DTLA Indie Designer Incubator FactoryLA Closes its Doors

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After a year of championing up-and-coming local talents, #MadeinLA indie fashion incubator FactoryLA is shuttering. Located right next door to sample sale haven the Cooper Building, the Downtown showroom stocked a host of faves, including sportswear-inspired line In My Air, premium men's denim label Norman Russell, on-the-rise basics brand Echo + Air, LAFW standout AGAIN and many more, as part of their mission to "[bring to] the market ethical, innovative fashion."

In an exclusive statement, founder and fast fashion challenger Leah Garvin tells us despite all the struggles, her "hope is that the concept and intention of this community will strengthen and emerge [...] for that is progress."

Dear Community,

FactoryLA as a physical community, store, and industry service, has closed. The start of a new year gave us an opportunity to look down from as high as possible, look ahead as far as we can see, to gain perspective on how far we have come and how much we can dream for the future. FactoryLA launched last year with a commitment to "challenge the way it has always been," to recognize the people who make our clothing and to build community around the designers who have committed to bringing the market ethical, innovative fashion. The struggles that prevent us from continuing are our short-term lessons that we will learn from to achieve long-term success.

As the founder of FactoryLA, I say thank you to all who joined together forming this community. For all who gathered had the opportunity to feel a part of something, not just have a part of something. My hope is that the concept and intention of this community will strengthen and emerge in all different forms, for that is progress.

Our website will remain up with links to all of the designers who participated at FactoryLA, as well as to our valued resources.

With respect and gratitude,

Leah Garvin

For those interested, FactoryLA's unloading their inventory of handcrafted fixtures; get the full deets here.
· FactoryLA [Official Site]
· Italian Greyhound Blu is FactoryLA's Gatekeeper [Racked]
· Discover Local Designers at FactoryLA's First Showcase [Racked]
· Factory LA's Model Casting Call; Claire Pettibone Headed to BH? [Racked]