Heist Celebrates 21 Years

In a world where retail comes and goes with the tides of trend, Nilou Ghodsi has done something quietly radical — she’s stayed. For 21 years, the founder of Heist has kept her Abbot Kinney boutique alive, and thriving, as the heart of Venice’s independent fashion spirit.

Designer, entrepreneur, and mother of two, Ghodsi has built more than a store — she’s cultivated a sanctuary of self-expression. Inside Heist, the racks feel less like inventory and more like an invitation: a chance for women to rediscover not just their personal style, but themselves. Her approach to curation is intuitive, emotional, and enduring — a counterpoint to fast fashion’s churn.

“Her story isn’t about commerce,” says one longtime collaborator Alexander Oppenheimer, “it’s about continuity.” And that continuity — grounded in womanhood, creative independence, and the imperfect beauty of Venice — is what makes Heist an institution.

To celebrate the milestone, Ghodsi partnered with Reserved Magazine for its 10th issue, enlisting the iconic Ellen von Unwerth to shoot the cover — a fitting tribute to a woman who has built her world on her own terms, and invited others to do the same. Twenty-one years on, Nilou Ghodsi and Heist remain proof that authenticity never goes out of style.