Located on Valencia St.
in the heart of San Francisco's hip Mission District,
"Laku" has been here since 1993, one of the first alternative shops
in this up-and-coming neighborhood. All our designs are original,
and every article is handmade; we use both vintage and natural fabrics,
such as silk, cotton, velvet, organdy and brocade.
And above all, we take pride in making each step of every creation
with the utmost care and attention. In this way "Laku" strives to
make every customer "happy".

Yaeko Yamashita, the owner of "Laku", began her career
in Tokyo, where she worked as a fashion designer for 14 years.
Growing tired of the commercial aspects of the business
and wanting to change the direction of her life,
she traveled around Asia for one year, combining new discoveries
with her expert technique to develop her own distinctive style.

In 1987 she moved to New York City,
where she opened up her first handmade shop on Elizabeth St.
Among the distinctions of this "anonymous" enterprise ( her shop
had no name! ) was a full-page article in the New York Times
which lavished praise on her original creations.
In 1992 she brought her talents to San Francisco,
and the rest is history.