Industry Dossier: 2.0 Agency



2.0 Agency co-owners: Lisa Sohn (right) and Patty Park



Retail giants like Forever 21 and H&M have changed the nature of the fashion industry. They’re constantly pushing out “cheap chic” (budget friendly, on-trend merchandise) at a fast rate, which has changed the way consumers shop. Consumers are now more knowledgeable than before and making smarter buying decisions. As a result, the game has changed. Luckily, 2.0 Agency, a buying office in the LA Fashion District, has the competitive edge to stay ahead of this phenomenon. Patty Park, co-owner of 2.0 Agency, shares her insights into the services she offers her clients so they can win.

2.0 Agency offers three major advantages, among others, that really set them apart: proximity, language and cost-effectiveness. They are located in the heart of the San Pedro Wholesale Mart at the LA Fashion Mart which gives them convenient and quick access to all the new merchandise. Patty sends her team out onto the field every day to build relationships with the wholesalers and to see what’s in stores.

 “We know what’s trending right now because we can easily walk to the stores and see what they have,” says Patty. “With items that are trendy at the moment, it doesn’t make sense to plan 3-6 months ahead,” Patty continues, referring to retailers who order shipments from a showroom. “We can immediately deliver the merchandise to our clients because consumers these days want to see new products constantly.”

“We ship it out every week to our clients, quicker than others,” Patty continues. “It’s a competitive market out there; bigger retailers are buying here.”

And Patty’s right. New Angeles Monthly stated in a 2007 article that “the market for middlemen [San Pedro Wholesalers] who bring that product to points in the Western Hemisphere is exploding”. San Pedro Wholesale Mart and its neighbors have grown to become one of the world’s largest women’s apparel wholesale area since its inception in 1994. According to the Market Analysis conducted by the Community Redevelopment Agency, the area has 3 million square feet of space with 400 businesses, a large number of them contemporary, wholesale vendors who have a reputable list of retailers such as Nordstrom, Macy’s and international companies from Korea and Europe.

The San Pedro Wholesale community is receiving such a high demand in their “fast fashion” merchandise because of the way consumers are spending their money. “Consumers are cross-shopping more than ever and growing more confident that they don’t have to rely on name brand to ensure good taste,” said Robert Burke, a New York retail consultant. Consumers are now mixing items of low price points with higher price points, says Patty, who helps her retail clientele take advantage of this shift. “You can see people wearing J Brand jeans, which are in the $2-300 range, with an H&M top that’s for $10”.

But they also practice what they preach. Her business partner, Lisa Sohn has a women’s retail store on Melrose Avenue and this is where they put into effect their market research. Because 70% of their customers are tourist based, Patty and Lisa get a first-hand look at how a wide spectrum of people shop. They also test new merchandise they purchase directly from the San Pedro Wholesale Mart and see which styles and trends are selling the most. With this built in “focus group”, they can immediately let their clients know what’s hot.

Another advantage that 2.0 agency has is language. Because many wholesalers at the San Pedro Wholesale Mart speak English as a second language, Patty and Lisa, who are both Korean-speaking Americans, have an easier time doing business with them. With hundreds of wholesalers selling nearly identical products, the competition is fierce. Getting the perfect style at the right price can take a lot of finesse.

Patty was born and raised in Los Angeles but her parents emigrated from North Korea. Her ability to understand and acclimate with both cultures has been her niche and success in the business. “I’m a second-generation Korean American and it’s important to me that I give back to this community [San Pedro Wholesale Mart] by being the middleman between them and retailers. That’s why my company has the ‘2.0’ in ‘Agency’. We’re here to bridge the gap.”

For a company that started a year and a half ago, 2.0 Agency is now connecting over 34 retailers and a new set of international clients to the San Pedro wholesale community in the LA Fashion District.

2.0 Agency

800 E. 12th St. #415

Los Angeles, CA 90021

323-463-1535

http://www.20agency.com/

What Sparks My Line



Photo Credit: Scott Jordan Held

  
Name: Anh Volcek

Line: L'une Collection by Anh Volcek

Inspiration: "From Water to Ice"

The Look: Romantic Modernism

As a designer who has worked for Calvin Klein and Gap Inc., was once head designer at a major firm and a recipient of a corporate award for launching a new brand, Anh Volcek knows her trade. But at the heart of the matter, Anh is an artist who designs with meaning. Now with her signature line L'une Collection, her Fall/Winter 2011 looks are inspired by a thematic story about her very personal journey being born at sea and her abduction at the age of 8 in which she calls "From Water to Ice".

The Inspiration:

Water represents Anh's birth at sea on a ship while her family was escaping the war in Vietnam.

"I used both inspiration of military, which represents pure function, and the idea of water. Both show contrasts of hard and soft," explains Anh. "The lines are inspired by the soft ripples of waves to structured lines representing ice showing contrasts of textures."

Ice represents her pain when she was abducted for one year at the age of 8. To demonstrate her pain, Anh introduced the concept of PLASTICS into this collection, a technique she learned in Paris. A whole line of jewelry, accessories and custom molded body pieces, Anh melted and created 4"-8" sequins to sew onto skirts and molded it into fantasy shapes for hats or bustier that symbolize body armor.

"The plastic is the ice or shell I built around me emotionally. The sequins in the line are all different types of tears I wanted to shed. When I allowed myself to cry, it was then that I allowed myself to feel human again," Anh shares.

