Fashion District, Los Angeles, California
Encyclopedia
The Fashion District is a design, warehouse, and distribution nexus of the clothing, accessories and fabric industry in Downtown Los Angeles
. The Fashion District spans 90 blocks and is the hub of the apparel industry on the West Coast of the United States
.
The District is known to be one of the best places to shop for clothing, accessories, cosmetics and shoes. Many clothing companies manufacture their clothing in the Fashion District, such as American Apparel
and Andrew Christian
.
The Fashion District also features Santee Alley, a heavily populated "back alley" shopping path between Maple and Santee Streets, stretching from Olympic Boulevard
to Pico Boulevard
. This alley
is notorious for being home to a large concentration of counterfeit
ers trying to sell a variety of faux designer goods, ripped DVDs, and other stolen or bootleg items. Similarly, the alley is also known for its illegal trade in live animals, which has been criticized by animal rights activists as cruel. Despite this, there are also many reputable and honest merchants in the alley.
The LAPD routinely raids the alley to arrest counterfeiters. During a two-day raid in 2006, authorities seized $18.4 million worth of counterfeit designer brand merchandise from two downtown locations. On May 23, 2006, police raided a swap meet located at 500 South Los Angeles Street and found fake Tiffany jewelry worth about $6.4 million and arrested two adults. On May 24, 2006, police also raided and seized 12 million worth of counterfeit handbags, clothes, sunglasses, shoes and wallets etc. from the Fashion District Santee Alley between 12th Street and Olympic Boulevard.
California Market Center is centrally located in the Fashion District, and similar to the Cooper Building and the New Mart. It is home to the offices of many of Los Angeles' aspiring clothing designers, sellers, and buyers, as well as the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
, popularly known as FIDM, in the adjacent South Park neighborhood. Otis College of Art and Design
has a satellite campus in the California Market Center.
Downtown Los Angeles
Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, United States, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area...
. The Fashion District spans 90 blocks and is the hub of the apparel industry on the West Coast of the United States
West Coast of the United States
West Coast or Pacific Coast are terms for the westernmost coastal states of the United States. The term most often refers to the states of California, Oregon, and Washington. Although not part of the contiguous United States, Alaska and Hawaii do border the Pacific Ocean but can't be included in...
.
The District is known to be one of the best places to shop for clothing, accessories, cosmetics and shoes. Many clothing companies manufacture their clothing in the Fashion District, such as American Apparel
American Apparel
American Apparel is a clothing manufacturer in the United States. It is a vertically integrated clothing manufacturer, wholesaler, and retailer that also performs its own design, advertising, and marketing...
and Andrew Christian
Andrew Christian
Andrew Christian is a fashion designer. He became interested in fashion from an early age. Right after he graduated high school, he moved to Los Angeles, California to begin working in the fashion world. Christian soon decided he didn't like working for everyone else...
.
Olympic Boulevard
Olympic Boulevard is a major arterial road in Los Angeles, California. It stretches from 4th Street on the western end of Santa Monica to East Los Angeles—farther than Wilshire Boulevard and most other streets....
to Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard
Pico Boulevard is a major Los Angeles street that runs from the Pacific Ocean at Appian Way in Santa Monica to Central Avenue in Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA...
. This alley
Alley
An alley or alleyway is a narrow lane found in urban areas, often for pedestrians only, which usually runs between or behind buildings. In older cities and towns in Europe, alleys are often what is left of a medieval street network, or a right of way or ancient footpath in an urban setting...
is notorious for being home to a large concentration of counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
ers trying to sell a variety of faux designer goods, ripped DVDs, and other stolen or bootleg items. Similarly, the alley is also known for its illegal trade in live animals, which has been criticized by animal rights activists as cruel. Despite this, there are also many reputable and honest merchants in the alley.
California Market Center is centrally located in the Fashion District, and similar to the Cooper Building and the New Mart. It is home to the offices of many of Los Angeles' aspiring clothing designers, sellers, and buyers, as well as the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, is a specialized for-profit private college located in California dedicated to educating students for the Fashion, Entertainment, Beauty, Interior Design, and Graphic Design industries....
, popularly known as FIDM, in the adjacent South Park neighborhood. Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design
Otis College of Art and Design is an art and design college in Los Angeles, California.The school's programs, accredited by WASC and National Association of Schools of Art and Design, include four-year BFA degrees in illustration, fine arts, graphic design, architecture, landscape design, interior...
has a satellite campus in the California Market Center.