Casual Women’s Clothes Store Opens in Highlands

If a store is named Happy, shoppers walk through the door with high expectations. Fortunately, Happy LA, the new women’s clothing shop located in the Highlands Plaza between Mogan’s Caf’ and Palisades Video, lives up to its name. The first retail-clothing store in the Highlands is owned by Lori Bzura and Dawn Baker and features not only clothing, but Missoni beach towels, baby gifts like flip-flop booties and a few assorted house wares. The bright and cheery 1,065-sq.-ft. space, formerly Christina of Sweden Hair Design, has been completely renovated. Ceiling tiles were removed, expanding the store’s height to 9 ft., and track lighting was installed. Capiz sea-shell chandeliers (which are for sale) were hung from the ceiling and give a light tinkling sound as afternoon breezes gently blow through the store. On a hot summer day, the store is cool and pleasant. Also, 25-year-old white tiles were removed from the floor and the cement was acid-washed and painted a light turquoise. The walls, which had been covered in textured wallpaper, were sanded and painted white. Even the dressing rooms are fun, enclosed by Missoni beach towels hung on curtain rods. The overall result of the interior design, which Bzura and Baker call ‘mod-beach,’ is that this chic store has the same feel as shopping in SoHo in New York City. Not only is the ambiance happy, so is the clothing, which is both fun and practical. Prices range from $38 Tom shoes to $200 cashmere cardigans and $400 dresses. Tom shoes, a traditional Argentine shoe, come in a variety of colors; for every pair purchased, the maker donates a pair of shoes to a child in need in South America. When Bzura and Baker planned the store, they envisioned it for women in their 20s to 40s. Although they’ve only been open since July 23 and business has been steady, they’ve had a few surprises. ‘We sold one shirt to a teenager and a 72-year-old grandmother bought the same shirt,’ said Bzura, who had not expected the crossover appeal. ‘A lot of clothes are so universal that you don’t have to be a certain age,’ said Baker, who had expected that the store would appeal to all ages. She did admit surprise that a 10-year-old purchased one of their t-shirts. ‘That’s the ease of the store,’ Baker said. ‘You should feel happy in your clothes,’ Bzura added. Both women lived in New York for about 10 years and met through their husbands. Bzura’s husband Andrew is the CEO of a hedge fund in Los Angeles. The Bzuras have two boys, Billy, 5, and Lucas, 1, and they moved from New York to the Highlands four years ago. Baker and her husband, David, who is in finance, have a daughter Elle, 3, and live in Brentwood. Baker had worked as a merchandiser for J. Crew, Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Isaac Mizrahi, who ‘was a big mentor for me,’ she said. Baker dropped out of the fashion business just before September 11, 2001, and started working as a preschool teacher in New York City. A friend who worked as Ellen DeGeneres’ make-up artist convinced Baker to work as the star’s clothing stylist, which is what brought the Baker family to Los Angeles 18 months ago. Baker was nominated for an Emmy for dressing DeGeneres. With Bzura already in Los Angeles, the two friends reconnected and started talking about owning their own shop, which has since become a collaborative effort for both families. ‘I live in the Highlands,’ said Bzura, ‘and I thought this area needed a store like this.’ The store’s name came from Baker, who was watching a special program on happiness on CNN when an expert noted that optimistic people live longer. Baker thought ‘Happy’ would be a great name for a store because ‘the name epitomizes my attitude about life. I’m an optimistic person.’ She called Bzura and asked her how she felt about Happy for a store name. ‘Absolutely,’ Bzura said. They are already receiving good feedback from customers. ‘Everyone is happy to have us here,’ Bzura said. The store is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Contact: (310) 459-5511.