Vernon: Fashion Booming
Click here to find out what gives Vernon, California the edge when it comes to the fashion industry.
Champagne Italy
Click here to learn about a wholesale clothing warehouse that specializes in elegance for women.
ClothingIsland.com
Click here to learn about another wholesale clothing warehouse that has been in South Central for the past five years.
It is rare to find both wholesale and retail available in one store in Los Angeles, but it is possible at Off Price Land on South Central Avenue. For that reason, owner Ali Sadeghi calls his store "special."
Filled wall to wall with everything from kids, womens, and mens clothing, blankets, cooking utensils, sunglasses and accessories, and beauty supplies, Off Price Land is one stop shopping at very affordable prices. With a packed warehouse full of goods, and a parking lot stocked with racks of clothing, people in the South Central community can buy goods at prices as low as $1, and even 12 for $8. By doing so Sadeghi said he is only making about 25 cents of profit, but he is also making it possible for people in the community to get what they need and want at prices they can afford.
Sadeghi said that buyers come into the store and purchase wholesale, while individuals shop retail. He sells to stores in the neighborhood, but also said that big retailers such as Ross Dress for Less and JCPenny carry his clothing. As can be seen with many other retail stores in the area, and ClothingIsland.com and Champagne Italy, the stores buy and sell from each other, forming a sense of community. The stores help each other out, and have relationships with one another, something that doesn't come to mind when thinking about clothing stores.
South Central Los Angeles is not the home of famous clothing brands like Vernon, and home to many mom and pop shops and boutiques. Most are family owned, and have a tradition that is unbreakable. The community relies on these stores to fill their families needs, but they also trust in the people who work and own them. Although there is a lot of competition with Downtown Los Angeles and the Fashion District so close, it is less about the money, and more about the people in the area.
Lisa, a Lakewood resident, is a single mother who is moving to South Central, and she said she could not believe the prices she saw when driving past the store. "I had to stop in," she said. With clothes overflowing from her arms, she seemed to be having a great time shopping, and did not have to let the price let her down. As a new resident, she was enjoying her time in her new home, making it evident that the stores around the area bring smiles to the residents faces, and are a part of their home.
Edan Fashion Inc.
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