Fashion District, located in the historic center of Los Angeles, boasts an impressive variety of historic buildings, which were once almost exclusively used as industrial spaces serving the garment industry. These former industrial blocks have been completely redeveloped to revitalize the area completely.

Within just a few blocks and buildings, the creative energies of fashion designers, vendors, wholesalers, and buyers converge. These redesigned buildings, some of which are over a century-old architectural icons, offer unique venues for trade shows, special events, and receptions.

In Los Angeles’ Fashion District, a wealth of wholesale stores, factories, showrooms, and designers offer a wide variety of clothing, accessories, and textiles at very competitive prices.

It’s important to note that about 80% of Los Angeles’ Fashion District is dedicated to the wholesale business. However, retail shopping is also an integral part of the district. The Fashion District is a bargain hunter’s paradise, with over 1,000 stores selling to the general public at discount prices. Shoppers can expect to find discounts of 30-70% off retail prices on clothing and accessories for the entire family. The retail stores in the Fashion District are independent, and here you won’t find the brands or store chains typically seen in a standard shopping mall.

In March and October, the district is renowned for the Los Angeles Fashion Week. Celebrities, designers, media, guests, and VIPs from across the country come to glimpse the new collections and trends. During this week, LA Fashion magazine highlights new designers, trend reports, fashion news, collections, and photos straight from the runway.

The Fashion District also features the popular Santee Alley, an open-air market. It is one of the most popular retail shopping areas in the Los Angeles Fashion District, well-known for its festive atmosphere and deals. The over 150 stores and vendors in Santee Alley sell everything: clothing for the entire family, accessories, toys, perfumes, gift items, and much more. Santee Alley is a real alley, located between Santee Street and Maple Avenue, from Olympic Boulevard to 12th Street. It is open 365 days a year, including all holidays.

What can I buy in the Los Angeles Fashion District?

In the Fashion District of Los Angeles, you can find a wide variety of fashion-related products, such as clothing, accessories, footwear, fabrics, and sewing materials. Some of the most popular products you can buy there include:

• Clothing: from casual wear to formal suits, the Fashion District offers a wide selection of garments for men, women, and children, including t-shirts, blouses, pants, dresses, jackets, and coats.
• Accessories: you can find all kinds of accessories, from hats and caps to jewelry and costume jewelry, handbags and wallets, belts, sunglasses, and much more.
• Footwear: there is a wide variety of shoes, from sandals and high heels to boots and sports sneakers.
• Fabrics: the Fashion District is a major distribution center for fabrics, and you can find a wide variety of fabrics of all kinds, such as cotton, silk, wool, leather, faux fur, and much more.
• Sewing materials for designers and dressmakers: the Fashion District is a paradise of sewing materials and tools, where you can find threads, buttons, fasteners, zippers, scissors, pins, needles, and everything needed for garment making.

The Bendix Building

An iconic building of the Fashion District is the Bendix Building, originally built for the Bendix Aviation Corporation. It has since earned its street credibility with the fashion industry. With its striking original neon sign and located at 1206 Maple Ave, the Bendix Building is an emblem of the Fashion District for its beauty and history. The Bendix Building was developed by Florence Casler, one of the first women to lead a company in the field of developing and constructing high-rise buildings. Currently, the Bendix Building houses approximately 30 artist studios and numerous art galleries.