We had the good fortune of connecting with jesse bardy and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi jesse, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I am Jesse Bardy and founded GOLDEN AGE with my partner Ludvic Orlando 4 years ago in France. We moved in LA right after that because the heart of our inspiration is Hollywood. We open our first shop on Melrose ave, pretty close to the Fairfax District in 2017. We propose our own brand GOLDEN AGE (Shoes & Clothing) and a rare curated selection of vintage outfit. The golden past of Los Angeles inspired our creations and selection, but in a very modern way. The Melrose store became pretty fast a reference for stylists or designers to grab new ideas to develop their own creations. So we opened a second store on Sunset Blvd in Silver Lake in 2018, and a third one in 2019 on La brea Avenue. We are glad to bring our European vision to something very American like the Golden Age of Hollywood. HOLLYWOOD, old or new, is not only an era or a place, that’s way more. That’s a vibe, an aura. Paradoxically our main strength is maybe to have been raised outside Los Angeles. Always fascinated by the story of the city, we have been able to study it from the outside which is probably the best way to become specialist and to be very realistic or objective. We are very grateful and proud to be in Los Angeles, to do what we are good at, and being appreciated and recognized for working in what we love. Through our website (www.goldenage-hollywood.com) we sell only GOLDEN AGE creations. Everything is designed in Los Angeles. Our shoes are handcrafted in Brazil, and clothing is mostly made in LA. The Instagram page (@goldenage_la) gives a pretty good idea of our products and inspirations. In stores, we sells GOLDEN AGE shoes and garment, and a large selection of Vintage rarities. Many things are from FRANCE like the midcentury chore section (jackets, pants, jumpsuits). We propose too an amazing denim range. Everybody in LA knows our 501 fine curated. Western wear and military stuff from all over the World are kinda our signature too, mostly 1940s to 1980s. And finally selected Street and Sport wear are present in both shops. So yes we love mixing everything, like a 1980s vintage camo italian army jumpsuit with our GOLDEN AGE heels inspired by Glamour Hollywood. Getting a complete outfit really modern and unique created from ideas from different decades is the point.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
In France, I studied in college SOUND, specially interaction between sound and image. So I’m a sound engineer (mixing, recording, editing) specialized in cinema. I get all the technical and artistic background of GOLDEN AGE at College. But Fashion had always been very important in my head. Pretty hard to explain that, but I really needed to create and develop my own things. Founding GOLDEN AGE was like an evidence, a little bit like being in a recording studio mixing Fashion and Movies, Clothes with History.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Historic glamour hotels have always fascinated me. So the perfect day would be getting a breakfast at the Polo Lounge, then having a walk in the gardens of the Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills, then taking a lunch in the patio on the sofa of the Chateau Marmont, before diving in the fantastic pool of the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, and finally dinner at the Sunset Tower where you can find the best dessert in LA. The Toffee Pudding is amazing.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
My parents have been a big inspiration about everything that made GOLDEN AGE. I mean Fashion and Movies in general. They don’t specially like the same things than me but for sure gave me the bast to find my own way in it. A book? I would say more an author: PHILIPPE GARNIER. he’s french like us, He’s 70 but has been living in LA for 40 years, and he’s become probably the biggest expert in the World about Old Hollywood.

Website: www.goldenage-hollywood.com
Instagram: @goldenage_la