saw this story in the globe print edition accompanied by some cool pics of the store itself! the pics unfortunately arent online.
Allston tee party
At L.A.B., you can buy everything from hip streetwear to vinyl records, and then come back later to mingle
By Christopher Muther, Globe Staff | May 17, 2007
Because Allston is not generally known for clean, minimal design, the arrival of a stark white store with a simple steel-and-glass facade gives the business the strange effect of glowing alongside its gritty surroundings. L.A.B., a store-cum-hipster community center may appear to have gotten lost on its way to the South End. But since it opened in March, L.A.B. has sold out of several lines of T-shirts and has hosted a handful of parties that rival the gatherings in SoWa’s galleries.
The store, which sells limited-edition T-shirts, hoodies, and underground streetwear, along with records, artist-designed toys, and art, has the intentional look of a gallery.
‘‘A lot of the clothing lines we deal with are artist-based,’’ says co-owner Kimberly Harris. ‘‘We try to keep it minimal so your eye travels to the art on the shirts, the art on the toys, and the art on the walls. It’s just as much art gallery as it is a store.’’
It’s also a party space. For art openings, Harris, 23, and co-owner Todd MacLeod, 28, roll away the tables and racks, set up a table for a DJ, and the expansive white and gray room becomes a place for fans of street art to sip energy drinks and mingle.
‘‘When I was originally looking at locations, we wanted something that was open, not just to have a clothing store, but a space that is multi-use,’’ Harris says.
The store carries shirts and hoodies from Hong Kong, Tokyo, New York, and Japan, but Harris says L.A.B. is placing a special emphasis on stocking T’s for women, along with dresses, skirts, and blouses. Many of the T-shirt lines overlap with brands carried in Boston’s burgeoning sneaker shops, but Harris says that those shops carry limited number of items for women.
While it doesn’t fit into L.A.B.’s role as an art and fashion center, the owners decided to stock records after several stores that carried vinyl in Boston closed their doors. Jay Giacoppo, former manager of the late Satellite Records, handles the store’s music purchasing.
And both Harris and MacLeod are tied to electronic music culture. Harris worked in a nightclub in Maine and handled VIP reservations for Avalon, and MacLeod regularly DJs in New York and now spins at L.A.B. parties. Despite its focus on underground street culture, Harris says L.A.B.’s clientele has been surprisingly diverse.
‘‘When you come in on a Saturday, you see multiple groups of different people,’’ she says. ‘‘We like to call it culture fusing.’’
L.A.B., 113 Brighton Ave., Allston.
the new dressing area is located on the main floor! (where the regular filenes used to be)
(i'm going through a jeans buying phase) 
