Photo by Milkmade, Masa Inoue

By Shea Parton, Brian Lee, Brandon Brown

We are privileged to officially highlight the Apolis + Milkmade Venice Market Bag and provide an update on our Venice Marketplace installation running through the 2012 holidays. This was our 3rd Local + Global project and first California edition, with the aim of connecting regional retailers with our global advocacy and helping to create consistent employment for artisans in rural Bangladesh.

According to Milkmade Store Manager, Brandon Brown, Abbot Kinney Street, located in the heart of Venice, has undergone radical transformation in recent years. “It used to be one of the smallest shopping areas in LA,” Brown admits, but dozens of unique boutique stores have moved to the area and inspired GQ to name it the “coolest block in America” earlier this year. In fact, Milkmade was a featured retailer in GQ’s piece, described as: “A niche-cool boutique offering a more contemporary take on the American heritage look.” The words “niche” and “cool” can be used to describe dozens of shops on Abbot Kinney including Le Labo, Elvino Wines, and Tortoise General Store, all favorites of the staff at Milkmade.

Milkmade was founded by Brian Lee in 2008, and aims to “seek out the most exciting and relevant creative movements and makers in lifestyle, fashion, and design.” The shop attracts a wide range of patrons, from young professionals who keep up with the latest fashion trends, to Venice visitors who stumble upon Milkmade while cruising down Abbot Kinney. We are proud to not only include Milkmade in our Local + Global Market Bag series, but also include the Venice Marketplace in our one day only Black Friday promotion.

Follow Apolis Journal: RSS Feed | Twitter | Facebook | Apolis Mobile App | Correspondence