It Jeans
When Kimmy Song was hunting for new showroom space, she didn’t have to go far. She moved across the street.
Song, chief executive officer of It Jeans, was at the California Market Center in Los Angeles for two and a half years but was not happy with her space. She said she tried to move to the CMC’s fifth floor, which is dominated by contemporary showrooms, but the CMC maintained her line was not contemporary enough.
So Song decided to move. “Everyone said the Gerry Building was a happening, cool building,” the apparel executive said.
In early October, she signed a three-year lease and moved her crew to a 2,500-square-foot showroom in the Gerry Building.
The feel of her new space is that of New York’s SoHo district. High ceilings expose ventilation pipes. The walls are painted a stark white. The floors are made of cement, and the pillars are stripped of paint.
About the only things that are reminiscent of It’s old showroom, which looked like a boutique, are the Louis XV–style armchairs covered in denim from It blue jeans.
A white twill couch complements the armchairs. A touch of Zen is added with a rough-hewn wooden coffee table topped with a yellow orchid. “We like the whole atmosphere here,” said Song, who splits her time between the showroom and her corporate headquarters on South Mateo Street in downtown Los Angeles.
On one side of the showroom, buyers can gather at a white Formica table to view the women’s line. On the other side, buyers can congregate at a black-and-brown table to view the men’s and kids’ line. In the middle of the showroom is a long counter space where buyers can sit on tall white modern stools and view the lines.
Toward the back of the showroom is the office space where four members of the sales team work. Brand Manager Ricardo Carrera-Lowe takes care of international business and licensing. Julie Divine is the sales manager for the women’s line. Tammy Brown is the sales manager for specialty stores and the men’s line. Nikki Bunch is the West Coast sales manager.
Last year, It Jeans transformed its juniors line into a young contemporary denim, skirts and tops line for 17- to 28-yearolds with retail price points ranging from $58 to $78.
“The team loves being here,” Song said. “And the buyers really like it, too.” —Deborah Belgum
