Fashion

The Dog Show for Touchy-Feelies Only

By Liz Armstrong

The level of psyched it takes to open your own shop these days, and make it outrageously weird and hyper personal, not just Opening Ceremony worship (though you have to admit they have amazing taste) or a pop-up situation so you can wuss out and go home and not have to risk it all… well, it’s about the same as the necessary level of fucking crazy. You need both to make a cult boutique happen. Few have done it without corporate sponsorship and made it legendary (cheers to you, Bess, Peggy Noland, Themis), and only one comes to mind as having absolutely thrived, for a bit (Biba). And now in Los Angeles there’s a new one, called The Dog Show.

The owners, Anna and Tina, saved up their money and moved from Omaha to LA to pursue their big dreams of opening a bikini shop featuring a giant unicorn head exploding out of a field of white roses on a pink ombre façade and a wall of hair. Now that it’s open and not quite beach season yet, they’re selling ridiculous 90s sportswear and special things made by friends like Hayden Dunham and Malcolm Stuart, while they slave away on their bikini line. Basically you walk in and it’s like a girl stuff explosion, pink, glitter, bright colors, big hair, designer scrunchies, giddy, freaky almost to the point of scary yet still totally positive girl power-y, and not like some fucking creepy arrested development four-year-old girl princess fairy shit. It’s a special place for touchy-feelies only.

This Sunday, January 29, from 3 to 7 PM they’re holding Tan Fat Salon, where you can get a spray tan fade or some goth life coaching, reflect positive affirmations or a massage. 1930 Echo Park Ave, Los Angeles. See you there.