Postcards from Melrose and Fairfax

Ah, we've come to this part, one my favourite parts of Los Angeles: Melrose Avenue.

I always knew to expect the most Instagram-worthy spots would be in Melrose but what I did not realise is how much of it all was. I mean, I don't know how to put it into words. The whole avenue is a sight for sore eyes. Side streets are lined up with hip boutiques and concept cafes caged within walls painted in vibrant colours if not covered in giant murals, some having gained popularity among the Instagram-community that it almost feels like you've never been to LA without taking a snap of #OOTD in spots like the CISCO Home "Made in LA" wall, the angel wings mural by Colette Miller, and Paul Smith's very pink store walls. You know I did it too.

But aside from the street arts, Melrose is a treasure trove of vintage and second hand gems. Walking along the strip, we came across plenty of vintage and second hand stores that we could only wish to fully explore their contents. Alas, our time was limited even with two full weeks. And I know I might have been to better vintage stores in Tokyo or Seoul but I take into account the vibe and everything else surrounding them. If I ever live in LA, Melrose is probably where you'll find me most when I'm not in Venice. Ha!

So our day started with Paul Smith's pink wall where I had set my mind would be the backdrop for my outfit of the day photos. That being, I wore an equally vibrant all pink ensemble to match. You can see it here. Knowing that the Paul Smith store was located towards the west end of the avenue whereas Fairfax was to the east, that was the ultimate spot to start off our stroll on feet. Penguin was due for a haircut, you see, and what better place to get one than the one of the hip barber shops in Fairfax. We had about 3 hours to kill before his appointment so we took to explore explore the streets.

Mind you, Melrose Avenue is long. It was probably a bad idea walking underneath the glaring sun. By noon, we were half baked with a side of headache, hungry but could not really find a place to eat at. Not for the lack of options, there were plenty of dining outlets along the sidewalks. It's really having options that make us pretty indecisive.

Anyway, we finally settled for poke. Not the best we've tried in LA but we'll talk about that in another post. I had finally realised the vastness of the area and how much longer it would take us to get to Fairfax on feet; another 40 minutes or so, so post meal, we had to hurry to catch Penguin's hair appointment. By the time we reached the barber's, I was already a little burned out. Thankfully, the air-condition helped and an nearly an hour of sitting and waiting while he had his hair done was enough to revive my energy. Soon I was ready to walk again. This time, Fairfax.

If the Fairfax District don't sound familiar to you, well allow me to briefly introduce - it's basically where dope ass streetwear brands' stores are located in LA. Not all of them but you know, the notable ones. There's Supreme, for one. Heavily guarded and packed yet there's not much merchandise to peruse, to be honest. As expected. Next to it is Rip n Dip. A few blocks away towards La Brea, is Undefeated, right across Stussy, and Golf. In between, there's the Hundreds, Billionair Boys Club, and a bunch of dope sneakers stores including Flight Club and SoleStage. I know I haven't been copping streetwear and sneakers a lot lately but just being there, ugh, felt like I'm in shopping heaven sans actual shopping.

So anyway, we practically spent the whole day just checking out the stores, going back and forth, ever just deciding on whether or not to spend all of our money on our second day or take it easy, select a good few, sleep on it, and come back a few days later to buy only what was really necessary. We did the latter, thankfully. I ended up with just a pair of Tyler the Creator Golf x Converse sneakers, the ones that were released that very week, and a few select few tees. Nothing big. After that, we just headed straight back home and called it a night.

Hope ya'll enjoy these photos as much as we had fun taking them. And be warned, more coming up!

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Photos by Pierre Elma