Wanda Wen defines modern luxury with her Soolip brand– and this metal lace cuff, designed exclusively for Soolip
Touch. Glint. Lustre. Glow. Heft. The way cold metal warms to bare skin. The bumpy, glossy feel of a reptile-emboss. The tough-yet-tender suppleness of laser-pierced black leather. Yum. Wow. Los Angeles and the world at large continue to rediscover Wanda Wen, creator of LA’s category-defying Soolip.
Looking for a Valentine’s gift for your sweetheart, or just a sublime somethin’-something’ for your sweet yet badass self? Look no further than Soolip, newly reincarnated not far from the boutique’s original Melrose address, now located at 555 Norwich Drive at the corner of Norwich and Melrose in West Hollywood.
Wanda Wen’s unremitting romance with all that is artisanal and the inherent beauty therein has made her Soolip brand and the Wanda Wen name synonymous with modern luxury.
Wen has always defined luxury not as Kardashian-esque bling, but as soulfulness and mindfulness, spare but sensual. One of her calling cards, so to speak, two decades ago were letter-press business cards which felt like magic braille fingertips of benumbed Angelenos. In the Soolip universe, no detail is too small, no passion too big. Wen now steps back into the world of fashion and design with new offerings in fine jewelry, leather accessories, and of course, paper. Fashion is where she spent 11 years right out of college, working for such luminaries including Perry Ellis, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford and Stephen Sprouse. While the resume is killer, Wen’s curatorial eye is unmistakably her own.
She has recently set up shop along with friends RetroSpecs, designers of vintage-inspired eye wear, in a tony courtyard location across from the Pacific Design Center, and just steps from Melrose Avenue on Norwich Drive.
What I want now:
Metal Lace Wrist Cuff —a must-have for those sexy tawny yoga arms, for the Spring and Summer. And, okay, even if our arms are less than toned, your skin yearns for this power move.
Designed by Wen’s friend Ann Chikahisa, exclusively for Soolip.
Bronze (alloy) – $475
Sterling Silver – $750
Solid 14 K gold – price upon request
Pssst — Kelly Rowan of “OC fame” just snapped one up.
Lace Leather Blacksmith’s Apron
Utility never looked so good, yes, you can call it an apron. This perfect accessory for those in the design industries, event planners, florists, set designers, this naughty, noir must-have has even made its way into simply being a chic handbag substitute for the hipster on a night out. Hotter and kinkier than an LBD any day. $475
Social Nod Cards
Curious, tantalizing and intimate, these ecru morsels of the most deliciously-thick paper edged in gold feature a few choice words hand-engraved in black. Choose “I love you”, “I miss you”, “Let’s get naked”, or all three. $45 for a set of 8 cards, conveniently packaged in a chic black carrying pouch.
Crocodile-embossed Red Lacquer Calling Cards
In the nihilistic cold of cyberspeak, tactile messaging could not be more meaningful, or more humanizing. These ultra-thick cards gold-foiled with place your name, perfectly centered with your cell phone number and email address, in gold foil. $1,375 for a set of 100 cards
soo(•)lip (soo’-liˇp): 1. a place where beauty and inspiration are a part of every day 2. Chinese; one’s life destiny is to seek wisdom 3. Wanda’s middle name
Soolip — the Courtyard
555 Norwich Drive (corner of Melrose & Norwich)
West Hollywood
310-360-0545
Soolip
Studio and Showroom
1800 Bridgegate, No. 104
Westlake Village
805-230-3565
