New High Mart

I can see why there would be negative reviews, but my boyfriend pulled me in one random Sunday when the husband/​partner seemed to be in charge and I have to say, while the no phone and picture policy is uptight, this place is a gem. He was SO knowledgable about tea and brewing and infusions and his willingness to share honestly inspired and humbled me. He also was able to share a story about their organic chemical free nail polish that was so great I bought one just for his time. He brewed is tea for no charge and was wonderful. It was like stepping through time and across boarders. If you want a trip to a Japan of yesteryear, this is your place: full of tradition and reverence.

This used to be my favorite secret store. Not any more. They’ve changed to Appointment Only and just turned me away at the door. Rejecting a customer very likely to spend money? I won’t be back now.

I understand why many people feel sensitive about not getting lots of attention and smiles in a high-​end L.A. store because there tend to be horrible sales associates in boutique shops, but this is not the experience I had at New High Mart at all.
Some words I would use to describe the owner are: respectful, helpful, polite, knowledgeable, reserved and elegant. She seems like a woman of the world. I absolutely cannot stand the type of salesperson who will follow me around the store hounding me and asking me all manner of questions while thrusting clothes in my face for the entirety of my stay. In contrast, the owner here has a very calm and disarming demeanor, which, coupled with the smell of incense and cleanliness of the store make for a very relaxing shopping experience.
As for the actual inventory, the shop is very well-​curated and it seems as though every item has been carefully chosen with intention and discernment. Aside from men’s and women’s clothing, bags and shoes, the store also carries knick knacks and home items such as teapots, fabric lunchbags and sage for burning. I have been here two or three times and have purchased wool shorts, a couple of blouses and a raffia tote bag, all of which have become staples in my wardrobe and were well worth the money. I know that when I buy something here it is truly special and not something that can be found anywhere else in L.A. I highly recommend visiting New High Mart if you are a person of good taste or would just like to browse some unique items.

Absolutely rude owner. She did not look up at my friend and I, as we perused the shop. I took out my phone to check a txt message and she shot over to reprimand me. We immediately left the store. Woeful customer service. I don’t see this place lasting long at all.

My friend and I were checking out the shops on Vermont yesterday and I told her the owner of New High was odd… We walked in with another couple … 4 of us at the same time. We were immediately ushered out. Yes the items are very cool, but she’s just too odd. I’m a designer and artist so I get weird but this is just too much. She’s like the soup nazi from Seinfeld, if u don’t look the way she wants her customer to look (we were wearing work out clothes) or say the right thing (I said Hello), or whatever her preconceived idea of who she wants her customer to be, Well then get out if her store. Too much work .!

The clothes are beautiful

A very gentle environment. The owner is very helpful and kind. I went in today to purchase a Jungmaven shirt, and left instead with a gorgeous vintage wool henley. I don’t understand the negative reviews below — they seem to be from people who came in off the street with no expectations and were disappointed that it wasn’t a «normal» store — which is what I love about it. Keep it up!

What a beautiful experience all around. The shopping environment is quiet and private. The clothes are mostly handmade from several different countries and of extraordinary quality. The pieces are unique and hand selected when the two owners travel back and forth to Japan etc. I love that the store is very old world, and honors the actual experience of shopping, interaction, touching the textiles, talking to the shop keeper. No photos, and no online sales make New High Mart very refreshing. Even the purchasing process and bagging of your new goods is artfully executed. The gentleman owner was such a delight to chat with. I asked him about some interesting objects in a case and he explained that they are tools used in an incense ceremony. I was interested, so he gave me a little lesson on how the ceremony is conducted, how the notations work etc. He ended up gifting me a piece of beautiful incense. This shopping experience was wonderful, I learned something new, purchased amazing clothes and am happy to have found my new favorite retailer.

Beautiful environment, amazing curated selection, absolutely lovely, attentive, gentle service. I only went to one store on my last trip to L.A. and this was it. It’s a «must» when I’m there.

This is such a fabulous store. Unique items, beautifully curated and the vibe is that of a Japanese mountain retreat. Pine cone incense, bells ringing and a wonderful assortment of gorgeous comfy shoes and clothes. Very expensive but a lovely experience.
I don’t agree with any of the negative reviews about this store. I have been into NHM many times over the past five years and the female owner has always been sweet and lovely. I think some people may be confusing quiet and reserved with being snobbish. She is not snobbish at all. I wish there were more magical stores like this one.

Owners are quite lovely. Woman of Japanese descent is quite lovely. She will keep quiet and let you peruse. Once you provide a smile and show interest in their beautiful selection of things, she warms up to you with that formal and pleasant way that most Japanese people involved in retail would do. The man who is part of the business (husband/​partner, I believe) is quite nice, too; although, I don’t see him often.
High end, select clothing from Japan, Sweden, Lithuania, and other parts of the world. Wonderful accessories, too.
No pictures allowed inside. There are places like that and you simply need to respect that. They’re low tech in some ways and it’s quite refreshing. Analog and less-​tech is their tech philosophy. Slow is good as their sign says. Natural, unique, stylish, not now & trendy, and understated is their overall feel.

Good if you want to pay a lot to dress like a Quaker. Strange store and vibe.

