Inside Playful Aussie Designer Lisa Gorman's First West Coast Boutique

What is it about the Australian sun that breeds playfully cool style? The latest Down Under-based talent to bring a splash of color to LA's retail scene is Gorman, which has opened its first west coast boutique on Melrose Avenue.

Designer Lisa Gorman took over a former tile store just east of La Cienega, transforming the 3,480-square-foot space into a playground for print lovers. The Scandinavian-meets-California boutique offers Gorman's bold womenswear featuring her signature whimsical prints inspired by vintage and tribal elements, like anything-but-boring floral dresses, tees printed with cheeky critters, technicolor quilted jackets, embroidered felt tote bags, and charming denim flats, to name a few.

"In terms of collections, there won't be a huge contrast compared with what we have available in Australia," Gorman explains. "We may have opposite seasons but its important to us that we remain authentic in our worldwide approach and collection availability with the brand, regardless of the hemisphere and location."

As far as the interiors, Gorman incorporated her predecessor's colorful leftovers into space, which also boasts original red brick walling, exposed timber ceiling beams, and original built-in skylights.

"By pure luck there are not only these majestic-looking mosaic columns at the entrance, but also some crazy combinations of original tile samples laid onto the flooring," says Gorman. "[They] provide an element of surprise [and] a dynamic contrast against the neutral palette of the space."