A few long weeks ago on an early frigid morning I piled into a minivan with a steaming coffee in hand and sped down the PCH in hopes of beating the rush at the Rose Bowl flea market in LA. We were, of course, conquered in our efforts by theaging women adorned in red lipstick and mink coats, the bundled up bargain hunters, and the frantic vendors. After parking and buying a much too expensive ticket, we walked into the huge emporium of smells, sights and sounds; I watched my friend’s jaw drop with glee.

We were drawn of course, immediately to the clothes, which hung on racks by the thousands. Vintage clothes and private boutiques stretched as far as our eager eyes could see. We were even inside a tiny little trailer at one point, surrounded on all sides by twinkling lights, holographic tanks, and graphic dresses. We stopped by everywhere from packed and overwhelming sunglasses booths to delicate and simple jewelry boutiques.

After grabbing an ice cold frozen lemonade each (a Rose Bowl classic), we finallybegan to notice some of the incredible, quirky, unconventional yet perfect outfits a select few people had on, and started asking stylish strangers if we could take quick shots of them. Let’s just say some were more willing than others. We encountered divas, people who we later found out run successful blogs (see http://www.ivanarevic.com), mysterious fashion icons (we were convinced they just had to be famous), and a few simply adorable couples furniture shopping for what we pictured were their tiny yet chic city apartments. Here’s a look at who and what we saw!

photos by Maddy Rotman

written by Lucia Dallett