Ethel and Anna

It’s no exaggeration to say that 90% of my closet — and the outfits I get the most compliments for — come from Ethel boutique on Third Street in Los Angeles.

Around 2002 I zipped past Ethel on my way to check out a yoga studio; I had to slow down and admire the Cydwoq shoes and cool cotton dress in Ethel’s storefront. I’ve shopped at Ethel to this very day, and with very few exceptions, Deborah Wolsh, Ethel’s owner, is there every time I go in.

Like the clothes she carries, Deborah is cool, smart, and stylish — alert and helpful without a trace of obsequiousness. She studies my style, tells me if something doesn’t suit me, and by now hands me pieces through the changing room curtain that are right on the nose.

Without knowing anything about my design style, Deborah has been a fairy godmother for my artistic career. In the Spring of 2009 on a hunt for Joe’s Jeans, I got a huge tip from Deborah about studio space for rent at Hands-On Third, the spot where I first got really serious about making art full time.

Fast forward a year and a half later in June 1010. I sent Deborah the link to my new web site and she emailed the next day inviting me to hang — and sell — the complete line at Ethel. I had come to accept the bare walls in Ethel because Sasha Emerson’s interior design was so charmingly chic. But it turns out Deb waited 9 years until she found just the right work.

Another confirmed case of kismet — shop at Ethel these days to just see how at home the pieces feels among Sasha Emerson’s beautifully refinished vintage furnishings and rich color palette. Like the art I make, Ethel’s fashion is fresh but not overly trendy, with beautiful silhouettes and layers.