Take Me to
CHURCH By Kelly Carson
Hidden behind the creeping fig vines at 7277 Santa Monica Blvd. is CHURCH, a rare and unusual retail store created by longtime friends Rodney Burns and David Malvaney. Inside this eclectic congregation of clothing (some of them dangling from the ceiling rafters like apparitions in the night and elegantly draped over industrial workbenches) and art, fine jewelry, sculpture, objets d’art and home décor, are things that go beyond the imagination: an ornate, metal collar made from multiple joined zippers by Autumnlin; a white, mixed-media sweater dress with cowl neck made of cotton and leather; a shredded, ribbed-cotton train by Resurrection; and a black crocodile vintage bicycle with a Dapping fixed-gear frame and 1960 Ideale saddle by DLEE. Burns and Malvaney have been at the same West Hollywood location for nine years. They started Church after Burns left Maxfield, a West Hollywood fashion mecca famous for outfitting the 1 percent. He worked there for 17 years and built a copious “crazy clientele” until it was time for him to move on. The beginning of CHURCH wasn’t easy, however. “Initially,” says Burns, “it was very difficult because of my big association with Maxfield. I was synonymous with ‘Rodney from Maxfield,’ so it was interesting to see who of my former affiliations were receptive to the new vision that Rodney and David created; who was going to follow me and see what I was up to?” But as things fell into place and revealed themselves (like that “for lease” sign jutting out of the roof atop the 7277 building), Burns and Malvaney found that the majority of old patrons had followed them. “Stay positive” is their motto. CHURCH clients are the busy kind; they are well-traveled types, people who separate themselves from the herd looking for clothes that will reflect their style. “When they come here,” Burns says, “the objective is to give them an experience and create a space and vision—all represented here under the roof—that is a complete picture of ‘all their likings.’” And their likings are rare and exotic. One of the reasons this store is thriving is that the company strives to find independent and cutting-edge designers who don’t have a big representation in Los Angeles. This makes CHURCH’s stock as sought-after as the true cross, keeping that cutting edge razor sharp. It’s interesting to note that Burns doesn’t operate within traditional fashion seasons. He has a rotation of men’s and women’s fashion and all things avant-garde coming in based strictly on mood—so the seasons never dictate the curated beauty of the store. When most shops are putting on sales, CHURCH has a whole new inventory. “This puts us in a whole different category,” says Burns, “and always makes us viable for stylists and fashion hounds.” The boutique’s name signifies a community of like-minded individuals, housed under one roof for a common purpose: in this case, the love of fashion. It’s a mustsee—and a must-shop. www.churchboutique.com
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