BY NICOLE ROYAL

Stepping inside The Canyon, my new favorite Franklin Village boutique, is like rolling back in time to the Summer of ‘69. Owners Cynthia and Dean are hippies at heart with a passion for what they do. We caught up with the duo last week, toured the store, and talked canyon culture, classic rock, and their mutual love for a decade frozen in time. Dean offered us apples and reflected on his days living in San Francisco. He explained that his favorite concert venue, The Fillmore, used to put a bucket of apples in the lobby before each concert. He loved the community that grew from that bucket of apples and decided he wanted to bring that same sort of community-vibe to The Canyon. “We wanted to capture the modern LA canyon community experience – reflect how the SoCal hippie culture has been vital since the ’60s and ’70s and adapted to contemporary lifestyle. To combine the natural and organic and urban, Laurel Canyon days and Sunset Strip nights, fueled by the acoustic and electric rock and pop music that brought us together.”

What kind of challenges did you two face when you were trying to set up shop?

“Location, location, location. We struggled for 2 years looking at locations in Northern California and in LA. We had agreed on a couple of locations which were yanked away from us at the last minute. It was basically a miracle that we found our current location in Franklin Village, one of the most active and diverse yet cohesive neighborhoods in the LA area. (We’re blessed to have one of the primo spots in LA with foot traffic to die for – though when we launch our ecom website we’ll have to prove we have more than a primo location going for us!)”

What’s your favorite part about owning a boutique?

“Creative control. Being able to be true to ourselves and to share with others the values that make us who we are. Helping people feel good about themselves.”

So what exactly makes The Canyon so special?

“We love music and Dean is a lifelong musician. For a musician, the ideal gig is when the venue is packed with fans. We’d rather sell to a ton of customers devoted to our style at a lower price point than to a few high rollers. Rock n’ roll is inclusive, not exclusive. We both love the ’60s/’70s classic rock era and the LA canyon neighborhood we’ve made our home, and want to share that attitude and lifestyle with everyone who comes into the store.  More than a trip down memory lane or ’70s-era costuming, The Canyon is about sharing the values of independence, individuality, exploration, celebration and idealism of the ’60s and ’70s – showing everyone we meet [that] there is a place in our chaotic world for these values. Be cool, be yourself.”

How do you choose a new product to sell at The Canyon?

“‘Do I love it and would I wear it?’ The fabric has to be soft to the touch and the colors from nature. It has to have a classic, timeless quality and resonate in some way with our period vibe. Quality, comfort, price, coolness. Not necessarily in that order.”

What is your most popular item this season?

“Jumpsuits have been the most popular item so far, Levi’s denim bottoms and jackets, basic tees, moto jackets, faux fur, soy candles, charm necklaces and anything vintage!”