Global Denim, a Mexican mill with 25 years of experience in the industry, is planting roots in Los Angeles with a new showroom.
One of the main objectives for the L.A. showroom, Anatt Finkler, creative director at Global Denim told Rivet, is to position the mill for further entry into the premium denim market. She explained that, in L.A., the “market and way of thinking is very different and much higher priced.”
Finkler and Global Denim decided that the best way to begin wooing premium denim brands to their mill was to show the city that it understood the differences between premium and mainstream denim brands with a new showroom. Finkler said the space, which she designed herself over a period of about six months, has a “creative vibe” and is in a great location with proximity to brands like Farfetch and Amo Jeans.
The showroom is located just east of Downtown Los Angeles in the Arts District. In the past, the area was mostly industrial and a little bit gritty. Recently, however, it has found a new identity. Today, the Arts District has become the home of more than a few art galleries and high-end retailers.
“We chose [the space] because it’s a beautiful compound, full of class,” Finkler said. “If you are catering to premium brands, you have to bring premium service.”
Not only that, but Global Denim will now have a place to call its own in the United States, where its market is growing. Finkler said, three years ago, Global Denim expanded its capacity by 50 percent. Over the last three years, capacity went up another 30 percent.
Now, Global Denim believes it has the capability to enter into the premium space, thanks to a large investment that gave it the cash to expand and improve production. However, Finkler understands the challenges will be different and that brands may unfairly question the quality of denim made in Mexico.
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For instance, in the past, Global Denim would regularly receive orders for 25 thousand yards of denim from large manufacturers, Finkler explained. However, in the premium denim space, it is not uncommon for the mill to receive orders of just 2,000 yards, or to be tasked with small, specialty runs that place quality, of course, at a premium.
That reality gets to the heart of the new showroom. Global Denim wants to provide buyers a smart, sophisticated home-away-from-home when they are making decisions. The showroom is an indigo paradise, with racks of denim in every sight line and large areas dedicated to showing off samples or simply hanging out.
The question still remains: Why now? For Global Denim, the answer is easy. If the company moves into L.A. now and becomes a mainstay in an up-and-coming creative neighborhood, it becomes the bedrock of that community. It gets to be a leader in the movement, instead of chasing the latest trend.
“Two or three years down the line, we would be the ones to follow,” Finkler said. “Now, we aren’t following the trend, we are actually creating it.”
Additionally, Finkler suggested Global Denim could eventually consider new headquarters in both New York and Europe, depending on the success of the L.A. branch.
Although the new showroom is completed, a grand opening event is still slated for this spring, which will also likely coincide with the drop of Global Denim’s new Fall 2020 collection, according to Finkler.