Fashion District Los Angeles

The Los Angeles Fashion District, which spans 100 blocks, is the center of the L.A. Fashion Industry. It features more than 2,000 independent retail and wholesale companies that offer apparel, footwear, and accessories for all ages. Santee Alley is a lively shopping district that offers the largest selection of fabrics and notions available in Southern California. The L.A. Fashion District is also located here. The Flower District is the largest flower market in the United States.

The district is open both to the public and to trade. Designer showrooms, wholesale businesses, and other businesses that cater to the trade are only available for the work. Santee Alley, the retailers and businesses in the area, and many of the companies located on the district’s west end are open to the general public. On the last Friday of each month, showrooms are open to the general public for sample sales.

Here’s a guide to the exciting city of Los Angeles. Fashion District Los Angeles: directions, shopping advice, and more.

Directions

Los Angeles Fashion District can be easily accessed from the 110 freeway, 101, 10, 5, 60, and 5 freeways. Nearly every block offers all-day parking at rates ranging from $8-15 per day. There is also metered street parking.

Fashion District Parking App for iPhone and Android is available. The app gives parking information based on your location. You can save your parking spot and search for businesses within 100 blocks of that location. You can also download a walking tour, driving instructions, and district information.

Take the Red Line Metro to Pershing Square at 5th Street and Hill Street. This will put you right in the middle of the Jewelry District. You can hop on a bus running through Downtown L.A.’s fashion district. The cost is only 50 cents. DASH D&E lines run through the Fashion District.

Download the map of the Fashion District by clicking on this link.

Retail Shopping

Around 80% of L.A. The Fashion District is devoted to wholesale. Wholesale shopping, however, is an integral part of the district. Over 1,000 LA Fashion District stores sell at wholesale prices to the public. You can find clothing and accessories at up to 70% off the retail price. Unlike the chain or brand stores in your typical shopping mall, the Fashion District Los Angeles is a collection of independent retail stores. Some stores carry many brand names at discounted prices.

The general business hours are from Monday to Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm. Saturdays are the busiest. About 30% of stores are open Sundays. Santee Alley and many of the stores surrounding Santee Alley are available every day. Browse the Fashion District Directory to find retail businesses and contact them directly.

Shopping Tips

The Fashion District is intimidating for first-time visitors. Its thousands of shops spread over a 100-block radius can be overwhelming. With these tips, you can score great deals like a professional in no time. Visit the Fashion District site for more shopping tips and a glossary of fashion terms.

• Solo Mayoreo: Most of the stores in the Fashion District only sell wholesale. Outside wholesale-only shops, signs will be displayed. Ask if they sell to the general public.
• Cash Only: Many of the stores in the Fashion District only accept cash. Keep an eye out for ATMs scattered throughout the district.
• If you find something you like and it is still available, you should buy it.
• All sales are final, and merchandise is sold as-is. So, make sure you examine the items before buying.
• If you purchase more than one product, the store owner is more likely to reduce prices.
• Wear comfortable shoes as the Fashion District spans 100 blocks.
• The luggage trolley is ideal for transporting large items and multiple purchases.

Sample Sales

In the wholesale buildings of Los Angeles, you’ll find designer showrooms for some of the world’s most contemporary and high-end fashions. Fashion District. The museums and buildings in Fashion District are only open to the trade and closed to the public on the last Friday of each month unless it coincides with a market. The ultimate Fashion District experience is to attend a sample sale, where showrooms offer their end-of-season samples at discounted prices. Sample sales are held on the last Friday of the month. The hours are typically 9 am to 3 pm. Most showrooms only accept cash.

Wholesale showrooms are located all around the intersection of 9th Street and Los Angeles Street. Note that not all of the galleries are participating. For more information on participating galleries, don’t hesitate to contact the following buildings.

FABRICS & Notions

Los Angeles Fashion District has the largest selection of fabrics and notions available in the United States. Nearly 200 retail and wholesale textile stores sell trim, beading, fabric, crafts, and home decor. Almost any fabric type, including novelty fabrics, exotic silks, and European upholstery, is available. Prices can range from 99 cents to hundreds of dollars a yard. The Fashion District Los Angeles is an excellent resource for designers, stylists, and craftspeople. Textile tradeshows are held at the California Market Center. Most textile and notions stores are located within a four-block radius, from 8th Street to Olympic Boulevard between Maple Avenue and San Julian Street. Visit the L.A. directory to find fabric and notions shops in the area. Fashion District Directory.

Santee Alley

Described by Racked LA as the “go-to mecca of wallet-friendly shopping,” Santee Alley Los Angeles is an alley between Santee Street and Maple Avenue, from Olympic Boulevard to 12th Street. “The Alley” is one of the most popular shopping areas in the Fashion District, known for its festive atmosphere and unique bargains. More than 150 stores and vendors sell thousands of items, from the latest trends in clothing styles to apparel for the whole family, jewelry, accessories, shoes, toys, perfumes, gift items, and much more. Santee Alley is open 365 days a year from 9:30 am to 6 pm. For more information about Santee Alley, visit www.thesanteealley.com.

Menswear

An entire sub-district of the L.A. Fashion District is dedicated to menswear. Bordered roughly from Los Angeles Street to Maple Avenue and 14th to 16th Street, the menswear area offers jeans, casual and business shirts, cowboy and western shirts, shorts, polos, athletic wear, and more at wholesale and discount prices. Some stores also carry closeout name-brand items such as Dickies and Levi’s. The L.A. Fashion District blog offers an insider tip: “A lot of what you’ll find here is very similar, if not the same, to what you would find in Santee Alley, without the crowds, and with much easier parking.”

Flower District Downtown L.a

The six-block Los Angeles Flower District is the largest in the United States. The historic Los Angeles flower markets offer a spectacular array of fresh flowers, greens, and fillers (many of them California grown) and an extensive selection of floral supplies. General business hours for most flower stores are Monday-Sunday, from 8 am to 5 pm.

Centered along Wall Street between 7th and 8th Streets, the Original Los Angeles Flower Market is the largest flower market in the country and the premier wholesale flower resource for Los Angeles. The 50,000-square-foot Los Angeles flower market has special hours for the general public, with admission fees: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 8 am to noon; Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 6 am to noon. Admission is $2 per person Monday-Friday; on Saturday, admission is $1.

Many other flower and floral supply stores are on 8th Street, between Wall Street and San Pedro Street. These stores are open to wholesale and retail during regular business hours and require no admission fee.

The California Flower Mall is open to the trade and the public seven days a week. There is no admission fee. Hours Monday-Saturday: 4:30 am to 4:30 pm. Sunday: 5 am to noon.

Clean & Safe Team

Easily recognized by their uniforms with the Fashion District’s signature yellow, the 60-member Clean & Safe Team is on patrol 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to maintain a positive public environment for visitors and the community. The Clean Team washes over 14.5 million square feet of sidewalk per quarter and collects and disposes of more than six tons of trash daily. The highly-trained Safe Team serves as the eyes and ears of the Los Angeles Police Department. Safe Team officers patrol the L.A. Fashion District on a bike, foot, and by night vehicle. Contact the Clean & Safe Team, 24 hours a day, seven days a week: 213.741.2661.