Creative Concepts
California Market CenterSuite A272(213) 627-4066
Peter Jacobson’s 24-year-old showroom, Creative Concepts, provides a window into European fashion for the Los Angeles market.
“Not everyone can travel to Europe. Not everyone knows how to deal with a European collection, and for me it’s become a valid market for my stores,” said Jacobson, whose showroom serves the better contemporary to the young designer market.
When Jacobson started the showroom with his now ex-partner Ara Haleblian, he focused on carrying California-based designers, he said. Only a handful of showrooms were selling contemporary-market clothing at the time. The ten lines in the Creative Concepts showroom right now are all based in Europe, but Jacobson is always on the hunt for California- based designers.
The showroom includes the funky tops line Guitare from Spain; Olvi’s Trend from the Netherlands, which uses only one type of lace throughout the collection; Brazil-based Tatiana Duarte; Italian line Vassali; and the French lines Cannisse, Helena Sorel, Hel’s, K-Yen, Rizal and Rodika Zanian, whose pieces have versatile straps and shapes that can be worn several different ways. The wholesale price points cover a wide range, from $30 for a top up to $5,000 for a mink coat, but most of the clothes fall into the $50–$250 range.
Jacobson looks for lines that may not be for every buyer but are top-notch in their specific market. He cites the example of Rizal, a line that has a reputation for its luxurious furs. “I always believe in niche marketing. It doesn’t mean the whole showroom has to be a certain niche, but each collection has to be a niche within itself,” Jacobson said. —Rhea Cortado
