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Hollywood may be a baby by European standards, but her history is rich and long when it comes to coining a cinematic saying, a smooth dance move, or a look. Be it Audrey Hepburn’s slacks, Jimmy Dean’s white T, leather jacket and jeans, or Marilyn’s white halter dress; it all started in Hollywood before it went worldwide.

It’s no news that be it cocktails or couture, today’s trendsetters are all about looking back and bringing things forward in a fresh and innovative way with just the right signature and twist.

As you pull up to Shareen Vintage’s sprawling warehouse and walk past the chalkboard sign outside that says, “No Boys. No Joke!” you’ll know you’ve hit feminine nirvana.

For any vintage dragon, it takes a minute or two to catch your fashion fire breath and take in the scale of her showroom-shop. There are stacked racks placed around her warehouse room amidst an old wrought iron bed, a couch, and a table filled with fashion mags and snacks. Girls are dressing and undressing everywhere, commenting from across the room, while Shareen, a statuesque former actress, is commanding center stage.

“I ask people how they heard about this place,” Shareen says. “They say they moved out to LA to be with their boyfriend, but they broke up. We talk about that. Then other girls join in. We talk about beauty. This place is like a live women’s magazine.”

Her business is a mix of many vintage pieces sourced from every imaginable era inclusive of the 90’s. Her own line (Shareen) is currently on hiatus, and her restructured unique pieces are the true stars of her salon.

“My girls want one-of-a-kind pieces,” says Shareen. “They’re standout ladies who want to turn every head in the room. They’re not afraid to wear something truely different.”

If you are privy to the back-of-house tour, you will see the piles of ethnic fabrics, brocades of all colors, and unrealized pieces. They are the paint; her restructured vision is the brush; and her customer the canvas.

Behind the piles are a few racks called “The Perfect Dresses” - for perfect bodies. These dresses are for tip-top design teams and their eyes only. She can’t say the names, but you do the math. Her stylist clientele that have come to pull pieces have told the fashion houses from Paris, Milan and NY of her racks. They slip in on a regular basis, scheduling appointments to pull inspiration pieces that will then influence their next season.

Holding up an orange, floor-length vintage halter dress that was once wrapped around the hips of Christina Ricci, Shareen says, “I can’t let this piece get in the hands of just one girl who wears it to the prom. I can’t do that to this piece. If this gets in the hands of a designer, it could end up on hundreds of women.”

If you’re looking for something to stand out at the next summer soiree, or a crazy corset to shock the boyfriend with next time you’re in the bedroom, this is the spot to head for. Be warned, however, you must brave the back alleys of downtown LA to find Shareen’s hidden showroom. This shop is for true vintage fanatics only.

Shareen Vintage is open to the public on Wednesdays, Saturdays & Sundays only. Each Saturday, her regulars pull in for the three racks of 300 fresh new vintage pieces. Dresses can range from $38 to several hundred.