MANUFACTURING
Trade Showroom
Cooper Design Space, Suite 514
(213) 228-1200
When Diana Oh gave birth to her daughter, Mila, in late 2016, she wanted to make some changes to the way she worked.
Instead of running a stable of brands, she wanted to focus on a handful of labels. Instead of taking direction from an executive, she wanted to call the shots.
So in January she made the move and opened her first business, the Trade Showroom. She called it the Trade Showroom because the name was simple, it was easy to remember and it defined the showroom’s operations.
Like her previous fashion-sales gigs, Oh will focus on advanced contemporary lines. She represents four labels: Smythe, a Toronto-headquartered line of blazers and jackets for women; Calvin Rucker, a Los Angeles line of denim and day-to-night tops; Label + Thread, a New York–headquartered cashmere and basics line; and S18terhood, a New York label of dresses and tops. Wholesale price points range from $90 to $450.
The showroom’s interior focuses on white walls, wood accents and plants such as cacti. Oh wanted to keep the look understated. “I wanted to have a more focused environment for accounts, so they can stand out. I want to be supportive,” she said. “This is like a marriage. I’m looking forward to building long-lasting relationships with my designers.”
While the Trade Showroom will strive to keep a boutique-size group of clients, it will look for opportunity too. Oh is scheduled to open a Dallas showroom in mid-March.
