LA Retail's 2008 Freshman Class

Over the next few months, big name designers such as Alberta Ferretti, Vera Wang, Neil Lane and Earnest Sewn will open shops in Los Angeles. Despite these impending arrivals, a crop of new boutiques has recently upstaged such heavyweights by offering a spirit of independence that's admittedly rare to the local scene.

The first of these retail newbies to debut was TenOverSix, which focuses solely on accessories. The store features pieces from more than 70 "high-concept" designers—from Courtney Crawford to Pamela Love and Black Sheep & Prodigal Sons—and is also serving as the home of The Future Perfect's West Coast outpost. With so much curatorial buzz for her selection, owner Kristin Lee is now set to host a series of pop-up shops and art exhibitions.

In a similarly art-centric endeavor, www.revolveclothing.com has opened a physical store on Melrose Avenue. While many online retailers have experimented with pop-up shops of late, this kind of permanent venue is unprecedented thus far. The slick, industrial space features a rotating selection of the website's 300-strong brand roster, but customers can always request any of the site's pieces to try on at the boutique. "We'll be working closely with local fashion designers, stylists, artists and musicians to create a place where creativity can thrive," says co-founder Michael Mente in a prepared statement. "A place where people can collaborate and inspire one another, and where we can host events and exhibits to support these artists." These happenings have been rumored to include "collections" curated by Hollywood stylists as well as the introduction of high-end lines exclusive to the boutique.

The coming weeks will see the launch of several other exciting openings. Arcade is a luxury emporium for the social set, featuring home styling and closet organization services, a signature cocktail and pieces from designers including Alexis Mabille, Emanuel Ungaro and Alessandro Dell'Acqua. The hipster crowd, on the other hand, is already buzzing about Confederacy, a lifestyle boutique masterminded by stylist and designer Ilaria Urbinati and actor Danny Masterson. Along with a laundry list of hot labels—Martin Margiela, Vena Cava, Zac Posen, Proenza Schouler—the shop will also include a café, a joint menswear effort between Urbinati and musician Albert Hammond Jr. and—surprise, surprise—an art gallery.

The past year has seen a rash of high-profile boutique closures in LA—including Filly, Iconology and the Echo Park branch of The Kids Are Alright—causing many to speculate on the independent retailer's seemingly gloomy fate. The upstarts detailed above, however, prove that they're not ready to go down without a fight.

TenOverSix shop address: 7427 Beverly Boulevard, Los Angeles
Revolve Clothing shop address: 8428 Melrose Place, suite B, West Hollywood
Arcade shop address: 8473 Melrose Place, West Hollywood
Confederacy shop address: 4661 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles

—Erin Magner