L.A. fashion doesn’t usually bring to mind edgy Parisian brands and young up-and-coming London-based designers, but since opening her West Coast boutique Satine in August 2003, Jeannie Lee has been one step ahead of the local fashion flock.
What started as a small, cozy space on Third St. in West Hollywood expanded in September 2009 to a space five times the size. Satine now also boasts a burgeoning online business, which relaunches today with a newly redesigned Web site that includes a shopping site with high-end product shoots, a Satine Diary, and Q&As with local designers, stylists and editors.
There will eventually be fashion editorial shoots featuring coveted finds from Lanvin, Alexander Wang (whom Lee was one of the first to carry), Azzedine Alaïa, Preen, Holmes & Yang, Jason Wu, and Derek Lam. Lee plans to renew content about once a week, working with journalist Indigo Clarke to keep things fresh and current.
Never one to follow the crowd, Lee has always relied on her stellar instinct to move forward and take risks with young talent. “Now more than ever people are looking for emerging designers because personal style has become so important, but people in L.A. have always looked for alternative brands,” she says.
