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Annemarie Dillard, the Director of Contemporary Sportswear, in the retailer's West Coast office
in the LA Fashion District's California Market Center |
Los Angeles is synonymous with creativity and cutting edge fashion is one of them. That’s why Dillard’s West Coast has come to Los Angeles and set up shop in the LA Fashion District. The five-staffed team makes up the retailer’s West Coast only in-house trend office outside the company’s headquarters in Little Rock, Arkansas.
“We’re really in a unique position that no other department store is in. We’re in the thick of the LA Fashion District. With no brick and mortar store present, being here keeps us visible to the public,” says Annemarie Dillard, the granddaughter of Dillard’s founder and the daughter of the company’s president. The West Coast office recently opened in the California Market Center. Dillard’s twin sister, Alexandra, who is the divisional merchandising manager of private brands, is located on the opposite coast in St. Petersburg, Florida. “There’s a face to the name and allows us to know what’s going on just by being present.”
Established in 1938 by William T. Dillard, the retail giant now has 294 stores and 14 clearance centers in 29 states. Some of its locations include Texas, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, and Ohio. However, only three of those locations (Stockton, El Centro and Palmdale) are in California, albeit in relatively suburban areas.
“California is essential in the contemporary and junior business,” says Dillard, who is the director of contemporary sportswear. “There are so many young, fashionable, hip people who have an entrepreneurial spirit and desire to bring new lines to the table.” As a result, Dillard and her team are passionately on the search for untapped talent and new resources, such as vendors and manufacturers, for its private labels. Changing and updating their stores with fashion-forward merchandise provides a constantly competitive shopping experience for its customers. Dillard’s has also tapped quite a few vendors from the San Pedro Wholesale Mart. With their quick turn-around, the San Pedro Wholesale Mart has provided new inventories of California-trendy clothing to Dillard’s stores country wide that is keeping them competitive with other fast-fashion retailers. Moreover, most of the vendors they are purchasing from are located in showrooms in the LA Fashion District. The proximity to these showrooms has been a huge advantage.
Though she is responsible for the contemporary sportswear division, Dillard and her hard-working team are accountable for multiple projects. Because they work with a wide selection of products such as swimwear, cosmetics, apparel and shoes, each team member is very entrepreneurial and hands on. Some of their responsibilities include merchandising, personally meeting an array of vendors, managing private label accounts, and establishing a presence in the social media community through their blog and Facebook “The Fashion Files”.
“The Fashion Files” is Dillard’s fashion blog where Annemarie and Alexandra communicate directly with their customers in a very one-on-one approach. “We use it as a platform to communicate in a language that she can relate to and through a medium (Facebook) that she is comfortable using,” says Dillard.
They regularly post outfits they spot on the street, give styling advice, feature brands that Dillard’s carries, highlight important silhouettes and trends, and host giveaways. They also post up video interviews between Annemarie and Alexandra where they casually talk about their favorite designers and trends, which make their brand much more relatable to their fans.
“Alexandra and I personally respond to all questions and comments on the blog and have given personalized fashion advice to many of our followers.”
Los Angeles and the LA Fashion District are a melting pot of artistic and fashion potential and Dillard’s is here to mine those opportunities. So, if you’re a designer or manufacturer, make an appointment and step through their doors – they want to meet you!
Dillard’s West Coast
110 E. 9th Street, Suite A1239
Los Angeles, CA 90079
(213) 628-0882
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