Echo Park, as I have understood it, never exported clothing fashion until this century, but -- as is well documented -- in recent years it has outdone itself in regard to being a launching pad for indie designers.* New Yorker writer Patricia Marx, for one, took the time to mock the clothing worn by Chango patrons in a sloppy rush around town -- the point of which seemed to be reinforcing L.A. stereotypes to which Marx already subscribed. Then there are all of the boutiques (such as Show Pony, Custom Jeans and Lucas and a dozen others nearby) which sell the work of young, local designers. One under-30 designer is featured in Tu Ciudad magazine this month. Sara Diaz makes dresses out of French terry fleece, and you leave the neighborhood (in so many ways) to buy them, at Barneys. The Tu Ciudad full page she receives shows Diaz sitting in the window of her red, wood clapboard home, in Echo Park. Smiling mutt dog and a cat in frame, too. According to the article, punk rock brought Diaz to Echo Park. Peter Pan collars followed.

(Disclosure: I recently began freelance copyediting for Tu Ciudad.)