Fashion
|
L.A. County Fashion At A Glance
L.A. County Fashion Employer Breakdown:
|
When it comes to style, L.A. County looks to the Fashion District, downtown. At the intersection of Ninth and Los Angeles streets lie the fashion marts where designers display their latest creations, retailers negotiate prices for next spring’s lines, and consumers flock to find bargains.
The Fashion cluster, which includes apparel, textile, footwear, jewelry and leather goods industries, ranks second in Los Angeles County in terms of regional concentration, and employed 87,000 in 2011.
Centered in the 90-square blocks surrounding the fashion marts, over 87,000 workers county wide generate over $60 billion in economic impact to the County.
It is a young and exuberant industry with a sense of style, reflected in the area it occupies. Here you will find big name designers alongside small, independent shops.
California designers created the modern bathing suit, t-shirt and strapless bra. Young and casual are keywords with juniors, contemporary, and action/sports collections most prevalent from names like Forever 21, Karen Kane, BCBG, American Apparel, Guess, True Religion, and Seven for all Mankind. L.A. County is also home to 30 companies that manufacture custom shoes and six that manufacture handbags.
The District’s compact size and entrepreneurial spirit give it the flexibility to handle special orders and quick turn requests in stride. Perhaps that’s why L.A. County’s fashion industry workforce today is larger than that found in New York’s fabled Fashion District.
Downtown L.A.’s fashion industry continues to expand with new condo showroom and wholesale buildings under construction.