The LA Fashion District is a great place to shop for bargains in trend-setting fashions, fine fabrics and even fresh flowers. Originally called The Garment District, it used to run along Los Angeles Street with blocks of apparel and accessory wholesalers and factories. Today, the Los Angeles Fashion District has become more accessible and is a lot easier for shoppers to navigate. You’ll find 100 city blocks with stores and warehouses containing apparel, handbags, shoes, fabrics and flowers from hundreds of wholesalers in thousands of shops.
What’s new in the LA Fashion District? Restaurants and cafes now line the streets providing delicious food and drink. Mannequins in the windows show newly designed halter-tops and jeans. Foot traffic has increased tremendously, as shown in the photo above. And, most importantly, it’s now easier than ever to find bargains galore
LA Fashion District has turned into a destination for shoppers from all over the country since the word got out about cutting-edge styles and bargain-basement prices from visitors raving about the deals they found. Retailers from Chicago, New York, and other major cities around the world visit the Fashion District to buy the latest fashions from LA designers.
Every store is unique, and it’s a learning experience to shop in the excitement of this atmosphere. With the bazaar-like sights and sounds of Santee Alley, the District’s open-air market, shopping can be a challenge for the uninitiated. It can be a little hectic at first, but you’ll quickly adjust and come back for more.
It might help the novice to do a little research online before shopping. From the LA Fashion District’s website, you can search for products by category or by block, making a list and plotting out your shopping trip. Besides online research, you can also download the shopping tour podcast from Downtown LA Walks to get the information you need about getting around in the LA Fashion District. A fabulous shopping adventure awaits, so don’t let anything stop you from getting your next pair of high-style heels and snug-fitting jeans.
While most of the businesses in the LA Fashion District are dedicated to wholesale, retail shopping is also allowed. The LA Fashion District is a bargain hunter’s paradise, with over 1,000 stores that sell to the general public at wholesale discounted prices. Shoppers can find bargains of 30 percent to 70 percent off retail on apparel and accessories for the whole family.
Retail owners in the Fashion District sometimes carry many different brand names at deep discounts. Most stores sell to both wholesale and retail buyers. On Saturdays, many wholesale-only stores sell to the general public.
Shopping in the LA Fashion District is a unique experience, whether you’re looking for the gay, festival-like atmosphere of Santee Alley, or simply need to find the latest trends at a fraction of the retail cost. Retail shoppers in the LA Fashion District will enjoy an extraordinary shopping experience for apparel, accessories and fabrics in the creative center of the fashion industry.
For instance, if you’re looking for material, you might want to visit Michael Levine, Inc., where you can get low price fabrics on Maple near 9th Street.
This is an actual store; not a stall. Here, you can find wool, silk, suiting, eyelet, jersey knit, buttons, chintz, satin − bolts of it − as shown in the photo above. Prices are good, and no haggling allowed. BTW, credit cards are accepted.
General Business Hours: The LA Fashion District business hours are Monday through Sunday; from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Saturday is the busiest day, as that’s when many wholesale-stores sell to the general public. On Sundays, only about 30 percent of the stores are open. Santee Alley and many stores around Santee Alley are open 365 days a year. Individual store hours vary, so you may want to contact specific stores directly to make sure they’re open when you shop.