The opening of Amy Wilkens’ new boutique in Riviera Village is far from her fir
st rodeo. Wilkens is the owner of Safari Hat and Clothing Company, and a longtime celebrity stylist who says she’s worked with everyone from “Betty White to Britney Spears.”
Now, with Urban Clothes Horse, 1901 Catalina Avenue, she’s looking to bring a modern-rustic sensibility to Redondo Beach, with a metal-and-reclaimed-wood facade unlike anything else along that stretch of Catalina Avenue.
“I saw that there was a level of brands that were missing from Riviera Village. We didn’t have that store that offered Eileen Fisher, Free People, Karen Kane,” Wilkens said, noting that South Redondo hasn’t had a store with that particular mix of what’s termed “lifestyle brands.”
“When you see someone wearing these brands, you can kind of see what their lifestyle is by the way they wear their clothes,” Wilkens said.
Her store’s opening was a grand affair, featuring a red-carpet walk, members of both the Redondo Beach and Palos Verdes Chambers of Commerce, and a packed store of guests admiring the western-inspired decor.
Michael Hale, a designer for retail projects including stores for the House of Blues, Hollywood Bowl and L.A. Phil, called the project a “collaboration of custom fixtures, where everything had a purpose.”
According to Wilkens, she wanted to continue the legacy of her space’s predecessor while adding something new.
“I wanted to continue the legacy of Lisa Z’s clientele she reached, and I wanted to reach beyond that to major brands coming into the Village,” she said.
