This post was updated Aug. 31 at 7:33 p.m.
Westwood’s new fashion icon is restyling UCLA.
Owned by Masood Ahmad, Lucky Finds first opened Aug. 15, 2024. Carrying a wide variety of clothing, Ahmad said the vintage store, located at 1313 Westwood Blvd., presents a showroom atmosphere seen in fashion houses mixed with the owner’s creative vision. Looking to supply people with a curated selection of items, Ahmad said Lucky Finds creates a space where people can feel comfortable exploring fashion and gathering inspiration.
“I like to sell people that feeling that this piece of clothing that I hand-curated is going to make them elevate in a way that they wouldn’t expect,” Ahmad said.
The vintage store aims to be approachable to all people, Ahmad said. Although there are items that – due to their rarity or overall value – can be on the expensive side, Ahmad said he likes to maintain Lucky Finds as an establishment where his 15-year-old self would feel comfortable shopping.
Paris Brosnan, a close friend of Ahmad’s whom he met in 2017 while modeling in LA, said this sentiment is especially highlighted in Ahmad’s personality. This, Brosnan said, can be seen in the owner’s ability to connect with customers, remember their names and faces and create a community feeling within the establishment.
Ahmad’s journey in the fashion industry did not start with selling clothes, but instead as a model for Ralph Lauren’s Purple Label, he said. Brosnan said Ahmad’s passion for fashion had always been reflected through his creativity when styling himself and friends. Due to this, Brosnan said he is not surprised that Lucky Finds’ founder was able to find a space in the vintage clothing business while being unapologetically himself.
“Masood is an encyclopedia of knowledge about everything, from fashion to music to culture, and that’s what makes him such a valuable person and tool, and you know, he’s got a good heart,” Brosnan said.
Still, Lucky Finds’ origin did not happen in a straightforward manner, Ahmad said. Before selling vintage clothes, he said he was quite familiar with the field, as he shopped vintage for his own wardrobe. Around two years ago, however, Ahmad’s apartment was flooded during a heavy rain season, and due to the risk of damage, he was forced to find a new place for his clothing collection. Ahmad decided to rent a U-Haul and sell vintage clothes at the flea market, he explained.
Ahmad said he had been toying with the idea of having his own store after an interaction with Chrome Hearts’ co-owner Laurie Lynn Stark. Around 2020, Ahmad said he and Brosnan attended the Miami art fair Art Basel, where he had the opportunity to meet Stark. During a conversation with her, Ahmad said she complimented his sense of style after he showed her a few of his vintage T-shirts, suggesting he move to LA to open his own store. This, along with the complex process of transporting his merchandise to different flea markets, motivated him to take the risk and open his own shop, Ahmad said.
Since officially establishing Lucky Finds, Ahmad said the store has received positive feedback, reassuring him of his decision. Around a week after relocating to the store’s current location, Ahmad said he was contacted by NBA player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was looking to bring other Oklahoma City Thunder players to the store. Having the entire team’s starting lineup shop at Lucky Finds not only brought immediate financial stability to the store but also positioned it within the vintage clothing business, Ahmad explained. In addition, he said this early interaction connected him with other opportunities, such as deals with clothing brands like Converse.
Over a year after opening, Ahmad said Lucky Finds has now expanded to a two-story establishment with a showroom on the upper level and a cafe and retail area on the first floor. Now also selling records, in collaboration with BeatRelease, Lucky Finds merchandise is a mix of rare designer pieces, true vintage items and custom pieces by Ahmad himself, he added.
Besides providing an efficient shopping experience, Ahmad said Lucky Finds also offers shopping appointments, a service often used by stylists searching for specific pieces or shopping for a particular theme.
Andrea Stein, Lucky Finds’ first customer, said Ahmad’s carefully curated merchandise elevates the shopping experience by guaranteeing high-quality items. Additionally, she said shopping with Ahmad encourages her to step out of her comfort zone, as she is more open to trying new styles, confident that all pieces in the store are worth it.
“Masood is just a really friendly, personable guy, and I felt like even after the first time I shopped there that we were friends,” she said. “You can tell he has a lot of passion and puts care and effort into curating and sourcing his items. I think that’s what makes him different.”
Regarding the future of Lucky Finds, Ahmad said he hopes to host more events at the store – similar to his first, a Cartélier cars and coffee event that took place Aug. 16 – as well as to continue settling into the Westwood and UCLA community. He said he hopes his store can inspire the student community, and he hopes to collaborate more closely with student organizations and the UCLA culture.
“I want UCLA to be as much a part of me and the store as vintage clothes is a part of the store,” Ahmad said. “I want to be fully ingrained … Let’s bring some fun back to it.”
Comments are closed.