Sunset Blvd. runs from Hollywood through the neighborhood of Silverlake and has undergone a sufficient amount of development since I last lived there five years ago. Where a desolate street of abandoned buildings and a taco shack once stood, mom and pop businesses have sprouted up, as well as a few modern condominiums. There’s still room on the block for businesses to affordably get their feet wet on an up and coming strip not too far from the overpopulated Intelligentsia Coffee shop and now open-daily farmers market.
Franky’s Barber Shop & Boutique, run by ‘gents Brian and Jesse , have been there to watch it all develop over the last seven years. I stop in for a chat with Brian who runs the boutique while, in the back room, Jesse gives a client a hair cut. Check out their 5 star ratings on yelp HERE.
Franky’s Barber Boutique
3323 Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026
Hours: Tue-Fri 11 am – 7 pm, Sat 11 am – 5 pm, Sun 11 am – 4 pm
Facebook: Franky’s Silverlake
Record Label: Sick City Records
Etsy: SickCityUSA
INTERVIEW:
RNR: Who is in you partnership?
Franky’s: Jesse is our barber, he’s been cutting hair for 15 years at different places around Los Angeles. For 8 years we had a space at the Melrose Trading Post together selling rock t’shirts and art work. We had a lot of fun and learned a lot, but wanted to do more. Jesse didn’t like working for others anymore so, we decided to open up our own place and named it Franky’s after Jesse’s dog.
RNR: How did you get started with your collection of rock tees?
F: I would just buy stuff at thrift stores and I would just save it and my friends would come over before we’d go out and I’d be like, “Look at this shirt I just bought!” I had a room full of stuff and we’d get ready at my house. So later I went to that market, the Melrose Trading Post, and thought, “Well this is a cool market”, and we just had a little rack there and were selling things really cheap and I think people were like “Oh my God!”
RNR: How do you source your rare rock t’shirts?
F: Flea markets and customers who consign hard to find stuff. Some people change religions and are like, “I don’t want this stuff in my house”, so, I take it.
RNR: Faith No More? (nothing.)
RNR: You only did the one market for all eight years?
F: No, we did the Rose Bowl, we learned a lot but, I never went back.
RNR: How long have you had this shop?
F: It’s going on seven years. It wasn’t easy when we opened, there was nobody in this neighborhood. They were actually lowering rents because businesses were moving out. Now, some shops have been demolished to put in a high-rise.
RNR: Well, it’s pretty amazing what you guys have accomplished in this small space.
F: We also have a record label that we started this year; Sick City Records, with bands: The Ugly Kids , The Flytraps, Cigarette Bums, and Death Hymn #9. You can also buy our clothing from our online Etsy store, Sick City USA.
On November 9th & 10th, Franky’s will be having a $1 record and vintage clothing sale 11am – 6pm.
American Drifter 