“Devon Lee smile, teeth a white row,” sings Charli xcx in her song “Speed Drive.” The line’s an ode to Devon Lee Carlson, the It girl who’s taken over social media since becoming Instagram famous in 2012. Now she has millions of followers who watch her YouTube vlogs, Instagram stories, and TikToks, in which she documents everything from attending Balenciaga and Gucci fashion shows to closet clean-outs and quiet mornings with her fiancé, Duke Nicholson. Offline, she runs Wildflower Cases, a quirky phone case company, with her parents and sister, Sydney. The self-proclaimed Valley girl grew up just outside Los Angeles, so she knows the best places in the city. Carlson has no plans to leave L.A.—ever. “It’s such an easy place to take care of -yourself, be in nature, and, on the same day, have an amazing meal.” Luckily for us, she agreed to take WYouth on a tour of her favorite spots in her favorite city.
Gucci T-shirt.
Dura Coffee ❤ @duracoffeela
“The matcha is amazing, and I’m a matcha snob,” says Carlson. Her go-to order is an iced matcha latte, short, with almond milk and a banana cream top. “Our matcha is sourced from Fukuoka, Japan, and we prepare our fresh banana cream every day,” says Dura Coffee’s co-owner Kevin Pacheco. Located in Fairfax, the café was founded by a group of friends who had worked together at a nearby Starbucks. Carlson has been a regular since they opened last year. “The owners of the shop are so kind. Every time I’ve been there, they remember everyone’s name.”
Carlson’s own clothing and sandals.
Sticker Planet ❤ @stickerplanetla
Sticker Planet, in the Original Farmers Market at the Grove, is run by brother-and-sister duo Richard and Hilary Kraft. “Our parents started the shop in 1992 with the vision to create a store that would sell stickers the old-school way—on rolls, so people could pick and choose exactly what they wanted,” says Hilary. “Our motto is: ‘The world’s best stickers, all in one place.’ ” Carlson, a sticker connoisseur, “puts stickers everywhere. You can put them on your phone case, which is my main thing.” She fondly remembers a date with Nicholson at Sticker Planet, during which “we decorated each other’s phone cases and then swapped them. I recommend that for a first date!”
Miu Miu dress.
New Beverly Cinema ❤
@newbeverly
Nicholson introduced Carlson to New Beverly Cinema, a revival theater now owned by Quentin Tarantino. After watching Terminator 2: Judgment Day there, Carlson was hooked. “The entire experience feels not of today,” she explains. The theater looks like a relic of the 1970s: The marquee is updated every couple of days, and the concession stand offers nostalgic candies such as Chuckles, Mallo Cups, and 5th Avenue bars. “We do not allow cell phone use once the light of the film projector hits the screen,” says Jules McLean, the cinema’s vice president. According to Carlson, “When you watch a movie there, you’re with a group of people who are really into movies. If a joke is made, the whole theater is erupting with laughter. You feel very much a part of something.”
Gucci T-shirt and leggings; her own hoodie and hat.
Cannonball and Tilly ❤
@cannonballandtilly
Carlson is a vintage shopping expert, and Cannonball and Tilly, located in Little Ethiopia, is one of her favorite spots in Los Angeles. “They have a large collection of vintage dresses from Mandalay, which was a brand from the early 2000s,” says Carlson. “The Girls Next Door and Sharon Stone used to wear them.” Laura Kranitz opened Cannonball and Tilly in 2014. “There’s something really satisfying about connecting the right piece with the right person,” says Kranitz.
FOLM ❤
@folm.studio
Carlson’s favorite workout classes are at FOLM, a Pilates place in East Hollywood. “The whole studio is women-only, which is just an added layer of fun and comfiness. All of their classes are rooted in dance. Coming from a [background as a] dancer, I just feel safe and seen.” The studio was founded two years ago by Cindy Gomez and Anna Collins (sister of photographer Petra Collins). “Our favorite part about running FOLM is definitely the clients,” says Collins. For Carlson, community is instrumental to her workout routine. She has “a large group of girls in a group chat, and usually they will text naming a different workout spot, being like, ‘This place at 10 a.m. Who wants to come?’” As for her outfit, “I love a bodysuit. I don’t love working out, so however I can get ready the fastest, I usually go for it.”
Hair by Kiley Fitzgerald for Oribe at A-Frame Agency; makeup by Adriana González; manicure by Caroline Cotten for Aprés Nail at the Wall Group.
Produced By Get It Productions; Executive Producer: Tara Trullinger; Producer: Blanca Ballesté; Photo Assistants: Keith Bennett, Kurt Mangum; Wardrobe Assistant: Antonina Getmanova; Special Thanks To Sticker Planet, Cannonball And Tilly, Dura Coffee, Folm, And New Beverly Cinema.