Make-up & Hair: 

Anh debuted her fall collection at Concept LA Fashion Show in February 2011 during LA Fashion Week. Anh gave the concept images to the hair stylist, Aubrey Loots of DNA Salon, and make-up artist Melanie Mills, an Emmy award winning artist whose work includes "Dancing with the Stars". Both were Concept LA show sponsors. Aubrey and team helped transform one of the models into an "ice princess" by adding airy winter-like extensions to her hair; Melanie and her team made the make-up look like snow fell on her face.

For the other models, Anh asked for beautiful tears and wild hair. The tears, which represented the tears Anh couldn't shed during her abduction, were all different in style; some models had feathered tears, smudged eyes or silver tears.

Fall/Winter '11 Runway Show - Final Looks:

All photos by Scott Jordan Held

With a finished collection, Anh recently signed with Haus of Chic Agency, a showroom in the LA Fashion District's New Mart Building. But she also carries some press pieces at GatherLA showroom and has a sample room in San Diego. However, she still meets with vendors and factories in Los Angeles for production. "Made in the USA is something that I am really pushing for. It costs me more but anything I can do to help the economy and the LA Fashion District grow is important to me."

You can shop for L'une Collection by Anh Volcek here or visit her showroom at 127 E. 9th Street, Loft #800 Los Angeles, CA 90014 and contact sales rep, Ambriel at (213) 394-4201.

A Glance at Designer Alana Hale

We recently met emerging LA-based designer Alana Hale and her beautiful mom at the Designers & Agents Show in the LA Fashion District's New Mart Building. Not only was her smile infectious, but so were her luxurious, edgy pieces. Worn by the likes of Paula Abdul, Ashlan Gorse and Keri Hilson at red carpet events, Alana's collection has quickly become a favorite among celebrities and stylists. Each piece is crafted from lavish fabrics and immaculate detailing - such as feathers, netting, leather and classic on-trend color palettes. Additionally, her collection is designed and manufactured in Los Angeles. We've included some photos of her Fall 2011 collection from the "A La Mode" runway show at London Fashion Week, taken from her website http://www.alanahale.com/, for you to enjoy!



Alana Hale and her mother at the Designers & Agents Show, June 2011



Alana Hale (third from right) with models wearing her collection



Haus of Chic Agency represents emerging independent designers and truly believes in the work of their clients. That’s why Ambriel does more than what a sales representative does. She utilizes her product development and merchandising education and work experience at Alternative Apparel into her showroom so she can personally assist each brand on what buyers want, basically showing them what will sell. Because she knows what consumers want, she consults with each designer, reviews over their samples and edits them for Market Week. She also makes sure that each designer’s look book and line sheets are perfect.



Ambriel going over the look book with client, L'une Collection by Anh Volcek


Ambriel also provides a complimentary Public Relations service to being part of her showroom. A month before LA Fashion Market, she and her team persistently contacts all of their West Coast accounts via email and phone and sends out email blasts on behalf of all designers to book appointments with buyers. She also writes press releases for the designers and conducts outreach through social media. She believes that this service is not only an extra perk, but economically practical.


The set up of her showroom with each brand strategically placed

In addition to meeting with buyers at the showroom, many buyers are store owners and are unable to visit the showroom, so Ambriel goes to them. She uses a qualifying method to decide if that buyer fits into the rest of the collection in her showroom and when it does, she says 9 out of 10 times, she gets an order.



Ambriel showing the jewelry collection to a buyer during Market Week



A fit model in the showroom displaying L'une Collection by Anh Volcek



JALDA purses



So with Ambriel’s persistence, detailed consideration to her clients and expertise in the field, she has curated a showroom with designers of high quality clothes and accessories that people want to buy. In a district filled with hundreds of showrooms, it’s important to have that competitive edge that will set you apart from the girl next door. Ambriel of Haus of Chic Agency has done just that. She’s sharpened her tool into a double-edged sword and is ready to prove that she’s the lady of the Haus.

Designer & Agents Show



All photos taken by Howard K. Chang


Designers & Agents held its fall '11/Holiday show at the LA Fashion District's New Mart Building this week. This independent, international trade fair for over 1,000 collections and thousands of retailers typically attract 3,000 retail and media visitors each season. The environment and brands are pre-edited, art-directed, and merchandised to create a sense of camaraderie and discovery. As a result, the comment trend among the exhibits was an earthy, navajo-inspired, eco-friendly theme. This highlights D&A's sustainable design movement called Green Initiative. It has helped grow the show to a gifted eco-conscious showcase of dozens of ecological minded vendors and artists interspersed among D & A’s hundreds of presenting designers.

The Prep & Steps for LA Fashion Market

 

Visit The Globe Showroom

at the Lady Liberty Building

843 S. Los Angeles Street

Unit 201

Thread LA Show: Photo Collage

Thread held it's LA show here in the LA Fashion District's Cooper Building this Sunday, June 12, 2011. Hundreds of Angelenos shopped from over 100 indie and local labels at below-retail prices and were treated to an array of fun freebies such as mini manicures at an on-site nail salon, complimentary cocktails and Vitamin Water, and makeovers in the Wellness Lounge and Style Lounge. People who wanted a break from shopping hung out at the designated Man Cave where there were magazines and internet. Additional attractions included photo booths, DJs, a gallery featuring local artists, and a DIY lounge for on-site crafting.

In case you missed it...Check out http://www.threadshow.com/ for their next line-up!

Photo Diary: Art Walk, LA Fashion District Edition



Monica and Steeve of Connected Showroom, representing As Is



Models wearing As Is

The Cooper Store

SA Gallery at Gram and Papas

Finished the night at Broadway Bar

Photographer: Howard Chang for the LA Fashion District

Have a fashionable weekend!

-LA Fashion District