Welcome to the jungle: an insider's guide to Santee Alley and beyond
By Caroline Ryder and Caroline Helper, Special to Metromix
Despite the crappy parking, lack of dressing rooms and weekend mobs, the Fashion District holds many a trashy treasure for the fashion brave. For one, this is where samples and overruns from the California Market Center's 1,000 showrooms often end up. And then there's Santee Alley, ground zero for Louis Vuitton knock-offs and Quinceañera gowns alike. Keep your wallet safe —pickpocketing is not unheard of—and your wits about you, and you could score up to 70 percent off some hot-off-the-runway trends.
Don't: Forget to bargain, especially in the Alley—store owners are more likely to lower prices if you buy more than one item. And bring cash: Many outlets do not accept cards.
Between Santee St. and Maple Ave. at E. 12th St. ,
Los Angeles
More than 300 stores exist within the four-block area around Santee Alley, and keep in mind that at the end of the day, every one is carrying roughly the same stuff as everybody else. The gleaming wall of gold jewelry on one corner probably carries the same selection as the guy across the street, and the same rule applies to the myriad Forever 21 (but cheaper) type stores that line your way. Knock-off designer goods still run rampant, and has carried over into jeans and shoes, too. The hardest part about shopping Santee Alley is not finding the good stuff, it's finding the amazing stuff at the best price, sometimes up to 70% less than you'd pay in stores. OK, so a few of your purchases may be of, ahem, dubious origin. But at these prices, who's asking?We love Morries, Kiss Fashion, Kukuly's and Crystal Pointus, all located in or close to the Alley, which is open for business 365 days a year, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.. Things are craziest at the weekends. Get there early, before the crowds.
Kukuly's sits in a little alley off of Los Angeles Street and like any truly good secret, is easy to miss if you're not careful. Owned by a Peruvian woman with an incredible eye for accessories, and run by an Austrian emigre, Kukuly's imports the vast majority of its wares, mostly 100% sterling silver, plated in gold, and straight from Peru. The prices are unbelievably good for the quality, and you'll find a fabulous array of quirky, funny charms occupying an entire wall. Bracelets, earrings, and sunglasses are scattered about. You'll pay $20 for a charm or coral bracelet that might set you back $100 a little further west. The store also imports Peruvian and Morrocan genunine leather handbags, dyed in beautiful colors, for knock-out prices. Trust us, Kukuly's is the hardest secret to divulge.
Crystal Pointus will bedeck, bejewel, or bedazzle any piece of clothing with any design you request. Many of the store's designs take a page right out of Chrome Hearts' book. The hats, however, are the real reason to go. Fun and crafty trucker hats make you wish Britney had never donned a Von Dutch (that way you could don them guitlessly). But no matter, they're too fabulous to pass up anyways.
One of the most interesting stores actually in Santee Alley, Kiss Fashion is fresher, more innovative, and a step up from its competitors, sophistication-wise.
Made up of three 13-story buildings housing more than 1,000 showrooms, the CMC is usually closed to the public, but holds regular sample sales on the last Friday of the month, where they offload samples that are no longer in season, with up to 70% discounts. Most clothes usually come in sample sizes, which are four and six. Try parking in the nearby outdoor lots during the week, as these are much cheaper than the parking structure attached to the center. Visit fashiondistrict.org for sample sale info.
One of a stretch of women's boutiques on Olympic and 9th. Cute babydoll dresses in chic prints. Squint, hold your nose and pretend you're on Robertson.
The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising Scholarship Store may lie just outside the Fashion District, but it is well worth a look if you're in the 'hood. The store, run by fashion students at FIDM, is kept stocked by more than 400 different manufacturers and retailers who donate their unwanted merch for free. Which can sometimes mean zebra-print full-length caftans or cute peep-toe pumps, whatever floats your boat. All the proceeds go to the FIDM Scholarship Fund. A recent find from the FIDM store included a Forever 21 jacket for $5.
Close to Santee Alley, Morrie's is akin to a Loehmann's, with a few hipper and younger designers thrown in for good measure among the peach grandma’s-going-to-brunch pongee suits. We managed to find pieces from Three Dots, Chip and Pepper, Seven, and even Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent. Most items are overruns and samples. Prices are already bargains, plus they have bi-yearly blow-out sales in July and December.
