GlamAmor at the Helms Design District Vintage Boutique in Culver City

This past weekend, I took GlamAmor to the Helms Design District Vintage Boutique and joined 14 other vendors selling some of the best vintage apparel and accessories around.  The event took place at the LightSpace Studio at the Helms Bakery and everyone was an absolute delight.  They were also extremely knowledgeable about their collections and, much like A Current Affair, each person had a unique artistic voice that was expressed through his or her curated collection.  If you missed the show, you really missed out.

As a fan of all things associated with classic cinema and the history of Los Angeles, one of the other pleasures of being there was was that I was able to spend a day at the Helms Bakery in Culver City.  Since the 1920s, Culver City was home to the famed MGM Studios, which was once so big that it boasted more stars at the studio than there were in the heavens.  The production quality and talent associated with MGM was unparalleled. If you think of major movies and their stars, then MGM was behind it--The Wizard of Oz, Ninotchka, The Women, and Gone with the Wind were all produced in 1939 alone.  Gone with the Wind's Tara plantation inspired the architecture of the Selznick International Pictures building, which still stands in Culver City as a reminder of MGM's legacy.  And the MGM lot is still in use as well, but is now reincarnated as that of Sony's Columbia Pictures.

MGM studios in 1922's Culver City (above)

and coaches lined up for delivery at the Helms Bakery

The Helms Bakery is another structure that dominates much of Culver City and played an important part in the foundation and history of Los Angeles.  From 1931 to 1969--very nearly mirroring the Golden Age of Hollywood itself--Helms sold baked goods to millions of people.  This was a time when grocery stores did not exist, and Helms was well known for its coaches (i.e. trucks) that drove all across the Los Angeles Basin to deliver "daily at your door."  Both the vehicles and the Helms brand became iconic.  Drivers would ring their familiar bells and everyone would chase coaches for donuts, cookies, pastries, and of course their famous fresh-baked bread that often reached customers while still warm.  The bread was made even more famous when it became the official bread of the 1932 Olympic Games.  And in its final year of operation, Helms even won the bid to be the "first bread on the moon" through the Apollo 11 space mission.

However, with the advent of grocery stores, Helms could no longer compete with influx of so many other bakeries and quickly waned out of business.  But thankfully its wonderful Art Deco building was protected and still stands...repurposed to now house many businesses associated with design.  In fact, Culver City as a whole took inspiration from Helms and went through a renovation of its own in the 1990s.  The result is a city now known for art galleries, design studios and showrooms, and great restaurants.  Even The New York Times praised its art scene in 2007, calling Culver City "a nascent Chelsea."  Though I am enjoying exploring all of that new artistic territory, it's still the Helms Bakery that brings me the most joy. 

Upscale pub Father's Office at Helms

The fabulous furniture showroom of H. D. Buttercup

Art Deco design still ever present in Culver City, especially around Helms

The Helms Design District Vintage Boutique at the LightSpace Studio

Welcome to GlamAmor!

Teasing from the show's organizer, 

Dave Temple of Clever Vintage Clothing (in stripes!), while setting up shop

The colorful clothing of GlamAmor was featured on the cover of this week's California Apparel News

as well as a wonderful profile on the GlamAmor brand inside

Lori and Christi of Lorimarsha shopping GlamAmor
before returning to their own colorful booth (below)

Conne' of Re-Threads with Lori (above) and Christi

Visiting Conne' in her ethereal Re-Threads booth

Shopper Shauna scoring a lovely white lace dress from Re-Threads that's completely on trend

Susan and Michelle with the extraordinary designer dresses and jewelry of Tresor de Vintage,
including Pauline Trigere who designed for Breakfast at Tiffany's

The vivacious Patty Hubbard with her tempting dresses

The lovely Renee with her treasures from Renee Vintage Designs

Lauren choosing something special from Renee Vintage Designs (above) 

and Sari saying yes to a perfectly fitting red brocade dress from Clever Vintage Clothing

Sari doing a little more shopping...this time a must-have marigold Chinese dress from Vintazia

The glam side of vintage with fun frocks and accessories from Vintage Blue Moon

Sari wanting more--this time it's a vintage hat from Clever Vintage Clothing

The extraordinary collection of jewelry and purses from Maxine's Antiques & Collectibles

Thanks to the sweet and lovely Carin Krasner, who owns LightSpace Studio and hosted the event,
as well as all the wonderful vendors from the show!