Los Angeles According to Nicole Richie and Rodarte's Kate and Laura Mulleavy
The native Angelenos and fashion-industry fixtures share their favorite addresses in the city.
Welcome to Locals Only. In this series, we're tapping notable locals in the style space to share a tight list of their top recommendations of what to see, eat, and shop in their home city. They'll share off-the-radar recs that you won't find in your average guidebook, resulting in digestible mini guides revealing where the city's most fashionable residents are actually hanging out.
Los Angeles is a city that reveals itself in layers, and there’s a version of it reserved for those who know how to peel back the veneer. Most Angelenos have to earn access, but Nicole Richie has lived in that version for most of her life. There was a time, during the height of Hollywood’s reality TV era, when the Venn diagram of Richie’s public image and the Y2K zeitgeist was essentially a circle. The House of Harlow designer, media personality, and pop culture fixture has spent decades mapping the city’s coordinates. Here, the longtime local and perennial It girl shares the addresses that make up her personal guidebook.
The Spots
One spot you’re secretly gatekeeping: "I’ll never tell."
Where the best nights out happen: "At another friend’s house so we can be wild in private."
In the early aughts, I could always be found at… "Electric Karma. Decades Vintage. Joan’s on Third. Maxfield. Tower Records. Barneys. And clubs. Lots and lots of clubs."
The touristy thing that’s actually worth it: "Universal Studios. Halloween Horror Nights makes me proud to be from L.A. If you don’t live here, I would make the trip for it."
Well-preserved time capsule: "Mickey Fine, the pharmacy on Roxbury. I feel 10 years old, and everyone that works there calls me Nikki."
Vintage treasure trove: "I love walking into Recess because I never know what treasure I will come across."
When I’m in the mood to splurge: "Scout has an impeccable curation for archival high-end items."
The bookstore where I lose all sense of time: "Book Soup is the best bookstore in L.A."
The finest florals: "Eric Buterbaugh is the sassiest gay in L.A., with exquisite flower arrangements that will stop you in your tracks. "
Favorite under-the-radar neighborhood restaurant: "It’s not under the radar, but Anajak or Sushi by Scratch Restaurants."
Superior coffee: "Maru. I’m the biggest fan of their Sanmi Blend beans. It’s the only coffee we drink at home."
Los Angeles likes to sell itself as a city of reinvention, but Kate and Laura Mulleavy found something closer to the opposite: a house in Pasadena they’ve barely left since college and a whole creative world built inside it. The sisters started Rodarte in their family home, sewing a handful of dresses that would eventually turn into one of the most singular labels in American fashion today. They have since designed costumes for Black Swan and directed a film of their own and continue to dress just about everyone who matters in Hollywood—and they’ve done it all from the vantage point of the L.A. neighborhood they grew up in. Here, Kate and Laura map out the Los Angeles that shaped them.
The Spots
Iconic Italian deli: "Roma Market. Our favorite place to get an Italian sandwich, charmingly wrapped in pink butcher paper. The owner and icon, Rosario Mazzeo, is always there to greet you."
Chinatown institution: "Phoenix Bakery. Best strawberry whipped cream cake ever! We love the shaved almonds on the sides of the cake. It’s a historic bakery and truly legendary. This is one of the greats of L.A.! It was founded by the Chan family in 1938."
Endless visual inspiration: "Huntington Library and Gardens. We have been going here since childhood to see the beautiful art, manuscripts, and gardens. We even did our F/W 19 runway show here. Always love to to see 'Blue Boy' and 'Pinkie.'"
The art gallery that always surprises: "Nonaka-Hill Gallery. Our favorite gallery to see amazing art."
Vintage done very right: "Avalon Vintage. The best vintage shop and finds. Carmen is a muse to anyone who meets her."
The bookstore that raised us: "Vroman’s Bookstore. This is our favorite bookstore of all time. It’s been around 132 years."
