[This interview first appeared in Issue 7 of The Fluevog Post (Fall/Winter 2016)]
Petrea Davis, Fluevog LA Manager
Years with Fluevog: 14
Where are you from?
I grew up in Lander, Wyoming and Kodiak, Alaska but at 15, I flew the coop and headed to Ecuador. From there, I hit Seattle, Prague, Tokyo, Gloucester (Massachusetts), and then Boston where I first joined the Fluevog team. After a few years in Boston, I headed to New York where I lived happily for nine years. I moved to Los Angeles last year for love and I love it.
What were your first pair of Fluevogs?
Blue and grey Supervogs that I picked up at the Seattle store in 1996.
Describe Abbot Kinney in a nutshell
Abbot Kinney is one of the main shopping streets in Venice where you’ll find proud weirdos and trendy tourists riding bikes in bikinis all sipping on cold-pressed juices and generally eating very well. When we give out cupcakes, it can be hard to find takers.
Abbot Kinney favorites for:
Coffee: Intelligentsia. We’re just a few doors down from them so we can take our coffee to-go in their mugs and return them when we’re finished!
Lunch: Abbot’s Pizza Company does this Salad Pizza that is so exactly opposite of any pizza I love and miss in NYC that I can eat it without being pizza homesick.
Shopping: I love this shop called “In Heroes We Trust”. She stocks local designers as well as some very remarkable vintage pieces, and does collaborations with many of the street artists I follow.
Something that would surprise people about LA:
There are trains! Like, subway, public transport trains that go all over the place! Okay, maybe not ALL over the place, but they will take you many unexpected places. Like The Valley, or San Bernardino!
What is your favorite Fluevog Store (other than your own)?
After all those years in the New York store, I still think of it as mine. (Sorry Paul!)
Something that would surprise people about you:
I’m a raging Phish Head.
Favorite part of working for Fluevog?
The people who work for the company, from head office to the stores, are truly some talented, passionate and genuinely unique souls. The same can be said about Fluevogers. So I guess the people are my favorite part.
Favorite John interaction?
John is a huge Prince fan, and I had it on very good authority that our beloved Purple One would be playing an unannounced show at City Winery late one night after the VMAs. He didn’t go on until 2:30 in the morning, but he played until 6am and John said it was the best concert he’d ever seen. He’s still talking about it, actually!
Strangest pronunciation of Fluevog you’ve heard?
“I’m from Vancouver, I know all about Flueflog.”
