SKYLA

Sky Reynolds, her cousin Kelly Preston, & Bijou Phillips at Skyla

It's not often I sit down to do a face-to-face interview, but it only seemed right after finding skyla, a gem of a boutique in my own neighborhood. Where I live (Westwood) is unfortunately not known for hip women's clothing boutiques, so when I wandered in one day I immediately loved the unimposing atmosphere, the mix of tried and true high-end boutique goods, hip emerging designers, the smattering of cool perfumes, footwear, jewelry, and last, but not least, when I saw that they carried the nearly impossible to find line, Morphine Generation, I had to ask who owned the store.

Turns out Sky Reynolds opened the boutique about a year and a half ago and the mix of cool, fun, and affordable clothes, along with some fashion-forward picks has turned it into a goldmine frequented by UCLA sorrority girls, hip local moms who don't feel like schlepping to Fred Segal, and neighborhood fashion lovers like myself.

Sky is so sweet and friendly that you almost don't notice what a fashion plate she is (see her photo above), however, it's impossible for me not to notice what someone's wearing--as a designer, style writer, and admitted design geek, I just can't help it! (She had on a great pair of Taverniti jeans that I immediatly wanted)...Anyway, Sky grew up in Hawaii, which may be why the store has such a laid-back feel. She told me that she champions all Hawaiian designers and loves carrying lines like Fighting Eel, a hit line out of Hawaii that was recently picked up by Barneys.


Cute hoodie by Gentle Fawn at Skyla

Some of Sky's other favorite lines in the store include T-Bags, Paige Premium Denim, J Brand jeans, Taverniti Jeans, LA Made for their great basic tees, Veronica M because it's so on trend and affordable, plus new lines like Gentle Fawn and Scrapbook. The selection is amazingly vast and includes Free People, Juicy, Ben Sherman, Julie Brown dresses, Junk Food tees, Single, Voom by Joy Han, Mattie M, Velvet, Frankie B...I'm sure there's more, but this should give you an idea. I wasn't able to make it out of the store without picking up a couple of dresses myself--so I warn you in advance, it's an enticing place.

Skyla is located at 1073 Broxton Avenue, in the heart of Westwood village.

Here are a few THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT SKY REYNOLDS:

A) THE FOUR MOST STYLISH PEOPLE THAT INFLUENCED ME:
1. MY MOM - I grew up in Hawaii...fashion was pretty behind at the time...there were very few models who worked full time, my mom happened to be one of them...every day it was something new...she shot commercials and photos for various tourist magazines/brochures...she did all of the fashion shows in the local malls...she even served as the main voice talent for most of the radio commercials on the island. I used to love watching her put her makeup on every morning...In my mind she was a total celebrity!
2. Madonna - I think I might have watched her "Borderline" video a thousand times...I worked really hard to duplicate her ensemble so that I could dress up like her and lip sync her songs to provide the entertainment at our family parties.
3. Sarah Jessica Parker from Sex in the City
4. My friend Jen Mains - her fabulous outfits always inspire me to go shopping :)

B) FOUR WAYS THAT STYLE MAKES THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE:
1. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, how educated you may be, what your beliefs are...we can all express our individuality, character and personality through our sense of style.
2. Lots of things stay the same...not fashion...every season its totally different - keeps things spicy and interesting!
3. Most importantly...the impact of a perfect cut, style, etc. is priceless when it boosts or creates self esteem.

C) FOUR OF MY FAVORITE DESIGNERS
1. The geniuses behind Gucci - need I say more?
2. The girls from FIGHTING EEL because their designs are fashion forward...yet so wearable...and they grew up in a small town on the island of Oahu (where I am from) and actually succeeded as designers/manufacturers on the mainland...not an easy thing to do :)
3. Veronica M - a local LA designer/retailer...not only is she super sweet and humble...she's always got her finger on the pulse of what we want right now...and her prices are great!
4. Paige Geller for Paige Premium Denim - It's no surprise that "Fit never goes out of style" is her tagline...She has mastered the art of the perfect fitting jean. I've never had a customer not like what they look like in a pair of Paige Jeans.

D) FOUR JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE:
1. Sales girl at Esprit Clothing Store in Waikiki
2. Molson Ice/Bacardi Limon promoter at Bars in Boston (not proud of this one). When people would ask me if I had a job...I'd say, "I work in marketing"
3. I managed a small Real Estate Company in Boston called Great Places Realty
4. I sold ASP technology for a start up internet company in San Francisco called LOOPNET... I loved that job because I LOVED the people I worked with...they were my family at the time.

E) FOUR MOVIES I WOULD WATCH OVER AND OVER (AND DO):
1. Goonies
2. Good Will Hunting
3. Garden State
4. Can't Hardly Wait

F) FOUR PLACES WHERE I HAVE LIVED:
1. Honolulu, Hawaii
2. Boston, Massachusettes
3. San Francisco, CA.
4. Lovely Los Angeles!!!

G) FOUR TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:
1. ANYTHING on the Food Network
2. Entourage
3. Project Runway
4. 24

H) FOUR PLACES I HAVE BEEN ON VACATION IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS:
1. The Amalfi Coast in Italy...it should be called Heaven on Earth
2. Bora Bora, Tahiti
3. Hanalei Bay, Kauai
4. Aspen, Colorado

I) FOUR WEBSITES I VISIT DAILY (Or at least Weekly):
1. Sadly, I never really spend any time on the internet...If I have any time to log on, I go to Yahoo to check my email.

J) Five OF MY FAVORITE FOODS:
1. fried Mac and Cheese
2. Delicate Thin Pancakes with butter and syrup
3. Mashed Sweet Potatoes
4. Sweet Corn on the Cob
5. Corned Beef and Cabbage on St. Patricks Day

K) FOUR PLACES I WOULD RATHER BE RIGHT NOW:
1. In my comfy bed watching the food network
2. In Hawaii listening to my friends Aubrey and Brady playing music on the beach
3. Anywhere with my boyfriend Brett (he lives in Kansas City part time)
4. Getting a massage at Pho Siam