Elyse Walker on Rebuilding After the Palisades Fire, Resilience, and the State of Fashion Retail
Welcome back to Let’s Get Dressed, a newsletter where I share my endeavors in fashion — what I’m wearing, shopping, trying on, chatting and thinking about — to give you some inspiration for the week ahead. It’s my fashion diary, except I’m actually letting you look inside.
In today’s podcast episode of Let’s Get Dressed, I sat down with the iconic Elyse Walker — someone who has shaped Los Angeles’ fashion landscape for decades with her namesake retail store in the Palisades. With stores now across the country, Elyse shares key lessons from her 20-year journey that’s seen her survive and thrive through the ever-changing retail landscape — like how to build lasting relationships with customers and brands, what it takes to lead through the change, and how she's honed her eye to know what sells.
We also talk about the heartbreaking loss of her beloved Palisades store in the Palisades Fire, her recent announcement to reopen in 2026 alongside Rick Caruso, and the power of community in helping her rebuild. If you’re interested in a peek behind the curtain of fashion buying, merchandising, and the retail business, you’ll love this episode.
PS: One thing Elyse shared that really stuck with me is this: while her store is set to reopen, small businesses need your support now to make it there. So if you’re in LA, stop by a local business in the Palisades, Malibu, or Altadena, or show your support online by shopping Elyse Walker digitally. Every bit truly makes a difference!
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I absolutely loved this interview with Elyse. I learned so much. Many podcasts interview or talk about particular brands but this one was very engaging and authentic. Thank you for having her on your podcast. Would love to hear again from her as she nears opening her store.
Great interview. I always love to hear the story behind the story. Retail is so much more than selling items. I'm buying the AMO jeans Elyse has on, they look so good.