Upon entering this delicate store, the question of "homemade by who?" is quickly put to rest. For the owner, Yaeko Yamashita, is often seen with the tools of her trade in hand (ball of yarn, needles), fashioning new products between helping shoppers. Yamashita, a designer from Tokyo who opened the store in 1993, has a few specialties. Baby booties, for one, with little folded roses or puffy blue balls on top, along with cashmere hats. Presented in one of Laku's minimalist cardboard boxes, any could break an expectant parent's heart or lead directly to godparenting duties. Favorites for grownups include scarves and a wide selection of hats, from party to French trim. Everything is one-of-a-kind. Silk slippers, decked out in lace ribbon and organza, appear to be drawn from some Golden Age of Limpid Footwear, when silent-movie stars vacationed in the Orient. Part of the magic of Laku is realizing the world still has places like this.