Looped brings cute to June Lake

Michelle Bradford, owner of Looped, a new boutique shop in June Lake, brings cute and affordable to the Eastern Sierra. (Photo: Robert Bradford)

Tucked away on the intersection of Boulder Drive and the June Lake Loop is a new boutique worth a second look. Looped, a handmade boutique featuring the work of more than 70 different artists from around the world, offers a little something for everyone. Housewares, children’s, women’s, pet’s, gifts and accessories — Looped has it all, and it’s all handmade.

Owner and manager Michelle Bradford previously ran a “teeny shop” in San Diego, Calif. She moved to June Lake, she said, “Because my husband loves snowboarding and we wanted to try something different. I didn’t realize how much there is to do here all year round.”

One of the few things Bradford found missing was a boutique like hers. “I figured there’s nothing cute around here,” she smiled. “So we needed it.”

Looped opened on April 28 during June Lake’s Fishing Opener, and has been receiving good business since.

“Lots of locals are coming in,” Bradford said, “and I’ve been getting lots of business on the weekends.” Local participation is particularly important to Bradford. Not only does she offer a 10% local discount, but she’s also hoping to build the base of local artists to “at least 30%.”

Bradford is an artist herself. She screen prints tank tops and dish towels, makes fine silver jewelry, and even constructs dog beds out of recycled sweaters. “Other artists use recycled material here,” she said. Perhaps the most adorable example is a series of little girl skirts made out of recycled sweaters. One of the boutique’s bestselling items is a hoodie made out of recycled sweatshirts. Bradford shows off several more items, like girls’ pillowcase dresses and bibs made of beach towels, that are cut and sewn ingeniously to give old materials new life. Most appealing to this writer was a rack of “old guy flannels” transformed into “off-the-shoulder girl-style flannels.” The prices are appealing, too, with a range between $10 and $75.

So far, Bradford is having a great time on the Eastside. “I’ve loved the experience of being somewhere totally different than what I grew up in,” she said. “And I’m so happy to be doing exactly what I dreamt of!”

Looped is open Sun-Tues 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thurs 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri-Sat 9 a.m.-6 p.m.