By Mary-Justine Lanyon
Editor
It seems only fitting that Jessica Bazan has purchased Mag.Pi from the family of Lauri Carleton, who was murdered on Aug. 18, 2023.
Bazan and Carleton, who owned the Cedar Glen shop, were friends. Now Bazan runs both the mountain shop and the one in Studio City.
At the shop she carries a variety of women’s clothing and much more. She calls it “thoughtful gifting,” noting that she carries a number of women-owned brands.
One such brand is MURJER, a line of jeans and trousers created by Lake Arrowhead native Muriel Phillips Thompson. When she was looking for a curated boutique that might carry her line, a relative suggested she take a look at Mag.Pi. Since she now lives in Burbank, she visited the Studio City shop. Bazan happened to be there that day.
“I talked with her about my line,” Thompson said. “Jessica said she had never seen anything like it. I went back for a formal meeting.” Now Bazan carries Thompson’s line in both Mag.Pi locations.
Thompson worked in the fashion industry for more than 20 years. She worked with the design team on marketing – looking at what was trending and figuring out how to make it work for a particular retailer.
“I would show the collection to them. They would select a sample and then place an order in their colors. It would become their private label,” Thompson said.
What she came to realize is that there is “a void in the fashion industry to support women’s changing bodies.” And so she came up with the concept for jeans and trousers that sculpt the body – controlling the tummy and lifting the butt (she’s called it Better Butt Lift).
Other brands, Thompson said, make claims about tummy control “but there’s nothing that controls 360 degrees. If you support the core, you should give the booty a lift.”
Thompson added that she is very particular about fit and quality. She spent two years developing this line of jeans and trousers. She started selling them online with a soft launch last April. Then she did a couple of pop-up shops. And now her brand is available locally in Cedar Glen.
What makes the pants sculpt the body is shapewear that is sewn into them. Thompson imports the shapewear as the machinery to make it is not available in the U.S. It is lined with cotton and will not roll down, Thompson said.
She sources the denim in Los Angeles. It is cut, sewn and assembled in Los Angeles.
The jeans are available in three styles: barrel leg, a trending style, Thompson said; wide leg; and straight leg. The Brooklyn trousers are made of a soft fabric.
“This is a full-circle moment,” Thompson said. “I’m bringing something I built back to the mountain community that raised me.”
For more information, visit murjer.com.
I FOUND THE JEANS! My mom pooch is gone, my waist is snatched, my booty’s lifted. These made me feel 🔥 in 5 seconds flat. These are actual magic…supportive, sculpting, and still super comfy.
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