California Apparel News

Showroom space is increasingly considered a rare commodity in downtown Los Angeles.

But the manager of one downtown building said she would gradually transform her five-story property on South Los Angeles Street into a place devoted to fashion showrooms.

The 60,000-square-foot building, owned by Beverly Hills–based Bellagio Management LLC, will eventually offer more than eight loft-like 6,000-squarefoot showrooms, said Empera Arye, the manager of space at 843 S. Los Angeles St., which is also called the Lady Liberty Building.

The moniker notes the 50- foot-high blue-and-gold mosaic of the Statue of Liberty that adorns the front of the historic building, which was constructed in 1914.

The anticipated showroom building is located less than one block north from a group of four showroom buildings based at East Ninth and Los Angeles streets, where space is said to be in short supply.

There are currently no vacancies at two of the buildings—the Cooper Design Space and The New Mart—and a 95 percent occupancy rate at the Gerry Building, a neighbor of the Cooper Design Space.

The Lady Liberty Building’s first fashion showroom, called The Park, opened its doors on Feb. 27. The showroom’s co-owner Eric Martin said that his company previously attempted to sublease at the established Cooper Design Space in December. “But the available showrooms were expensive, too small, and [we] couldn’t get a confirmation date on when we could move in,” Martin said.

Mona Sangkala, director of leasing for the Cooper, said that she knows that it’s frustrating looking for showroom space. But, she said, subleasing issues are beyond her control, because they are controlled by showroom owners, not building management.

Since Martin moved into the Lady Liberty, he claimed that his clients had no problems finding his showroom, despite it being slightly removed from downtown’s traditional showroom intersection.

Martin and business partner Kristen Aguilera show six contemporary lines out of The Park, which include the Netherlandsbased label Scotch & Soda and Tank Farm of Cypress, Calif. The building’s other fashion tenant, accessories line Deux Lux, has maintained its office headquarters at the property for more than six years.

Until Deux Lux moved into the building in 2001, Lady Liberty’s occupants were sewing contractors.

Four sewing contractors still maintain workspace in the building, as well as a menswear business called the Suit Factory Outlet.

The Park showroom’s Martin said that he would help spread word on his new building by subleasing temporary space for upcoming apparel markets.

Contemporary golf fashion label Rosasen confirmed that it would be temporarily showing at The Park during the Los Angeles Fashion, Gift and Home Market, scheduled for March 23–27.

While interest in new showroom buildings is high, according to Kent Smith, executive director of the Los Angeles Fashion District Business Improvement District, attracting good tenants can be an expensive proposition.

Contemporary showrooms often prefer their surroundings to reflect the high aesthetic quality of their product. Building owners often must refurbish their building’s walls and floors, and provide amenities such as restaurants and an elevator that moves at a fast pace.

Arye said that new tenants would pay for the refurbishment of their showrooms, which were built with hardwood oak floors. New tenants can craft their showroom’s look in almost any way they prefer. Arye also said that one square foot of commercial space of the building currently costs $1. Martin, who recently shopped the area’s four fashion showroom buildings for space, said prices for the commercial space at showrooms ranged from $1.65 per square foot to $3 at the moreestablished showroom buildings.

For more information on the Lady Liberty Building, call (310) 276-4922 or e-mail dtownlofts@aol.com.—Andrew Asch