I have strolled in here three times with some friends. The main thing we noticed is that the owner has a very dour and off-​putting attitude and unwelcoming demeanor. A few of those times there were people in the store who committed the offenses of drinks-​in-​store and iPhone use to take notes on products, even if that note was actually a reminder to come back to buy a gift for someone. While I completely understand her motivations and sensitivities to these «offenses», I think that her methods and attitude do not beckon dollars from customer pockets. I get it that brick-​and-​mortar businesses face tough competition from internet sales, hence her guard-​dog-​barking at the iPhone users, but she could make people want to shop there by being more friendly and engaging with her customers (for instance the staff/​owners of Apolis actually offer me fresh coffee in-​store if I didn’t have one already. It’s called hospitality.) You can’t shout rules at people and the wonder why they leave with cash in pocket. Amazon and Zappos don’t yell at people, but they also doesn’t have nice friendly conversations with us either if you catch my drift… hint, hint.
I would urge the owner (s) to try to ease up and actually intrigue me with some smiles and friendly conversation. Whether you realize it or not, it does sway my wanting to shop there and makes what should have been a good experience a bizarre waste of my time.
To your surprise, I happen to use the internet for a large amount of my purchases, but I still want to buy from local shops with locally-​made, unique, one-​of-​kind goods. It’s just more fun and easier when it comes to clothing. So don’t trip on my iPhone, if I wanted to remember an item to find somewhere else, I would just… I don’t know… memorize it.
While the service was a tad bizarre and unwarranted, I really liked some of the items in here. Nice fabrics, good styles; peasant-​like garbs with nice threads. Lots of potential and I wanted to drop some coin, but alas… lighten up, say «hi» and engage, then we’ll see.

AUTHENTIC. I tell all my friends it’s a must stop shop. INSPIRATION. QUALITY. SPECIAL. They define boutique culture in LA. Thank you New High MArt. FASHION DEFINING. Natural fibers. The owners are enlightened and are sharing their fashion wisdom with LA. HEALTHY .
P. S. I love holiday shopping your fantastic gift selection.

It’s hard to describe this store, but it’s definitely one of a kind. It caries a variety of merchandise, from knitting supplies and yarn to up-​market, beautifully crafted clothing. It seems to be aimed at fashion-​conscious, outdoorsy types with disposable income.
Almost everything here strikes me as high quality. The clothing, tchotchkes, jewelry and the like. Like Coop 28 down the street, it can definitely serves as a place for unusual gifts, but for a very different group of people.
I’ve only ever bought one thing here, but it’s something that I really love: piñon incense. It’s amazing and the fragrance is like nothing else I’ve ever encountered. So, despite that fact that it’s unlikely I will buy clothing here anytime soon, they have my business. And, honestly, I can appreciate a store for it’s uniqueness even if it’s really not my thing.

This has to be one of my favorite stores in Los Angeles, so creative and unique in its product selection.
I have to disagree with some of the cruel comments regarding the owner, its hard to judge someone if you don’t have a conversation with them.
THE OWNER IS VERY CHARMING AND KIND. (Actually both owners are very nice).
If you’ve never been to this store, its definitely worth going across town to check it out, and there ar things in all price ranges.

I wandered in after seeing the beautiful display and saw an interesting mix of stuff– it almost reminds me of a mini-​Anthropologie-​slash-​Etsy. They sell things that are local and non-​local, made by artisans and made by big companies. I found some great piñon incense, saw cute camper shoes, and was also impressed with their selection of random stuff– pretty socks, handmade soaps, leather jewelry, etc.
One thing: when I walked in, the employee/​owner person was talking to someone and never greeted me, never asked if I needed any help, etc. Eventually when I went to make my purchase I made conversation and she became friendlier, but it was weird that I had to sort of initiate friendliness.

I don’t know if this place has the same owners as the early reviews on here but my experience today was one of the most pleasant I’ve ever had and probably the best I’ve had in all of LA.
I believe the man and woman who were working there today, Richard and Miho (sp?) are the owners. They were so helpful, positive and wonderful to share a bit of time with and I was thrilled to find my new pair of Birkenstocks there. You wouldn’t believe how difficult it is to find Birkenstocks in LA! And to find someone is actually incredibly knowledgeable about Birks is a virtual impossibility and Richard was that guy!
I was happy to spend money at this shop and I honestly look forward to going back… they have some seriously cool stuff there. Completely unlike any place I’ve ever seen in LA. Also, when I was ready to pay I inquired if they did a KCRW discount and Miho said they hadn’t officially set that up yet but she would be happy to give me 10% off… such great service!
Can’t wait to stop in again. Thanks R & M!

I came back in here recently, scared, because my friend wanted to take a look.
Mean shop lady looked up and said hi. Didn’t tell us to dump our coffees! BUT was still very cold when I asked about a pair of socks.
Bottom line is that is a nicely curated shop. Most things you can find elsewhere but it’s nice to browse. And fantasize about buying everything.

This store is like an art gallery. I marvel at the confluence of architecture, display and design in this eclectic but warm storefront. The range of super high quality, unique products makes me wish I had hundreds to spend every time I walk in there. Most of the items are expensive for sure, but they’re of amazing quality, and– i’d guess –mostly hand made.
An example of how their style is so unique is that they carry Jansport backpacks, but they’re like none you’ve ever seen. They’re sexy yet rugged; utilitarian, but fashionable.
Some items — like a winter parka — are $ 500 plus, but you can also get an artisan made brass keychain for about $ 5. Or a hand made sweeping broom that’s pretty enough to hang on your wall for $ 10.