Andrew W.
Yelp
Compared to Dover Street Market, Fred Segal seems like TJ Maxx: Like the famed L.A. quasi-department store (be it the "real" one now on Sunset or the one everyone actually considers Fred Segal on Melrose), Dover Street Market is a collection of fashion brands, accessories, bric-a-brac, and whatnot, much of which is featured in small store-within-a-store settings. But the mastermind behind Dover Street Market is Rei Kawakubo, founder of Comme des Garçons, possibly the most avant garde ― and influential ― fashion houses of the last half-century. This, kiddies, is what bleeding-edge cool looks like.
This is the sixth Dover Street Market in the world: The original opened in 1994 in London (originally on Dover Street ― hence the name), followed by New York, Tokyo, Singapore, and Beijing. This Los Angeles iteration opens with a heavy focus on (expensive) streetwear, with brands such as Off-White, Palace Skateboards, Stüssy, Undercover, Noah, Nikelab, Paradis3, Better Gift Shop, and, of course, the Comme des Garçons Play line. BAPE and Supreme suddenly seem so passé by their exclusion. If those brands are a bit too "music festival" for one's taste, never fear: Prada, The Row, Jil Sander, Thom Browne, Balenciaga, Maison Margiela, Vêtements, and Raf Simons all have a presence here. Chanel has a display for fine jewelry, and Gucci has a large corner full of that ridiculously popular hypertackiness by Alessandro Michele. (I just do not get it. I really don't.) And then there are designers you've probably never heard of: Xiao Li? Grace Wales Bonner? The Vampire's Wife? Paccbet? Kiko Kostadinov? Well, whoever they are, they're here, too.
DSM ain't cheap: They sell Gucci, after all. But it is a place where one can get closer to affording the fancy life than, say, Neiman Marcus. The large selection of Comme des Garçons wallets, for example, is in the same $150-$250 price range as Longchamp ― and much better quality. There were t-shirts on opening day for $40-$50. I would have bought a pair of Junya Watanabe New Balances at $135 had they not only come in tiny, Japanese-only sizes. The staff was very courteous and helpful, especially considering the harried circumstances of the opening day.
More than the merchandise, the store itself is a visual treat. A series of mannequins dressed in white are topped with dinosaur skulls. Stephen Jones Millinery is displayed on a mound of tumbling chairs. A variety of strange art pieces ― from a floor lamp encased in a Lucite box to what looks like a chandelier made from a tangle of Mardi Gras beads ― hang from the ceiling. And is that a Cindy Sherman hanging over the jewelry section? Dover Street Market is a very special place, and Los Angeles is lucky to have been chosen to host one. I look forward to my next visit ― it's worth the trip to the far-flung edge of the L.A. River to experience something so truly unique.