Doneger Group Opens Los Angeles Office
New York–based fashion and retail merchandising consulting firm The Doneger Group has announced plans to open an office in Los Angeles in September.
“Having a home base in Los Angeles is part of our plan to expand our global offerings to clients,” said Abbey Doneger, chief executive officer of the 59-year-old company. “It’s something I’ve thought about for some time, and opening a Los Angeles office is consistent with California being important in both fashion and retail.”
While the exact location of the new office had not been determined at the time of publication, the company revealed that Janine Blain, a 20-year veteran of the merchandising industry, will head up the West Coast operations.
Blain—who has honed her fashion and merchandising expertise at companies such as Macy’s West, Elie Tahari, Directives West and C & C California—will focus on merchandising services tailored for the West Coast market.
“We are thrilled to have attracted such a strong industry talent in Janine, who has had her pulse on the West Coast lifestyle for more than two decades,” Doneger said.
The primary focus of the office will be to “identify resources in California; understand the West Coast lifestyle and consumer; and focus on key categories, including contemporary, junior, young men’s, surf and skate,” Doneger said.
The move to Los Angeles is the latest part of the group’s plan to expand its global network of fashion and merchandising experts in influential markets. Recently, the company hired fashion trend expert Amanda Hallay as its European trend analyst and named former Seventeen Senior Market Editor Renee Roman as market analyst for contemporary sportswear.
—Erin Barajas
