Lara Does LA Garment District

There I am in Ashanit with my J Brand pants and Comme des Garcons t-shirt from Vintage Fashion in AZ.

today was like going on the alice and wonderland ride at disneyland but longer and well better. it just keeps getting better. honestly.  i just got back from driving myself from laguna beach to los angeles.  my mission was ashanti, an african fabric shop located right in the heart of the garment district in downtown LA.  i guess it was fun because it was just me and the gps lady.  i really have no idea of how to get around so the gps lady was in complete control.  it was nice to be alone from the family.  i need to be alone so i can think and listen to my roller skating music loud in the car.

oh so why was going to ashanti? well it just so happens that i have a new client in austalia who has just requested 20 sam harvey bags.  she will sell them in her boutique. she has chosen from the kenya collection. well i didn't have quite enough fabric to complete her order so i found ashanti thank gawd! arizona didn't have any place where i could buy african fabric. when i say african fabric, i am not talking about zebra and leopard print. i am talking about batik like fabric with a wax light weight coating with dayglo colors and crazy patterns. i really like vilsco which is made in nigeria.

the shop was much smaller than i had imagined. you know i always imagine in architectural digetst terms. like there would be a conga boat to pick me up in the jungle like entrance with tiki lamps and bong bong drums leading me to a gigantic warehouse of african vlisco fabrics. this place today was much smaller.

when i parked the first place of refuge was the starbucks but they didn't have a public restroom.  i had to unload before searching for ashanti.  i found the ashanti out of the corner of my eye. it was really great to see seri the sweet lady i spoke to while i was searching online in goodyear. she was happy to see me but said she had no bathroom. she told me to go to the tall building down the street. when i arrived  in the main lobby i found myself in the whole la fashion distict epicenter! i couldn't  believe myself. i went from pinata strewn streets to this!  fashion bookstore, fashion bistro, and marble countered sinks in the bathroom.  i had to go to the fashion bookstore.  i found a load of books that i bought. i will show you later.  i have a beach down the road that is calling me to jump in it. so i am not in the mood to play with photoshop right this minute. anyhoo, i went back to ashanti and found 2 bolts of the most gorgeous vilsco fabrics for 2 new sam harvey bags styles.  i can't to show you!

Seri from Ashanti, Los Angeles CA

i am taking photos of x's too, so don't get all bent that this is not about 'x'. you know i never really turn it off...