It was over 4 years ago that we walked into Los Angeles' Scout and were taken with the thoughtful collection of clothing from an international roster of budding fashion talents complemented by expertly curated vintage pieces. A lot has changed in four years. Scout moved to a new location in Hollywood. Jargol moved to New York. And Greg Armas, one of the original owners of Scout moved to New York himself and opened Assembly in mid-2008.

For his new retail effort, Armas has evolved the Scout retail concept. While still having an eye for up and coming fashion talents, Assembly honors the past as much as the future. This is reflected in the ambiance, in the prominently display selection of vintage clothing, accessories and objects, but also in the curation of new clothing and accessories. Surrounded by vintage and antique items that are desirable and relevant decades later, with Assembly there seems to be a predilection towards design and production that will stand the test of time. Shoes in beautiful, heavyweight leathers and canvases are preferred over trendy colorful sneakers. Shirts and dresses with careful construction and subdued colors prevail over more unorthodox treatments. Seasonal trends are mostly ignored.

Raquel Allegra tie dye top

Damir Doma sunglasses

Rachel Comey jazz shoe

A Detacher long sock

Veronique Branquinho button-up

Vintage 1940s brass piggy bank

Lambs Ear in Seattle has finally joined the online fray! The shop has been seeking out up and coming shoe and accessory designers for Seattleites for a couple of years and now the selection is available online.

Maryam Nassir Zadeh is a gallery like boutique just on the outskirts of the guided-tour heavy Lower East Side. It's the kind of space you have to live in New York to know about, or perhaps get lucky and pass by on happenstance.

The store blurs the line between a boutique and a gallery. For instance, the cover of their website presents a gorgeous glass sculpture by Philip Low. Clothing for men and women hang adjacent to modernist sculpture, while tables of sculptural jewelry sit alongside vintage accessories and ephemera.

The artistry of the boutique reminds us of De Vera in Soho which similar to Maryam Nassir Zadeh sells a variety of one-of-a-kind curiosities. But what makes Maryam Nassir Zadeh unlike anything we have seen in New York is that they are able to bring this kind of high-end curatorial eye to the space but make it contemporary at the same time. These are not priceless Italian baroque church relics--the items sold in Maryam Nassir Zadeh are very present, very relevant, and very in-touch if not a year or two ahead of their time. You can feel Zadeh's direct connection to store with her textiles that fill the space with warmth and dismiss the conservative ultra modernist appeal of bigger stores like Jil Sander. This is not your grandmother's modernist boutique.

Raf Simons spoiler boot at Seven ($1395)

• Australian label Lover was founded by Susien Chong and Nic Briand in 2001; the label began by selling its wares on weekends at a Bondi Markets stall.
• The Lover aesthetic is ethereal and feminine with a rock and roll edge.
• Each of Lover's womenswear collections are based on a central character and narrative; music is a recurring inspiration.

Elsewhere

• Interview with Susien Chong and Nic Briand, Refinery29.com, January 2007
• Article on Lover, Articlesbase.com, October 2008

Media

Lover Fall 2007

Click here for our complete profile of Lover.

• Pelican Avenue was founded in 2004 by Carolin Lerch.
• Lerch graduated from the Antwerp Academy of Fashion and previously worked as assistant to designer Bernhard Willhelm.
• The label's question fashion convention and oppose consistently changing trends.
• Pelican Avenue's are deconstructed yet organic, using earthy tones and prints and unconventional silhouettes.

Elsewhere

• Images of early Pelican Avenue collections, TheFashionSpot.com, January 2006

Media

Pelican Avenue Fall 2008

Pelican Avenue Fall 2009

Click here for our complete profile of Pelican Avenue.

We've fawned for Austrian Stephan Schneider menswear for several seasons now, but until now his womenswear has to us been a mirage, showing up alongside the menswear on his website but impossible to find in stores. Luckily this has changed this season as retailers have wised up and Schneider womenswear was picked up first by Tres Bien and then by La Garconne.

Schneider womenswear use the same exquisite custom fabrics and attention to detail of his menswear line and pairs them with soft, yet sleek silhouettes. It's a menswear inspired line in the best way possible.

Seth Meyerink-Griffin (BFA 2010)

This week we had the opportunity to visit the Fashion Department at the Art Institute of Chicago where we happened upon the 2009 Fashion Runway Garment Sale. We were sad we missed the runway shows but excited to see all the new talent coming from the Art Institute of Chicago's fashion department.

Among the students with their wares for sale was Libby Lane, a small professional looking brunette whose interest seemed to be concentrated in her menswear collection. Her knowledge of the Belgian scene was impressive as she described her passion for Belgian design and her good fortune to have recently made a trip to Antwerp and visited Kris Van Assche's studio. Also among the students was Seth Meyerink-Griffin whose Blade Runner worthy pieces aim to be a cure all for the human dilemma of even having to wear garments at all. Tina Park opted for heavy geometric forms paired with heavy fabric to support the effort. Each designer's work really could not have been more distinct as individual talents and ideas are favored by the school as opposed to the school prescribing a certain style of design.

Tina Park (BFA 2009)

Andrea Bell (BFA 2010)

Genevieve Clifford (BFA 2009)

• Creatures of Comfort in Los Angeles is having a blowout sale this weekend with up to 90% off previous seasons' merchandise. The sale will take place from 10am-6pm at 730 N. Edinburgh, just a few doors behind the store.
• Celebrating the removal of the scaffolding that has been in front of its store for too long, BBlessing in New York is offering 30% off all Spring collections through this Sunday.
• Don't miss a 3-way sample sale happening this weekend involving Grey Ant, Alex & Chloe, Costume Dept. at New High Mart (741 New High Street) in Los Angeles. The store itself will be offering 10-50% their spring merchandise at the same time.

Quoddy for South Willard black boat shoes at South Willard ($186)