ARTICLE: Opium, Studio City.

                On Ventura and Colfax, an exclusive, little boutique is causing a buzz among L.A. fashionistas. Offering blazing hot, new styles for the ultra-cool hipster, Opium's clothing and accessories are majorly addictive.

          No matter who you are, from the moment you step into Opium, your coolness factor increases exponentially. An endless loop of rad movies shown on a flat-screen tv and a careful selection of hip, eclectic music let you know this isn't going to be any ordinary shopping experience.  Pristine white walls and buffed black custom designed plumber pipe displays serve as the ultimate backdrop not only for the latest in clothing and accessories, but for those living, breathing expressions of style browsing through them.

                Leon Gazarian, Opium's creator and co-owner, was a former buyer for Benetton Stores and knows what's hot, "I wanted to bring part of Hollywood to the Valley. You can shop here for the kinds of items you'd find only over the hill." Carrying exclusive lines like Fred Perry, Adidas, Y-3, and Buddhist Punk to name-drop a few, Opium attracts buyers who "want to have clothes no one else will have."

                Formerly in North Hollywood, Gazarian, along with co-owners, Michael McKeever and Anne Devaney, moved Opium to Studio City in March 2005. In addition to the latest clothes, Opium features jewelry and accessories by local designers like Sara Sztykiel. Working with hand-forged metals and perfectly distressed leather, Sztykiel creates one of a kind pieces that appeal to the rocker in us all.

          So go ahead, drop by Opium and satisfy your craving for fashion, the only side effect will be style.

                Opium, 11638 Ventura Blvd. Studio City (818)505-1566. Store hours,Tues.-Sun., 11:00am-7:00pm.

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