FASHION : Batik Boutique

ABOUT 100 YEARS ago, in the enchanting land of 20,000 Hindu temples, Balinese royalty slumbered on beds with hand-carved headboards depicting mythological dragons. Back to the present and halfway around the world, these antique headboards--and striking Balinese fashion exports--have found a new home at Bali Boy Collection in Manhattan Beach. The boutique, affectionately dubbed “the last paradise,” stocks brightly colored batik shorts ($15), loose, beachy Ali Baba pants ($30) and riotously colorful batik jackets with contrasting linings ($65).

Most everything in the boutique is a Balinese export, including owner Johnni The. Along with his wife/co-owner Ingrid, The faxes design sketches back to the family in the old country, where the clothes are manufactured. And you can trust the Balinese to create first-rate surfboard bags ($35); after all, they live in one of the most celebrated surf spots in the world. Bali Boy Collection , 3612 Highland Ave., Manhattan Beach, (213) 546-5026.