L.A. Fashion Community Enlists City Support
Members of the Los Angeles fashion community met with representatives of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s office to enlist the city’s support in raising the visibility of Los Angeles as a world fashion capital.
The group held its second meeting, on Jan. 9, at the mayor’s offices in City Hall, drawing a mix that included representatives from the California Fashion Association, the Los Angeles Fashion District Business Improvement District, the Cooper Design Space, Designers and Agents, the California Market Center, LA Inc., L.A. Live and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, as well as representatives from the local public-relations community.
“What we want to accomplish is a partnership [between] the fashion industry and the city of Los Angeles,” said Cynthia M. Ruiz, president of the city’s Board of Public Works, who helped convene the group, which first met in late December.
“I personally got involved in this area with my work with the Fashion [District] Business Improvement District,” she said. Ruiz is working on the fashion initiative with Krista Kline from the mayor’s economic team.
At the Jan. 9 meeting, the scope of suggestions was far-flung, ranging from inviting the mayor to participate in fashion-industry events to hosting a large-scale event for buyers shopping the Los Angeles market.
The group, which will next meet in April, has split into separate committees. One will work on ideas for increasing buyer traffic at Los Angeles markets. The other will work on marketing initiatives, beginning with establishing a uniform message about the L.A. fashion industry.
“I am excited about the enthusiasm and the possibilities,” Ruiz said. “The goal [is to] increase visibility of the [Los Angeles] fashion industry, which in turn would have a positive economic impact.” —Alison A. Nieder
