Walking down Maple Avenue the smell and sizzle of bacon-wrapped hotdogs from silvery food carts wafts above the street packed with shoppers, colorful oversized umbrellas, and a rainbow of fabric bolts in shimmering sequence, wild animal-print, delicate toile, and solid colors. This week took me to the Los Angeles Fashion District. 
Spanning 90-blocks of downtown Los Angeles this is the nucleus of the apparel industry for the West coast. While parking can be anywhere from challenging to downright shady, any concerns you had about your car being dinged up or even “misplaced” seem to vanish when the variety of textiles get the creative wheels in your head spinning at a furious speed.
Michael Levine offers imported fabrics from Japan, playful characters on laminated linen, varying weights and colors of denim, leather and animal hides in an array of sizes and textures, zippers, buttons, and notions that will plead with you to buy them, plus a friendly staff who offers up the occasional paper-bag pick-your-own-discount. And upstairs in The Loft all fabric is $2.00 a pound.
Spanning 90-blocks of downtown Los Angeles this is the nucleus of the apparel industry for the West coast. While parking can be anywhere from challenging to downright shady, any concerns you had about your car being dinged up or even “misplaced” seem to vanish when the variety of textiles get the creative wheels in your head spinning at a furious speed.
Michael Levine offers imported fabrics from Japan, playful characters on laminated linen, varying weights and colors of denim, leather and animal hides in an array of sizes and textures, zippers, buttons, and notions that will plead with you to buy them, plus a friendly staff who offers up the occasional paper-bag pick-your-own-discount. And upstairs in The Loft all fabric is $2.00 a pound.
If sewing isn‘t your bag, enter Santee Avenue and navigate through the honeycomb of vendors selling everything from printed T’s, three-piece suits, knock off Hermes bags, and one-piece jumpers.
One day in the LA Fashion District is really only enough to whet your appetite. I’m hungry and going back for more soon. Location and directions here.
One day in the LA Fashion District is really only enough to whet your appetite. I’m hungry and going back for more soon. Location and directions here.
I want more pictures of these fabrics. Just SEEING them is inspiring!
Ahhh. I’m happy to go back and take more photos for you. Or, you can check out a few more here:http://www.flickr.com/photos/radmegan/sets/72157624965012026/