MANUFACTURING
Flagship to Open Fashion District Showroom
After nine years of working out of a renovated kung fu cinema at the edge of downtown Los Angeles’ Chinatown, Flagship, a multi-channel showroom, will open a 3,000-square-foot satellite office located in the city’s fashion district, said Christopher Josol, a Flagship partner.
Josol forecasts that construction will be complete in mid-July for Flagship’s new space, located at 721 S. Los Angeles St. It is a couple storefronts down the street from the popular Blends high-end sneaker store and located in a space that formerly housed The Cooper Store, which retailed goods from the showrooms of the Cooper Design Space. A gala debut party for the new Flagship showroom is scheduled for August. Andrea Wang, who designed interiors for Henri Bendel, signed on to craft the showroom’s new look.
Flagship will continue to hold events at the Kim Sing Theatre, the renovated kung fu cinema, located at 718 N. Figueroa St. But Josol wanted to move the showroom’s business closer to the action at the fashion district. While visitors typically were intrigued by the unique design of the Kim Sing, some buyers complained that their schedules did not have enough time for an approximately 10-minute drive from the fashion district to Chinatown, Josol said.
“We just had to pick them up and drive them back,” he said of buyers. “But with the new showroom, we will sit down and have a full discussion and not be pressed on time.”
After the move is complete, Flagship will embark on a growth spurt. Josol plans to hire five salespeople and open a satellite office in New York in 2016. Willard Ford, son of actor Harrison Ford as well as a Flagship partner, will not be involved with day-to-day business at the showroom. He will continue to serve the showroom in an advisory role. Adam Ahdoot, a Flagship brand manager, was named as a new Flagship partner, starting on July 1.
The showroom also hopes to take on new clients because it will have more space at its new address, Josol said. It currently represents brands Nicce London, Handsome Me, SLVDR, Weekend Offender, Orchill, MRKT, K-Way and JFM.
