Blends/Comme des Garçons Guerrilla Store

L.A.'s downtown might be gentrifying, but it's still the city's grittiest neighborhood, which makes it the perfect backdrop for the only Comme des Garçons Guerrilla Store in the States. It's housed behind Blends—the sun-drenched rare-sneaker emporium that hogs a slice of the block—tucked in the back, down the alley, behind a dingy door. The hand-cracked, tile-lined, windowless room—intentionally threadbare and lit with long fluorescent bulbs—showcases Rei Kawakubo's deconstructed pieces, jewelry from locals, and the full range of Comme des Garçons wallets and fragrances, all carefully arranged on stacked-to-the-ceiling shopping carts.
125 W. Fourth St., 213-626-6606