Located on the corners of Pico & Stanford is Hellen’s Sample Shop, DTLA’s premier spot for grabbing the latest fashion trends for more than half of retail price…
Owner Hellen Lee is the CEO of the shop also owns a large portion of Stanford Regency Plaza which made it easier for her to secure their prime corner location.
Every single item for sale in Hellen’s Sample Shop sells for $5, $7, and $10, making Hellen’s Sample Shop a godsend for anyone who wants to look and feel great without breaking the bank. Get ready to shop til’ you drop! The shop is the first of its kind. It’s a sample shop curated with the leftover samples from local brands. Sure, there are occasional sample pop-ups in DTLA but no actual sample shops like Hellen’s.
Nicodemus Bernard of Visionary Brands LLC helped Lee take the idea from conception to reality. Nic helped design the store from top to bottom and created the brand identity. Other showrooms and designers hopped on and began filling the racks with their samples as well.
The 4,500 square foot corner shop, situated in the heart of LA’s Fashion District is a mixture of industrial meets California glam. Cement floors and exposed piping contrast well with the bright, neon pink Hellen’s sign. Blue wallpaper and vibrant palm frond decals create a trendy space for shopping and the air is filled with the sounds of easily recognizable artists like Zendaya, The Midnight and Tyga playing from the speaker while patrons browse the clothing racks.
Hellen’s Sample Shop is a mixture of closet staples like basic tees, fashionable brunch outfits, trendy work clothes, and fun party clothing. They even carry high-quality items like Gucci and Prada occasionally, but you’ll have to get there early to snag these goodies.
Half of the items in the store are brands owned by Lee such as DoubleZero, and the rest is curated from different local showrooms. All items are seasonal which means when the showrooms pack up their fall collections to prepare for winter, Hellen’s Sample Shop is taking their overstock and filling their racks to provide clothing way below retail price. Changing the fate of these collectible items, whom would otherwise remain boxed up in a warehouse somewhere where they may not see the light of day again.
HOUSE RULES
There are little rules that apply when it comes to shopping. Hellen’s Sample Shop, however, has a few house rules for their customers.
Rule 1: Cash Only
This helps keep costs down!
Rule 2: No Returns or Exchanges
A lot of their items are often one of a kind or limited in stock.
Rule 3: No Fitting Rooms
It would take much too long if everyone were trying things on.
Rule 4: No Trying on Garments
No getting away with trying apparel on over your street clothes either.
Rule 5: No Food or Drinks
Just come hungry for clothes.
Rule 6: Keep kiddies close-by!
Hellen Lee plans to eventually expand Hellen’s Sample Shop to accommodate all the stock they have from local designers, showrooms, and wholesalers. In the future they’d like to open multiple flagship stores, all with their own names and styles to continue the sample shop trend. They want to have a mixture of their own collections, vintage finds, and high-end buys. According to Nic, they have a wide range of apparel that would suit someone 13 years old to 45 years old. They’re currently working on designing a Missy line, that’ll debut in store soon. They are always looking for new brands to carry and offer 40/60 split where 40% goes to the house.
GRAND OPENING in the FASHION DISTRICT
Hellen’s Sample Shop will be having their grand opening on August 25th from 7-11AM. Come out and enjoy music, drinks, food, giveaways, and more! Take a photo at the social media @hellens_sampleshop wall and tag them for a gift!
All the new fashion trends that have been circling social media for the past few months has given us some serious FOMO. Fear not! Hellen’s is the new way you can still look fly as a bird without breaking the bank. Located at 810 E. Pico #134 in DTLA’s Fashion District is Hellen’s Sample Shop. www.hellenssampleshop.com
[/ihc-hide-content]
