"Fashion teaches you the importance of respecting what came before--the mini-skirt being an important part of the feminist movement, for example," Elizabeth Bannister said on Wednesday afternoon, seated behind the counter of Found Clothing in Highland Park.
The garment, unassuming now, was a symbolically fraught statement during the feminist movement of the 1960s, explained the co-owner of Found Clothing.
Those are the threads that Bannister and co-owner look for when filling out Found's collection, which includes dead stock and vintage items from the 1960s through the 1990s.
That respect for previous generations also influences how Found operates their business in Highland Park.
Located in an old brownstone at 6189 Figueroa St., Bannister said Found offers a range of affordable items that should attract local shoppers, and not just vintage hounds.
"We wanted to provide something that the community could afford, and not alienate anyone," Bannister said.
Items at Found range in price from $4 to $50, with outliers on either side.
Laso, a native of Peru who aspired to work in fashion from a young age, said that Found strives for an inclusive approach.
"With Found we wanted to create a space that reflected an inclusive approach to different styles," she said. "For us, creativity lies in reinterpreting previous eras and finding harmony in contrasts."
Before opening Found, Bannister and Laso formed a friendship while working at designer Max Mara's Max & Co. store.
"We knew right away that we shared the same sense of style, but more importantly we shared a vision for our own space," Laso said.
Found opened in late December, Bannister said, but already feel like welcomed community members.
"I like being on this side of Highland Park. You see a lot of people walking down Figueroa or going to the Senior Center for events. There's a family vibe," Bannister said. "Highland Park is such a community; people talk to you and shake your hand."
Bannister said she's happy to be on North Figueroa Street instead of York Boulevard, where Possession and Urchin have already established vintage shops.
"We liked the idea that we were going to be something new for this side of the neighborhood," she said.
