Urban Chic
A growing number of fashion industry insiders are making their home downtown
Downtown Los Angeles is vastly removed in time and space from Urbino, Italy—“the pearl of the Renaissance”—but Luciana Brancorsini has found happiness in both locales.
The Urbino native and co-owner of the Idea Generation Showroom in the Cooper Design Space is one of a growing number of fashion industry insiders who’ve found that downtown is not just a place to work but also a place to call home.
Brancorsini spent a number of years living in Hollywood. But after previously making her abode in the metropolises of Milan and New York, Hollywood failed to deliver the urban living experience she craved. Last summer, a friend suggested the Toy Factory Lofts, located at the intersection of Industrial and Mateo, which were then in their final phase of renovation. “I went to see the place, loved it, and in five minutes I bought it,” said Brancorsini. “I loved the modern building, I wanted to live downtown, and it was perfect.”
A shining symbol of the revitalization of downtown Los Angeles, the Toy Factory Lofts were originally built in the 1920s as, naturally, a toy factory. They’ve been transformed by Linear City LLC into 109 live/work lofts and 12 retail spaces offering an urban living experience with ample amenities. The units immediately sold out, with a select few currently offered for resale.
Brancorsini bought one of the smaller floor plans, a 900-square-foot studio, for which she paid $340,000. A friend of hers also bought a unit for $420,000 and resold it six months later for $600,000. Said the Italian of the California real estate market, “I don’t know if that is normal or crazy.”
Besides being able to bicycle to work, Brancorsini enjoys the close proximity to Walt Disney Hall and downtown’s other theater and music venues. She regularly patronizes the restaurants R23 and Zip Fusion and only laments the lack of a nearby grocery store. “It would be great to have a decent grocery store,” she said. “Nobody realizes there is a huge community of educated professionals here who would like to have those amenities.” (In fact, Ralphs Grocery Co. recently broke ground for a supermarket at 9th and Figueroa; it is expected to open in two years.)
Many who work in the fashion industry regularly visit New York, once lived there, or have often thought about living there. Living downtown offers them an approximation. Santee Court resident Christiana Schildmeyer says downtown actually offers the best of both worlds—a New York atmosphere “without having to live in New York and give up my California lifestyle.”
Schildmeyer works at home as a designer for Madras; on the side she is launching Everett Denim Culture this summer. She moved to Santee Court—which consists of three buildings at 7th and Los Angeles streets—last summer, coaxed by the 15-foot ceiling, large closet, and “big bathtub.”
The 800-square-foot live/work unit she rents features exposed pipes and original walls that make for a “cool atmosphere.” She calls the rent “reasonable,” and the building’s commercial/residential zoning would allow her to bring in employees or interns from the nearby Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising.
Her close proximity to the showrooms, trade shows and suppliers to the Fashion District is a tremendous convenience that greatly improves her quality of life, Schildmeyer says. “I also like how there’s an eclectic mix of people downtown, from executives to artists.”
Schildmeyer goes to the Gold’s Gym at 7th and Figueroa and enjoys eating at the downtown restaurant Firehouse. The second half of the Santee Court project is underway, and several nearby buildings are being renovated. “Once it’s done, there’s going to be a little community right here,” she said. “That was one of the selling points for my wanting to move here, knowing what’s eventually going to happen to this whole area.”
Downtown living is perhaps most appealing to those in the apparel industry who work at home. In addition to being located close to the heart of the Fashion District, downtown’s popular live/work lofts can usually accommodate the space needed for sewing and related equipment.Freelance fashion and costume designer Kristine Karnaky, who also designs a line called Miss KK, moved in last July to the Brownstein Lewis Building at Santee Court. “I can walk out my door and I’m taken care of,” she says. “In L.A., people drive all the time, but I might not need to leave my house for a couple days at a time.”
Most of her fellow downtown residents are young couples or singles, neighbors she enjoys living among. For nightlife, she often hangs out at Groundworks in the nearby Art District and is eagerly awaiting the upcoming opening of the Tiara Cafe in The New Mart. Her friends and associates have become increasingly curious about her downtown lifestyle, Karnaky says.
Label Los Angeles, an online store for Los Angeles–based designers (labellosangeles.com), was born in a live/work space at Santee Court. Though co-founder Emily Heintz has outgrown the space and now uses it primarily for working (she keeps a fold-out couch for late nights), she too was hooked by the downtown experience. “The energy makes it like a mini New York,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to live in a city with a downtown vibe, and L.A. is really 12 mini-cities. And I’d been hearing so much about downtown.”
Downtown is one of the few places in L.A. where one can have a kitchen and a photo studio in the same space, Heintz pointed out. Her rooftop amenities include a swimming pool, barbecue, basketball court and driving range, in addition to a spectacular view, safe underground parking, and 24-hour security. “Brand-new countertops and appliances are also hard to find in L.A. without paying an exorbitant amount,” Heintz said. Easy ingress onto the 5, 10, 101 and 110 freeways is another bonus, she said.
“Downtown is actually really convenient,” Heintz added, “so I’m surprised it’s just now taking off.” —Robert McAllister
