“Most of the orders we have right now are older things that people have worn just once or twice or maybe not at all,” says Libaridian, who adds that the shop is up for any challenge and can “turn a pointed toe into a peep toe,” restructuring a shoe and breathing new life into the design. Azinian’s grandson Ari Libaridian works alongside him as the shop manager. Owner Arturo Azinian has been in the shoe repair business for 50 years and, at 82, still works in the Beverly Hills shop that has long been a favorite with the area’s high-end clientele. Perhaps there’s a certain guilt associated with the labels.”ĩ643 Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills. “They don’t want the name but want the look and style. “They don’t want the flashiness but do want the quality,” he says.
He notes that, lately, some people are asking that designer logos be removed. “You can’t just drop it off at some garage.” The “Ferraris” he services come in the form of Cartier bags, Prada totes and Louboutin pumps. He warns that the more complicated the job or delicate the leather, the more skilled the cobbler must be. The green suede really jumps out - it’s taking what’s there and making something new out of it,” he says. “They were tan and brown before and I made them bright green and bright red. The dye was $95, the distressing cost $45, and I got “new” boots for $140 when a comparable pair would have been no less than $250.įabrizio took a couple pairs of Manolo Blahnik pumps from simple to shocking for a customer who needed something new. Fabrizio dyed them black, then distressed them so the finish wasn’t too shiny or, well, too dyed-looking. “Not everyone can buy the latest thing,” he says, “but you can buy last season for the look, and with a little tweaking, it can be right.”įabrizio specializes in dyeing leathers, and I recently took in a pair of burnt sienna Frye boots to see if I could give them a motorcycle boot vibe. And lately, he’s had a lot of requests for makeovers of older pieces. A lot of high-end items come through his work area, especially with the Christian Louboutin and Marc Jacobs boutiques funneling their repairs to him. Pasquale Fabrizio took over his uncle’s shoe-repair business 15 years ago and now owns and operates the 50-year-old shop, nestled on a residential corner along San Vicente Boulevard. They can restyle a pump, turn a gladiator sandal into a T-bar and give a trendy clutch new life as a classic evening bag.ĥ616 San Vicente Blvd., Los Angeles.
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We’ve found four local cobblers who don’t just fix shoes and bags, but also rework, reconstruct and update them. It can get even more sophisticated if you replace the rustic brass hardware with pewter or brushed silver. A brown hobo bag, for example, loses the bohemian vibe when dyed black or deep gray. Such accessory updates are simple, and they’re a smart way to extend the life of basic pieces, customize sale finds or reinvent something for a new season. The makeover gave her a key “new” piece - and moved her $1,800 bag back to the front of the closet. publicist, took her brown Mulberry Bayswater bag from several seasons ago and spent $120 to have it dyed black.
Serene Cicora craved a new black bag last fall, but couldn’t come to terms with the $1,000-plus price tags on the styles she liked.