First sex change; now leaving antique mall for flea markets Jennifer Blake is going through a transformation from a mall/shop dealer to a flea marketer. This might be a big life change for most, but for Blake it hardly registers as a tiny blip on the landscape
regularly set up at the Caskey-Lees Pasadena Show held at the Elks Lodge, which eventually morphed into the 4th Sunday Pickwick Show, which was later taken over by Harvey Liss.
Blake developed such a knack for buying and selling, and determining upcoming trends that her clients over the years have included top interior designers, Hollywood set decorators, and A-list celebrities. A lifetime of personal strife had transformed Blake into such a compassionate person that she has developed a miraculous gift for connecting to others; after only talking with a person for a few minutes she is able to determine his wants and needs based on his personality and current furnishings in his home; she is also able to help him find a new stylistic direction.
From 1992 to ’98, Blake ran her own posh antique store, Blake’s Antiques, which was located on La Cienega where Melrose Place deadends. She lived on the second story and converted the first floor into a 1920s French salon, reminiscent of the one owned by Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklos. Her shop was filled with beautifully-upholstered chaise lounges piled high with embroidered pillows, oversized lamps with beaded fringe shades. Cranberry and opalescent glass decanters with enameled flowers glistened in showcases.
She was a dealer at several prominent Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley malls before deciding to join the outdoor show circuit selling vintage items as well as her own jewelry creations.
