Fashion Interest From Russian Delegation
The California Market Center (CMC), California Fashion Association (CFA) and California Apparel News joined forces to promote the Los Angeles apparel industry to a group of visiting fashion business owners from Russia.
CFA executive director Ilse Metchek discussed the process of retailing in the United States, including sales and distribution lines, representatives, buying offices, showrooms and opportunities in Los Angeles and at the California Market Center at the Oct. 16 seminar held at Moda restaurant on the first floor of the CMC.
Several representatives from Los Angeles’ apparel industry were on hand to talk about their businesses, including Tukatech’s Sonia Chhabra and Rupee Arora; Directives West’s Sandy Potter, Sandy Richman and Irinia Pilnik; Olga Karasik, an attorney with Wasserman, Comden & Casselman; and LivLov president Lia Renee.
Henry Leyva, a representative from Mayor James Hahn’s office; Bobbie Hines and Leticia Arias of the U.S. Department of Commerce; and Pat Tabassi of the City of Vernon Chamber of Commerce were among a handful of prominent local figures who attended the seminar to discuss L.A.’s apparel industry and answer questions.
About 13 designers, manufacturers and retailers— from Volgograd to St. Petersburg—made up the allwomen delegation.
“It has been a good visit so far, and there is a lot to learn from this industry,” said Mariya Vladimirova, director of Firma MV, which produces coats for men, women and children in Nizhniy Novgorod, just south of Moscow.
Afterward, the CMC’s Liz Riley, marketing coordinator, treated the delegation to a tour of the building.
The delegation’s visit also included a factory tour of Komarov in downtown Los Angeles. Owner Shelley Komarov (who is well-known in Russia for her costume designs) and her designer son Dimitri Komarov make pleated dresses, blouses and skirts. The delegation was intrigued by recent advances in apparel technology and wanted to learn more about distribution and trade shows, said Dimitri Komarov. “They were very interested in seeing how the apparel business works here in Los Angeles,” he said. “And, they enjoyed learning our method for pleating apparel.” —Claudia Figueroa
