Ozma Founder Heidi Baker Opens Ethereal New Retailer in L.A.’s Frogtown

California’s indoor-outdoor life-style is entrance and heart on the beautiful Ozma retailer now open in Los Angeles‘ Frogtown neighborhood.

Ozma founder Heidi Baker spent seven years as international senior designer at Levi Strauss & Co. earlier than leaving to set on her personal path in vogue, launching her enterprise in 2015, specializing in sustainably sourced and biodegradable textiles. She makes use of uncooked silk, washed linen, drapey cupro and hemp to create the form of earthy-hued elevated T-shirts, subject pants, slipdresses and wrap skirts which have turn out to be a part of the on a regular basis uniform of creatives like Mom journal founder Katie Hintz-Zambrano; jewellery designer Sophie Monet; Val Quant Zecchetto of footwear model Loq, and extra.

The area, which isn’t removed from Frogtown’s widespread Wax Paper sandwich store, Justine’s Wine Bar and the restaurant Salazar, contains a patio designed by Orca’s Molly Rose Sendlacek that makes one need to keep some time and benefit from the native crops, strawberry bushes and trendy Adirondack chairs.

“Orca does these full transformative areas for lots of residences, so it’s so good to have this in a retail retailer. We frequently arrange on the picnic desk to work or eat lunch,” Baker mentioned, giving a tour of the place. “Most of us reside like on this space so it feels very central, and we will stroll on the river and it feels nearly such as you’re subsequent to water — not precisely the ocean however in my goals,” she laughs of the almost empty L.A. River with its widespread biking and strolling trails.

The indoors was designed by Elizabeth Roberts, who has additionally performed industrial work for Ulla Johnson and Rachel Comey. Roberts celebrated the rawness of the present inside by maintaining the wooden beams and concrete wall, that are a pleasant distinction to Ozma’s tender clothes in earthy shades of manzanita, putty, basil and hay. And he or she added tender sectional seating resembling tumbled pure rocks that divides the retail and studio sides of the area.

Baker’s full assortment is represented, with costs from $85 to $328, together with her increasing vary of honest commerce, Made in Peru knitwear, such because the great-looking natural cotton bouclé pointelle button-down Caro vest, and the open-weave Reese tank costume.

She additionally has equipment — Ozma’s personal Made in L.A. belts, signature vintage-inspired hand-dyed bandanas constituted of uncooked silk sourced from a regenerative farm, and T-shirt silk material remnant baggage woven by a rug maker in Oaxaca. “We attempt to do some fascinating issues with our scraps,” Baker mentioned.

In retailer now are also barrettes with shells by Mexico Metropolis-based artist Alana Burns, and Ozma x Lorna Murray hats made with T-shirt scraps.

“I labored at Levi’s, which was essentially the most wonderful place to work…however at a sure level, I used to be like, I can’t actually make denims anymore, I used to be simply form of sick of it,” mentioned Baker. “I began working in another firms doing freelance, and I simply didn’t like individuals have been handled, and the way a lot waste was happening. I needed to do one thing my approach, in essentially the most accountable approach.”

She considers Ozma as sustainable as a clothes model producing extra stuff may be. “I prefer to lean into the thought of being consciously created, as a result of we do as a lot as we presumably can. By maintaining issues small, that’s useful, by maintaining issues not fashionable, that’s useful, by deciding on materials we imagine in, that’s useful,” Baker mentioned.

She began with natural materials, however as soon as her quantity grew, she was in a position to develop her personal with regenerative farms. “We’re not a high-growth firm, which I prefer it that approach, however getting the scale the place I can develop my very own 1,000 or so yards of cloth has been actually enjoyable.” Baker is creating a hemp and Tencel denim for fall.

Ozma’s manufacturing and success can also be on-site.

“It’s good that the corporate is manageable for me and everybody seems like a tiny household right here,” she mentioned, casting a look round at her handful of staff. “And stress-free. I simply need to hold making issues in the best way that I need to.”

Ozma, spring 2024