WHERE FASHION IS HIGH ART

H. LORENZO IS A HUMMING, VIBRANT HUMAN EXPRESSION

- Words Dave Schilling Photography Yasara Gunawardena

Bottom row: CMMN SWDN shoes, MELROSE HIGH beanies. Opposite page: SEEN USERS suit..

To walk into an H. Lorenzo store is to be given a window into someone's brain. You can't always say that about a retail experience. A mall (as unfashionable as those are now) is sterile, with uniform displays and the aroma of a Hot Dog on a Stick disrupting your experience. A luxury, one-brand boutique — think the Gucci or Saint Laurent stores on Rodeo Drive — offers vision, to be sure. The majesty of a glorious heritage brand condensed into an opulent storefront. But those stores are designed and sculpted by a corporate structure that prioritizes shareholder value and brand identity above all else. H. Lorenzo, by contrast, is a family business. The first thing you see in their men's store is the metal, spiral racks tastefully stocked with hoodies from brands like Kapital and Jacquemus, and bold graphic tees from Martine Rose or Acne Studios. While these clothes are not common, they aren't jarring. Bold, but wearable. And the deeper you go into the store, the more the store begins to dig its talons into you. Giant black military boots, vests with a million pockets, and something I'm not exactly sure where it goes on the human body. Celebrating its 40th anniversary, H. Lorenzo, the brand, and Lorenzo Hadar, the man, are looking back on their impact on the world of fashion. In Los Angeles, H. Lorenzo is where you go to be reminded that fashion can be high art.