I keep hearing “green just needs a little glamour.” I guess those people haven’t been to Robertson Boulevard lately. Some would argue that Robertson outshines Rodeo Drive as the fashion mecca for the rich and famous. Try to get through the street between Burton and Santa Monica when there’s a herd of paparazzi trailing Brittney. Not fun and I’ve never endured this, not once on Rodeo. Now you can add long-time designer retailer H. Lorenzo, with three boutiques at Sunset Plaza, to the who’s who of eco friendly establishments on Robertson. The other major is the BP gas station at the Olympic intersection. (We recently blogged about an Earth Day event they held.) H.L.N.R. , which stands for H Lorenzo North Robertson, at 474 North Robertson Blvd, just south of Melrose, has recently opened its new 4,000 square foot eco concept boutique. It’s not just that they’re selling eco friendly duds, it’s the actual building that is green. They installed a solar paneled roof, paperless receipt system (emailed to you instead), eco friendly hangers and dual flush toilets (Toto’s Neorest which can handle the job without any paper) in the bathroom. The labels at H.L.N.R. are similar to other H. Lorenzo boutiques, stocking Zac Posen, Ann Demeulemeester, Balmain, Comme Des Garcons, Preen, Veronique Branquinho, Viktor & Rolf, Junya Watanabe, Dsquared, Yohji Yamamoto, Marc Jacobs Shoes and Chloe Shoes. But they also sell environmentally friendly lines like Kohzo Denim– non cotton jeans made from Japanese paper, bamboo and pineapple. In a statement, owner Lorenzo Hadar said he chose to open on Robertson because “this is where the fashion nucleus in L.A. has shifted. Nowadays the fashion elite who come here to shop are people who care about the environment.” Can I get a Hallelujah? This is coming from an LA retailer who’s run a successful business for 23 years. Another exciting draw is the 13-space parking lot, and for VIPs, a private entrance. Hopefully they will swarm the alley with the paparazzi and let us get through Robertson streets on the way to the PDC.
