Santee Alley
Location: On Olympic Boulevard between Santee Street and Maple Avenue.
The Story: Prepare yourself for a dose of culture shock. The sights and sounds of Santee Alley are the first signs that this isn’t your typical Los Angeles shopping experience. Garment vendors hawk their wares in Spanish, Russian, German and more. The languages are nearly as diverse as the goods, which range from socks to handbags. Love it or hate it, Santee Alley is one of the most organic and vibrant shopping venues in LA.
The Lowdown: People come here for cheap goods, i.e., knockoff designer labels and a hodgepodge of interesting accessories from Hello Kitty to cell phone covers. On the weekends, denim goes cheap. Check out Morrie’s (934 S. Maple Ave.) for a more traditional store setting (think Loehmann’s with style for the hipper set).
The European Corridor
Location: Pico Boulevard between Main and Santee Streets The Story: This is Rodeo Drive with the prices slashed. Most merchandise here is imported from France, Italy and other international fashion centers, hence the Euro nickname. As a result, merchandise here leans toward high-end sophistication. This may mean that you’ll still be shelling out some serious dough for the evening gowns, dresses and shoes that the corridor is known for. But deals are deals, and you’ll often only be paying 30 to 40 percent off retail.
The Lowdown: Boutiques reign over the European Corridor. Many of them are part wholesale, part retail, which means they'll open their doors to walk-in customers. Don’t hesitate to ask if they sell to the public.
The Intersection
Location: 9th and Los Angeles Streets
The Story: This is the granddaddy of the LA Fashion District, where fashion industry leaders come together to bust out $1.5 million a year, 1,200 showrooms and more than 4,500 fashion lines. The heavyweights are California Market Center, Cooper Design Space, Gerry Building and The New Mart. The Intersection is home to five market weeks a year, which attract buyers from all over the world and create some of the most groundbreaking styles in the country.
The Lowdown: These big garment wholesalers aren’t typically open to the public, but on the last Friday of every month, you can try your luck at sample sales. Note that these are clothes that have been modeled; in other words, models wore them (read: typically size six or smaller).
Menswear District
Location: Los Angeles Street between 7th and 9th
The Story: The LA Fashion District isn’t just about womenswear. The Menswear District is lined with stores selling suits, ties, shoes — just about anything a man needs to make himself noticed in LA. No need to be a rich man, either. These suits are typically heavily discounted.
The Lowdown: Roger Stuart Clothes (761 S. Los Angeles St.) has been the mainstay for fine Italian wool suits, and it also carries lines from Loro Piana and Cerruti.
The Flower Market Location: Wall Street between 7th and 8th
The Story: The flower extravaganza that is the Flower District rivals Santee Alley as the most unique shopping experience in the LA Fashion District. Most of the action is based in the Flower Market on Wall Street. Founded in 1913, the indoor market boasts virtually every kind of floral cut you can imagine — silk flowers, Japanese ferns, various types of lilies and much more. If you’ve ever wanted to truly “stop and smell the roses,” this is the perfect opportunity.
The Lowdown: If you’d rather not pay the admission fee to the Flower Market ($1 to $2), several individual flower stores line the streets. Check out Unique Sarah (508 E. 8th St.) for exotics and special arrangements with a reputation for superb artistry.
