Boutiques along the boulevard come and go all too frequently, but in its two years in business one has not only survived but prospered. Alexandra Damiano opened Scandalo Boutique in March 2006 in a 720-square-foot space on Ventura Boulevard just west of Van Nuys Boulevard. They moved last November into a slightly smaller space next door, not because they wanted less square footage, but because the new space was cozier. A long-time resident of the Westside, Damiano, now 28, took classes in sociology at Santa Monica College and then went on to attend Marangoni Art School in Milan to study fashion design. Most of Damiano’s extended family live in the northern region of Italy and her great-uncle taught art at the University of Milan. Initially, Damiano planned on becoming a costume designer in the film industry, but found getting into the union was a daunting prospect. “I have people in my family who have worked in the industry,” said Damiano, whose mother, Sonia Orlenko, is a former film director and integral part of the business. Neither daughter nor mother had any experience starting up a retail shop. “I was not completely familiar with the business side,” said Damiano,” but I am confident in my creative instincts and I knew if we exposed the work then people would like it.” The store is stocked with Damiano’s one-of-a-kind designs including leather handbags, silk and lace dresses, and funky embellished tank tops. Preferring to work anonymously, Damiano won’t tell shoppers which items are hers unless she is specifically asked. She also carries the work of local artists and designers and imports some clothing from Europe, although that is a smaller segment of her stock. On the day of our interview, the music playing at an appropriately subdued level was composed and performed by a local artist and friend. “We try to carry mostly garments made in the United States,” said Orlenko, “Quality is something very important to us.” Take buttons, for example. While many shoppers can’t tell the difference between an inexpensive plastic fastener from China and one that is custom-made, Orlenko said that many of her discerning customers can. One of Mom’s tasks is to search out unique, high-quality buttons and trim, which means she spends a fair amount of time combing local antique and thrift shops for just the right touches to complete Damiano’s designs. “We spend a fortune in buttons,” said Orlenko. A place for all But don’t get the idea that this is a high-priced, snooty boutique where an average shopper will go into heart palpitations from the price tags. The garments and accessories are very reasonably priced, especially considering the unique nature of many pieces. “We always have at least a small clearance rack,” said Damiano. “I want young kids, teens, to be able to walk out of the store with something they love.” On the other hand, they have also added the work of two or three designers that create more expensive pieces because customers asked for them. The designs are characterized by Damiano as “artsy pieces with a European flair,” and Orlenko adds the word “timeless” to that description. It’s not the kind of place where you will only be comfortable if you are 22 years old and a size 0. “A lot of our customers are size 12, 14 or 16,” said Damiano. “And they thank me because they say, ‘this fits me and it makes me feel good.'” Regular patrons of the store range from the aforesaid teens to celebrities who generally go unidentified by the owner who said she doesn’t even have cable at home. “We had this very beautiful woman come in the store and after a few times I thought I should look her up,” said Damiano. “It turned out she was Miss Universe 1989.” The store is also a favorite with artists singers, photographers, makeup and hair stylists, and anyone who wants to be sure that when they show up at a party or a photo shoot, they are going to be wearing a one-of-a-kind creation that didn’t cost them an arm and a leg. Even men enjoy being in the boutique, they both affirm, thanks to the comfortable seating throughout the shop. The chairs and settee, covered in lush animal prints, are actually from old railroad cars. Orlenko and her ex-husband had a business restoring and refurbishing trains. Some of the other fixtures are also old train castoffs and the window display for Christmas features a train set-up. One of their best customers is the daughter of their landlord, Leslie Elkan of Ventura Boulevard Properties LLC. “Anytime (my daughter) Lisa has anywhere to go, she always finds just the right thing and they put it together for her,” said Elkan. “They just have a subtle way of saying, ‘oh, you know, how about this with that,’ and then they put together these creations that look fabulous and make her feel so beautiful. She feels like she has personal private shoppers for her.” Elkan herself is a fan. “I can always find gifts there, and at any price range, too,” she said. Passion and hard work Having owned two buildings on the Boulevard for about 30 years, Elkan has an idea of what it takes to become a long-term success and, she said, Damiano and Orlenko have it. “Sonia and Alex have a real passion for what they’re doing,” she said. “They work very, very, very hard. They have talent and intelligence and it shows.” The shop is open seven days a week and one or both of the duo are there most of that time. “There’s a world of difference between them and some of the businesses that have gone out in the same location,” said Elkan. “The other businesses that didn’t make it had the same opportunities, the same location, the same landlord, everything, but some would come and go during the day they would have terrible hours, open at noon, close at five, close to go to the doctor. It was like they were playing.” Both Damiano and Orlenko took classes through the State Board of Equalization to supplement their business knowledge. “We’ve made mistakes,” said Orlenko. Those include things like understanding what sizes and quantities would sell. “We did a little over buying. But those mistakes were not as bad because our philosophy of being honest and having high standards means you can bounce back.” They both stress that they are not pushy. “We want to sell, of course, but the key is to make customers feel so comfortable they will constantly come back,” said Damiano. “I get people who leave me messages like, ‘Alex, I went to the party and got so many compliments, thank you.’ That’s very rewarding.” Customer Susan Reid, upon learning that Scandalo was going to be featured in this paper, sent an e-mail from herself and her daughter outlining their experience with the store. Among the many compliments is this one that seems to sum up the Scandalo experience. “Sonia and Alex are passionate about their boutique,” Reid writes. “They have a true love affair with fashion and it shows.” SPOTLIGHT: Scandalo Boutique Location: 14547-1/2 Ventura Blvd. Owner: Alexandra Damiano Established: March 2006
