Exclusive: Tarina Tarantino on Her Sparkle Factory's Big Plans

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It would be a huge understatement to say we're hyped about Tarina Tarantino's Downtown Sparkle Factory. From inviting fans to take a peek inside her glittering job-creating venture during her countless colorful sample sales to teasing us with snapshots of her project's progress, the pink-tressed designer clearly knows people are pumped for her big plans to breathe more life into Broadway. We reached out to the LA design maven, who reveals she and business partner Alfonso Campos have much more in store for the LL. Burns Western Costume Company building—which will finally make its grand DTLA debut late July or early August. Yes!

So, remember when Tarantino planned to open her retail boutique on the ground floor? As seen with cool NYC brand OAK's monochrome takeover of the first floor, "plans just shifted around a bit," and the designer's shop will instead live on the second floor as part of unique vertical retail concept. "We're such a street level city," Tarantino tells us, "and I like the idea of having a second floor store. It kind of reminds me of the way they do retail in Japan [...] and SoHo [in New York]; upper retail is not unusual."

As if Kinfolk Studios' cool boutique/bar hybrid beneath Acne Studios wasn't enough, Tarantino tells us her team is also in talks to finalize a lease to an LA-based bar, which will open in the Sparkle Factory's basement. What!

While plans for that art gallery have been put on the backburner, Tarantino says the third through fifth floors will still be open for retail and office leasing. "We're also interested in spas [for those spaces]. The usage can be anything [...] but it depends on the right fit." The sixth and seventh floors, which are both currently under construction, will house her showroom and studio, Tarantino tells us.

A peek inside the Sparkle Factory.

About that second floor shop: Tarantino says it'll be different from her Melrose boutique and will offer merch from other brands alongside artist collaborations and other "things that I love." On top of all that, the designer also tells us she hopes to expand into home furnishings. (!!!)

"When we bought this building seven years ago, there was nothing happening and it looked to be there would be many years [before Broadway developed]," Tarantino says. "Alfonso and I are huge fans of Downtown Los Angeles; we moved to Downtown LA from West Hollywood [12 years ago]. I just loved the romantic quality of these historic buildings and either you get it or you don't. For us, it was a matter of more space, we needed to expand, and we saw this building and we thought it would be the perfect place to build our factory of our dreams."

Tarantino adds that she'll continue to hold sample sales regularly on the fifth floor. (Keep an eye out on the event's Instagram for upcoming dates.) "We have seven years worth of archives," she says, so expect plenty more opportunities to take a peek inside the Sparkle Factory. Summer seriously can't come any faster.
· Tarina Tarantino [Official Site]
· Tarina Tarantino Readying her Sparkle Factory in DTLA [Racked]
· Tarina Tarantino's Sparkle Factory To Create 60 Full-Time Jobs [Racked]
· Tarina Tarantino's DTLA Sparkle Factory To Open Summer 2014 [Racked]
· Tarina Tarantino Reimagines Sparkle Factory as LA Designer Hub [Racked]