Showroom Five 21
California Market CenterSuite B521(213) 438-0521Two lines as different as night and day define the new Showroom Five 21 in the California Market Center.
On one side of the space sits Traffic People, a British label filled with flirty, feminine dresses and tops for the contemporary crowd.
On the other side stands Silver Dagger, an edgy contemporary menswear line out of Boca Raton, Fla., comprising dark colors and graphics emblazoned with crystals.
This is the first showroom for Vishaka Lama, a native of Nepal who has been in the United States for nine years.
For two years, she worked in the neighboring Reneacute;e and Co. showroom, helping to represent a number of apparel lines.
When the showroom’s owner, Reneacute;e Watson, got a new denim line for her showroom, she asked Lama if she would like to rep Silver Dagger and Traffic People. She did, moving a few doors away from her former employer.
The two lines sell mostly in specialty stores. Traffic People’s dresses and tops have a gauzy look with ruffle accents. They wholesale from $40 to $79 and sell at stores such as Yellow Dog in Los Angeles and Raw Clothing in San Diego.
Silver Dagger is for the man who likes a bit of bling in his life. The blazers, shirts, cotton/cashmere sweaters, T-shirts, and fleece and cotton hoodies are all studded with crystals or shiny embellishments. Others are decorated with embroidered designs or leather appliqueacute;s. They wholesale for $60 to $135, selling at Let’s Go La Jolla near San Diego and New York Speed in Los Angeles.
Days before Los Angeles Fashion Market opened, workmen were busy putting the finishing touches on the showroom’s new interior deacute;cor, which has a European country feel. Weathered outdoor bistro chairs flanked worn wooden tables. Yellow wrought-iron fence strips hung on the wall, serving as a display area for the two lines. A vintage chandelier, reportedly once owned by actress Farrah Fawcett, added a touch of glitz.
“I’m very, very excited,” Lama said about her new showroom. “It’s been very fun so far.” —Deborah Belgum
