The Vault store owner talks about fashion, supporting local businesses and her appreciation for Laguna’s village feel.
By Sharon Stello
Gila Leibovitch had spent her whole life in the city of Los Angeles, but always wanted to live by the ocean. A chance trip to Laguna Beach helped bring that dream to fruition.
“After marrying my soulmate in 2004, we came to Laguna for a vacation and fell in love with the village vibe,” she says. “Once stepping foot into this picturesque town, we knew we wanted to be a part of it, and still feel this way after 20 years.”
Leibovitch and her husband, Johnny Alper, who already owned stores in LA, opened their first Laguna boutique in July 2004 and have expanded over the years, becoming a fixture downtown, championing local businesses, serving on the Chamber of Commerce board and becoming part of shop local efforts, donating to charity silent auctions and offering retail internships to Laguna teens.
“It is so important to be involved in the community. … And Laguna is a small town [so we] need … support from each other,” Leibovitch says. After being part-time residents for 16 years, the couple moved to Laguna permanently during the pandemic.
Their first Laguna store was Melrose Place, catering to men. “The name derived from us wanting to bring the ‘taste’ of Melrose Avenue to Laguna,” Leibovitch says. After one year in business, they added a second space in the Forest Avenue building—a vacant bank vault.
“The Vault Men was born in 2006, hosting higher-end brands from Europe and more cutting-edge looks. This is our favorite store because we managed to preserve the aesthetic of the ‘vault’ look by using the original steel-reinforced concrete as part of our rack system. … Eventually, the wives were getting jealous of this curated look for men and, in 2008, … The Vault Women opened its doors.”
They opened The Vault Kids in 2010, which was replaced by Laguna Active Wear in 2013 as the athleisure trend started. “It became such a popular way to dress that, in 2020, … we decided to break the wall down between the two stores and just have one big store,” Leibovitch says. “… The Vault Women is a 3,000-square-foot boutique with a large mix of dressy and casual wear for women of all sizes.”
Leibovitch says their stores’ demographic has always been “the mature shopper who wants to be fashionable while still looking for comfort and quality.” Favorite brands include Ted Baker, John Varvatos, AG Jeans and more for men and Norma Kamali, Joseph Ribkoff, Gold Hawk and Blanc Noir for women.
The couple also own Recognition, a men’s line that’s only sold in their stores. “We have mastered the perfect T-shirt and polo for men,” Leibovitch says. “We work with a great factory in Peru that specializes in Pima cotton and we design great shirts for men in a wide range of colors. Our factory in Turkey also makes beautiful stretch wovens for men in different prints. … Customers come back year after year to see the new colors and prints.”
Laguna Beach Magazine: What are your go-to places in town?
Gila Leibovitch: Our absolute favorite hangout is Hotel Laguna. We like going there for the views and vibe. Another popular restaurant for lunch is Lumberyard, which … always has great food. For great burgers, we love Nick’s. … For special celebrations, we love hanging out at The Drake and enjoy the live music and ambiance.
What did you do for a living before opening the stores in town?
GL: I worked in a small boutique from the age of 16 until I graduated [from college] … then went … [to study] law for one year. I absolutely hated it and couldn’t wait to go back to retail. I realized then that retail was my calling. …
My husband, Johnny, grew up in Israel and came here after serving in the Air Force. … He handles the business and operations for our stores, allowing me to focus on the creative and visual aspects.emember
Do you have any hobbies?
GL: Both my husband and I enjoy traveling and being adventurous. Another passion I have is dog rescue. For the past 15 years, we have rescued, rehabilitated and fostered many abandoned dogs. … For several years, we were involved in saving dogs from the meat trade in China. … [Also,] my husband is a skydiver and has over 1,000 jumps.
