LECLAIREUR, Los Angeles

As a Parisienne in Los Angeles, I have mostly tried to assimilate to my new surroundings – linen separates, here I come – but I also sometimes need a little fix from home. It is funny, I never really missed Paris during the 12 years I spent in London, but now that I’m here in L.A., I get these waves of longing for my home town. So when I found out that LECLAIREUR opened on Robertson, I jumped in my car, put pedal to the metal and headed over there.

I have a special relationship with LECLAIREUR: it is the store that made me discover fashion when I was younger. As a university student I worked in one of their Parisian stores as a style advisor and I marvelled at the highly curated collection of clothing, objects and furniture gathered around the globe by the owners Martine and Armand Hadida. For 35 years, the family has developed a business that thrives on hospitality and friendliness – when you enter one of their stores, you are made to feel welcome, which is very refreshing and unusual in the fashion retail world, especially of that ilk.

Their latest store opened in Los Angeles at 450 N Robertson Blvd is no exception to that rule, which is unsurprising really as it is managed by Meryl Hadida Shabani, Martine and Armand’s daughter. The store’s unique space imitates a swish French residence and features a selection of clothing, furniture and limited edition objects unique to their Los Angeles location. The store is on several levels, the top floor is available to hire for events, and I am currently trying to figure out what I could do up there (aside from moving in, of course!).