True Grit: The New Iko Iko Shop in LA - Remodelista
In 2009, Kristin Dickson-Okuda opened a tiny shop on Sunset Boulevard in Echo Park, with the mysterious name Iko Iko (it means “let’s go” in Japanese). From the get-go, the shop has served as a platform for Kristin’s clothing line, Rowena Sartin, and Shin’s furniture line, Waka Waka. Photography by Michael A. Muller for Remodelista. We wanted it to be modular–something that could be moved around every month–with studio space and room for events.” The result is a gallery-like space that feels as personal as it does experimental. The building is more 100 years old and was once the warehouse for the Standard Oil Company before it became the Women’s Building in the 1970s. Kristin, Shin, Kimberly, and Nancy painted the floors and walls in bright white to highlight the architectural features of the building itself: industrial windows, a central skylight, and classic pillars. Rowena Sartin Flat Shape Bags in black leather, made by Kristin, stand in a row along the wall. The Building Block logo and business card were designed by Zack Seuberling along with Building Block’s Nancy Wu, who is also a graphic designer. The Italian leather Big Business Bag ($715) from Building Block and a found green glass platform for displaying jewelry. Shin’s Waka Waka Cutting Boards are designed to reflect “a conversation of shapes and handle solutions”; $65 each. “Originally, the building had an atrium that was open to the ground floor,” says Kristin of the ornamental ceiling addition. Shin designed a set of stools of varying heights, all covered in square ceramic tiles. A series of houseplants left in their original plastic containers. The Waka Waka table and chair series is in the center of the loft. A canary melon and citrus casually displayed on a table. An installation of Kishu Binchotan Charcoal purifying water in a carafe. Along the wall is a group of necklaces by Hanna Keefe that have followed Kristin since the beginning; Iko Iko stocks one-off pieces and represents the artist for wholesale as well. The necklaces range from $220 to $485. White pillars came shrink-wrapped and Shin was adamant about keeping them that way. The wall-mounted sculptures were made by Kristin from reshaped, painted roofing components. Kristin found the iron table base in a parking lot and Shin sanded it down to use as a display table. The Waka Waka Switch Back Stool (left) and two Disc Stools (center and right) are $375 each. Shin designed a floating Baltic birch plywood step shelf for displaying Kimberly and Nancy’s bags. Another display by Shin incorporates dowel rods for displaying bags and other items. For those planning a visit, Kristin recommends calling ahead (the shop phone number is 323-719-1079).