Older, Mellower and Gentle on the Budget

When the Fox Hills Mall opened in Culver City in 1975, it was hailed as a milestone--Southern California’s first three-level enclosed regional shopping center--and a prototype for future malls.

Now it is older, smaller and less spectacular than the competition, but it still holds its own with a mellow mood and numerous stores for budget-minded shoppers.

Anchored by JC Penney, the Broadway, and what is now Robinsons-May, the mall has two bus lines stopping on its doorstep. The bland exterior reveals little about the pleasant, spacious interior. A giant clock tower rises from a decorative pool, and natural light floods the center from a series of horizontal skylights. A small food court, added during a $5.5-million face lift five years ago, is worth a visit, not so much for its food as for the scene.

Unlike some malls that have an overly feminine point of view, Fox Hills gives men and children a fair shake. In fact, in many ways this is a man’s mall.

Brass Boot and Momenti specialize in luxury footwear and accessories for men. Oaktree is an “in” clothing stop for young guys who cruise the center in the latest hip-hop fashions from companies like Cross Colours.

Armando’s, a new arrival in the mall, specializes in European imports, including $250 suits for men and $350 cocktail and evening dresses for women. Owner Juan Armando also designs French-inspired T-shirts, which sell for $20, and hip-hop-inspired sweater-shirts with matching sock hats that cost $40 for the set.

In Kids Depot, another newcomer, the upscale labels for youngsters range from Guess? to Cross Colours. In the party clothes section, a blue velvet dress, trimmed with rhinestones and floating above a crinoline petticoat, was a recent standout for its design and price: $136.

Before William Jackson set up shop in Fox Hills six months ago, he operated Jackson & Jackson Parfum Collections from Las Vegas. The company sold faux designer fragrances by mail order. Now he sells copycat concentrates, handsomely displayed, from a cart; they sell for $20 an ounce, $7 for one-fifth of an ounce. The slim, rectangular bottles carry familiar names such as Eternity, Opium, Joy, Escape, Drakka Noir, Polo, Boss and Chanel No. 5. And a disclaimer on the bottom that reads, as in the case of Opium: “If you enjoy Opium, you’ll enjoy Jackson.”

Bargain hunters can have a field day here. Impostors, a company that sells knockoff jewelry, has 20 locations and uses the Fox Hills store as a discount center. Daily specials on jewelry fakes start at $9--for two necklaces, pins or pairs of earrings. Other specials are designer-name watches for $19, $29 and $39.

In Forever Twenty-One, clothing comes with plenty of pizazz and low prices. Recent finds include sexy, long Lycra-velour dresses for $40 and chic, short-sleeve rayon pantsuits with floral collars and half belts for $37.80.

La Fayette is stocked with special-occasion dresses and suits for women of all ages. There are potential prom dresses on sale for $99, “Oscar night” beaded gowns for $349 and bridal gowns priced from $500.

Hip young men get a break at JW with special deals on trendy pieces. Buy a six-button rayon-polyester suit jacket for $65, for example, and get the matching pants for free.

Kids Mart gives children and their parents a break with permanent sale counters that feature name brands like Health-tex, Cherokee, Hush Puppies and Bugle Boy. New spring merchandise for little fashion plates includes fruit-decorated flip-flops for $5, a floral dress and straw hat combo for $23 and an empire-waist chambray dress in sizes 7 to 14 for $17.

Maurice Shoes offers good prices and a wide selection of women’s shoes, boots and handbags from companies such as Jazz, Enzo, Kenneth Cole, L.J. Simone, Jasmin and Gomez Rivas.

Other mall specials include a $4 shoe shine at J.R. Jonathans and $8 haircuts at Moradi Studio.

Among the center’s more unusual stores is West Love Culture Crafts, billed as a “contemporary and African boutique.” It specializes in ethnic apparel, accessories, art, artifacts, toys and books, including cookbooks. Pyramid Art Gallery, located in a tiny corner space, features African-American art reproductions, some of them limited-edition prints, with prices ranging from $25 to $3,000.

Designers Gallery opened in the mall as part of a salute to Black History Month, and will remain open on a month-to-month basis. Unusual work from Los Angeles designers include Shatina’s hand-painted bustiers for $100 and lavishly decorated bell-bottom jeans for $170.

If you ever need to be reminded this mall isn’t like others, just walk by the Fox Hills Dental Office and catch a whiff of the antiseptic smells. Its proprietor, Dr. David P. Downs, says with some pride: “We have been here since 1983, and from what I’m told, we are one of the first dental offices to be in a mall in Southern California.” He also keeps mall-like hours--Monday through Saturday.

Details, Details What: Fox Hills Mall

Where: Slauson and Sepulveda, Culver City.

Hours: Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Best Bets: Brass Boot and Momenti for men’s shoes and boots; Kids Mart for bargains; Kids Depot for extravagance; Impostors for savings on copycat jewelry.