Culture Shop : Fans of vintage and disco-inspired designs make a beeline for Montebello. Where else?
Melrose isn’t the only place in town to shop for groovy outfits. The kids in East Los Angeles find the coolest stuff right in their own back yard.
So, Be a Jerk
Roger Vega has been one of the kings of cool since he opened his first boutique, Cool Jerk, in Montebello. He recently moved to a bigger and fancier place down the street that is filled to the brim with tons of Twiggy mini-dresses, suede fringed vests, bell-bottom jumpsuits and jeans and the most outrageous platform shoes. The best part is that most of Vega’s merchandise is “dead stock,” merchandise left over from the ‘70s and ‘80s that has never been worn. Platform shoes are $16 to $30. Denim and printed bell-bottom pants are $16 to $18. Psychedelic printed and black satin jumpsuits are $24 to $30. Vintage jackets from the ‘40s for men and women are about $25.
COOL JERK, 417 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello. Open daily, noon to 8 p.m.
Shop Green
On the same street is another tiny shop called Green Envy, painted, of course, bright green. Owner Concepcion de La Cruz, 26, opened the store last year as a showcase for designs by her brother, Oscar de La Cruz, and his best friend, Javier Vergara, as well as for choice mod retro items, and shoes and boots by Gorilla and Marley of London. De La Cruz and Vergara are fashion design majors at Trade Tech in Los Angeles. Inspiration for their designs, they say, comes from local discos. De La Cruz’s line, Munster Wear, is perfect for industrial rockers, with gigantic zippers on everything; shiny, black vinyl jackets; dangerous-looking spiked sleeves, and Super Fly collars. Vergara’s designs are sexier with flowing, low-riding hip huggers and lots of black spandex, body-conscious styles. Everything here is under $100, except for boots and shoes, which range from $85 to $200.
GREEN ENVY, 2511 W. Whittier Blvd., Montebello. Open daily, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Run to Bus Stop
Husband and wife team James and Terry Orsorio opened Bus Stop 12 years ago on Beverly Boulevard in Montebello. They started selling vintage clothes back in the ‘70s in Venice. Then, they sold stuff from the ‘40s and ‘50s. But now, business is strictly ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s. The store is packed with racks and barrels of vintage goodies. Shopping there is sort of like searching for hidden treasure. They also sell new black leather motorcycle jackets ($99) and Doc Marten boots and shoes. Folkloric jewelry designs by local Latino artists are displayed in the back of the store. There are lots of hearts, “Day of the Dead” skulls and snake motifs in pins, pendants and earrings.
BUS STOP, 5273 1/2 E. Beverly Blvd., Montebello. Open Tuesday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m., Wednesdays, 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
