Fashion and culture blog for Los Angeles

With Google’s announcement of their massive new e-commerce initiative today, it feels like cute little mom-and-pop e-comm sites are starting to go the way of, uh, cute, little independent brick-and-mortar stores. And we all know how that story ends.

Which is why we were overjoyed to learn about United Foreign Objects, a just-launched, independent online accessories store started by Los Feliz-dweller Dana Early.

The products in Early’s self-designed virtual shop are creatively grouped by international cities. Feeling a faux-fur ushanka hat? Click Moscow on the homepage map. In need of a bright yellow flight bag? Make Tokyo your next stop. Other gems include cool coin earrings in a section aptly marked “buried treasure” and a selection of vintage Shades by Sophia Loren, Persol and Alain Mikli that come courtesy of Gentleman’s Breakfast — the genius Echo Park optical shop owned by Early’s fiance, Van de la Plante (the only place you can find GB goods on-line, we might add).

Early plans on getting lots of new offerings in the near future — including Italian leather driving gloves (which will be housed in the “Milan” section, no doubt) and swimwear by RK (“Rio”, obvs). And knows a thing or two about sourcing little-known lines from years spent working in wholesale showrooms at the Cooper Building downtown. But she started her on-line shop for one very specific reason.

“For once, I wanted to be the boutique.”

Sounds good to us.

Through November, get 15 percent off all purchases. Score. unitedforeignobjects.com

Photo: A pair of vintage Alain Mikli tortoise shell shades, $340.

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Back in 1997, I was entranced by a website called girlshop.com — which, as fans may remember, was a groovy e-commerce site that carried hard to find goods from independent designers and boutiques. At the time I didn’t realize that the New York-based company was actually an internet pioneer and a precursor to sites such as Farfetch.com, a mammoth web property owned by Revolve Clothing that handles e-commerce for independent shops all over the world.

And today I discovered Taigan.com, a new-ish website with a similar premise of handling the e-commerce business for independent boutiques throughout the U.S. — one of which happens to West Hollywood’s Church.

The boutique, which is a bona fide favorite for their vast offering of rare and innovative merchandise, just launched their first e-commerce effort on the site and currently has 33 items for sale. Among them are only-in-my-dreams specialties such as a $10,500 vintage leather clock by Hermes and a pair of $32,900 rough diamond earrings by Bochic paired with more down-to-earth choices including a paisley-printed button down by John Malckovich’s Technobohemian label ($325) and United Nude’s black pony hair square flats ($185).

In addition to perusing Church’s goods, it’s definitely worth taking a spin around Taigan.com to find luxury-minded toys from 61 retailers from the likes of Napa, Aspen, Chicago and Chatanooga. Consider it a weekend shopping excursion without ever leaving home.

And who would have ever thought that 13 years later, we’d have Girl Shop to thank for it all.

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