LOS ANGELES — The corner of Pico Boulevard and South Redondo Boulevard, a cornerstone for the Mid-City neighborhood it serves, is once again giving back to its neighbors.
Zoe Guillory, of Zoe’s Vintique (so-named because she stocks both vintage clothing and contemporary, one-of-a-kind boutique pieces), is leading a back-to-school backpack drive for local students on Saturday, Aug. 15.
She and a handful of her neighboring businesses, including Little Amsterdam Coffee Shop, and the nearby Legacy Lounge hookah lounge and event space, are joining forces to ensure that neighborhood kids have the supplies they need for the school year – however the new school year will shake out.
“When God blesses us, we should be able to be a blessing to others, especially when you’re in your own community,” Guillory said.
During the drive, Guillory is asking for folks who wish to help to donate backpacks, loose-leaf paper or notebooks, pencils, pens, markers, glue, rulers, and various other tools that school-age children will need.
Her idea is to have about six tables set out with fully-stocked backpacks there for boys and girls of both elementary-school age and older. She’s already secured 30 backpacks for the drive, and she’s hoping for more.
“We don’t know if they’re going to be able to go to school, or going to have school in their homes. Still, being able to provide a backpack that’s fully packed, that’s stress off of a parent,” Guillory said.
Guillory counts herself as fortunate. The boutique clothing business easily lends itself to online shopping. She’s got both an Etsy shop and a website to sell her inventory, and her Instagram presence has a large following.
But her personality seals the deal when she’s got visitors in the shop. On a recent afternoon, Guillory welcomed two young women into her shop, eyed their style – crop tops, brightly dyed hair, sneakers, and boots with a retro flair – and nudged them toward edgy pieces she expected they’d dig. (She was right; the women left with a handful of clothes.)
Guillory connects to customers with a fast-talking, friendly manner. She's boisterous without being pushy, and she isn’t afraid to poke at herself. Guillory told one girl that she would try a fashionably close-cropped haircut, but that, at her age, she’s worried it wouldn’t grow back. Then she told another that she had her own rebellious phase, piercing her ears 10 times to get around her grandmother’s one-piercing limit.
It’s not just about clothing, Guillory said, but about forging a genuine relationship. That afternoon, her shop had more than a few visitors stopping by just to check in and chat. “We all have our moments and sometimes the littlest thing you can say to a person can encourage them, and make their day go well,” she said.
One of those visitors was Joshua Mock, the owner of Little Amsterdam Coffee, which sits right next door to Zoe’s Vintique. Little Amsterdam is well-known for its strong coffee, its role as a community center, and the free refrigerator that it stewards outside.
“You can’t spell ‘community’ without the word ‘unity,’ so in order for us to be one, we have to lend out a helping hand,” said Little Amsterdam staffer Danny 'Dierich' Harris. “By us opening our hearts and our hands, we’re helping people who have less than.”
Backpacks and school supplies for Zoe Guillory’s backpack drive can be donated at Zoe’s Vintique, 1410 S. Redondo Blvd., or Little Amsterdam Coffee Shop, 1412 S. Redondo Blvd., in Los Angeles. The backpacks and school supplies will be handed out on Aug. 15, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; snacks will be provided, and DJ Cossandra Calloway will play music throughout the day.