Huntington Beach; Newport Beach; Laguna Beach; all three have been the
heavy hitters that have stepped up to the plate giving a brand name
for Orange County. Tucked between the south border of LA County and
north border of Orange County is a small town called "Seal Beach."
It may not be one of the heavy hitters, but Seal Beach has presented
itself with some small treasure finds. Home of the zip code 90740,
(which must profoundly be pronounced: Nine-Oh (not zero)-Seven-Four-Oh)
you will find the "Green Belt" (the island strip that runs up and down
Electric Avenue); the infamous pier with a Ruby’s Restaurant located
at the end; and Main Street, where on the weekends you will find kids
walking down the street with surfboards, families grabbing a bite to
eat, and most of all people shopping in the small boutiques. The boutiques
you see along Main Street are stores that you would typically find in
a small town: craft store, hardware store, souvenir store, etc., but
nestled at 129 1/2 Main Street is a small treasure find that stands
out from the rest called Shuebox. In fact, it is so unique it
is shared with a children’s clothing store. But what makes Shuebox
such a rare find?
Melrose in LA used to be the only spot where you could find articles
of clothing from independent designers, but today’s independent fashion
has moved beyond the borders of Los Angeles. Established artists and
designers have emerged in Orange County selling their masterpieces in
small boutiques, one of them being Shuebox. Owner Keith Wilson,
grew up in Seal Beach and wanted a place that he could shop at that
had all the latest apparel from independent designers. Unfortunately,
he did not have that growing up in a small town like Seal Beach, so
Keith decided to open up his own store. A former buyer for a boutique
in Huntington Beach, Keith definitely has an eye for street fashion.
Shuebox carries shoes from, Puma, Gola, Saucony, Gravis,
Cobian, Asics,and Diesel. If you’re looking for a pair of
Nike Dunks and you haven’t found them, Shuebox
just might have them in stock. Great shirts from META, Inkd, Howe,
and Cardboard Robot, skirts from Stussy, purses from Whoodini,
and much more!! With an array of accessories and apparel this store
is definitely "The Little Store that Could."
The world of independent artistry comes so skewed these days. What
is the definition of being an artist? After sitting in Shuebox
and chatting with Keith, the answer to that question became a little
bit clearer. Anyone can be presented with the opportunity to be an
artist. Given paper and pencil, someone can scribble a bunch of lines
which automatically becomes a work of art. Judging by the designs on
the clothes that Shuebox carries as well as the artwork that
hangs inside the store, it is obvious that they did not just slap some
paint on shirts and canvas and call it a day. As Keith Wilson puts it
so eloquently, “proposition comes easy, but execution is rare”. Shuebox
may be a small boutique, but it is clearly seen that a lot of heart
and soul was put into it. Keith Wilson loves what he does and you have
to have that passion if you’re going to be in this business.
Everyone is always afraid of being a "sell out" into the mainstream market. Shuebox however, a favorite boutique on Main Street for all the local independent trendsetters, is far from being a "sell out." -OCSTREET
SHUEBOX
CURRENTLY CLOSED
