Alessandro Tomassetti of L.A. men's boutique All Purpose prides himself on offering his fashion-savvy clients goods that they can't find anywhere else in the city—including his signature line of sportswear, Filius. Read on for the inside scoop on how he picks what designers end up on his store's shelves, who he looks to for style inspiration and what two trends he'd like to see die for good.

Can you tell us a bit about the history of the store?
We opened All Purpose in late October 2006 because, as consumers, we weren't seeing our aesthetic represented at retail and we were bored with what has become the cliche L.A. men's store (think rock-inspired tshirts and denim in a lounge-style setting with leather club chairs, an Xbox and plasma screens). We had also just launched our clothing line and couldn't see it fitting in anywhere locally. This was a perfect opportunity to present the line as we envisioned it and surround it with like accessories and objects that round out our point of view.

What do you provide that's unique or different?
Well, for the most part, we seek out artists and designers who, like ourselves, are working slightly under the radar or off the traditional fashion grid. Whenever possible, we carry store or regional exclusives, limited-edition items and customized pieces. To that end, we also share our seasonal direction for Filius with a roster of international talents who create exclusive merchandise for All Purpose based on their take on the theme. Aside from the thematic approach, the store is unified by a love and appreciation of craftsmanship and design.

How do you find new designers or lines?
I love to research so, naturally, going to trade shows doesn't appeal much to me. I prefer to follow tips from friends, comb through design and architecture publications and blogs and ultimately, contact designers personally. The relationship that I build with the artist is essential to my enthusiasm for the product and the way the product is presented to our customers, who seem to appreciate the story behind the things we carry.

What is the current big trend with your customers?
I can't say that there are trends per se that I notice in the store. However, there is a movement (back) toward individual style for men which I am very excited to be a part of. Men are becoming more and more sophisticated as shoppers and more able to choose how they want to "package" themselves, a skill which women excel at.

Which designers do really well at your store?
Aside from Filius, which accounts for over half of our sales, we do great with our jewelry lines (Subversive, Josh Hickey), CB Perfumes, Cyberoptix silk ties and scarves and Mulholland Brothers leather goods.

Are there any trends you would like to see go away?
Skulls and hoodies.

What piece of fashion advice do you most often give to your customers?
I tell customers to try something they normally wouldn't wear, be it color, silhouette, texture etc. We hold ourselves to very strict rules of what looks good or what we can pull off. Often these restrictions are based on out-of-date notions or have emotional ties, like if someone says you look pale in a green shirt, that translates to "no green" so it's always cool to see someone discover something new to add to their look.

Who best represents your ideal customer?
In terms of style, Brett Anderson in his heyday with Suede. He represented an unapologetic, informed style that melded notions of dandyism, androgyny and somehow, danger. Plus he wrote lyrics like "Chic thug stuttered through a stereo dream..."

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