers and artists who weren’t necessarily represented here. I can mix my reasonably priced quilts and pillows with maybe a more luxurious cashmere throw. When something has a price point here that is a little bit higher, there is a reason for it. There is a process behind it in terms of the work and the material. Not just for the sake of being a luxury good.
I used to live in this neighborhood in the Beverly corridor a few years ago and I have watched it evolve. It’s become a destination for high-end vintage furniture, great restaurants and accessories. We looked at this space. It was a dump. The building is from the early 1940s and it had not been touched. The first business here was a bank of operators. It was the pre-411. So if you wanted to know who sold apple pies in Los Angeles between Fairfax and La Brea, these operators would tell you where to go. When we got this space there were the old phone jacks all along this wall. Then 30 years ago an electronic repair shop opened here. There was linoleum and false ceilings. The skylight was boarded up. We gutted the space.
We named the store Garde, keeping the idea of something new and different, and I also like the definition as it applies to “en garde, the stance in fencing to prepare for your match.
I ask myself, “Would I put it in my house?” “Would I wear that item?” If I have to say no, then it does not belong here. Except for some basics at good price points, everything has to have a story behind it. Everyone I represent has a story to tell. They have a process to tell and a unique and wonderful product. I love a good story.
My new obsession is Christien Meindertsma. She’s from the Netherlands. She is represented by Thomas Eyck. What I love about her is she comes up with a concept for a product design and takes it to an end product. I fell in love with her flax project a couple of years ago. Meindertsma commissioned a farmer to plant the flax seeds. Then she designed her flax collections, the flax ropes she makes into lighting fixtures. I also sell her wool Urchin poufs. If you go on her website you’ll see pictures of the sheep. They are all numbered. I love seeing the photos before and after they have been sheared.
I love Vincent Van Duysen pottery. He is a huge inspiration to me in terms of his look and design. The ceramic canisters with a sand-blasted white oak lid. The first time I got them in they weren’t even here for 24 hours. Something like that you have to touch. It has a softness to it that is just beautiful. It’s the same with Sara Paloma‘s pieces. Right now I am sold out of her work, except for one vase. We had a collection in when I first opened that I would literally make everyone touch because it was so exquisite and feels like suede. I also feel that way about the hand-blown glass vessels with cast brass botanical stoppers by Lindsey Adelman.
They are from a fashion house in India called Injiri. Everything is hand-done—the beading, the tassels, the lace, the buttons, the embroidery. There is a lot of workmanship that goes into these garments. I like the idea of carrying things that are good basics that can cross over. The scarves can be worn by men or women. The shirts are more of a year-round garment.
They are one-of-a-kind. The designer is T Smith Knowles. She’s local. Everything is hand-done, the stitching, the beadings are antique. The workmanship that goes into those bags is just exquisite. They really are unique, all hand-signed and numbered. The leather is the finest and really light-weight. She will even customize the strap for each customer.
I think what is so wonderful about this time is that there are so many amazing artists. It is the best time to do something like this. I can showcase my favorite artists and designers and many people who’s work is not represented everywhere else.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
