Like any hot, new brand Candice Held has been around for awhile. Having occupied space in boutiques for years, this fun, flirty brand is finally ready to make its mark on downtown L.A. with a simple vision: vintage silks, personality-packed prints and dresses, dresses dresses.

Rescuing vintage scarves and reworking them into light flowy dresses perfect for the coming summer, Held uses prints that are chic but have a healthy dose of kitsch. Think vintage Hermès meets hot-air balloons. Hoping to expand the business, Held also offers her own designs, including her signature print dresses and a pajama line, all of which land in a workable price range. The space itself (cozy, exciting) has a definite family vibe—inventory includes block prints made by Held's sister and paintings on the walls are rotating and selected by her curator boyfriend. Held keeps it edgy with a pulsing soundtrack (when we were there, it was "Fuck the Pain Away," by Peaches). We're talking serious personality here, people. It's not all fun and games though. Business has proven tough for a brand whose aesthetic is so obviously tailored to sun and surf. "We opened in November," Held says with a sigh. "It was a long winter. But, business is starting to pick up." Here's to a bright summer. Keep checking in with Held, as a spring sale is imminent.—Philip Harris