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Friday, Mar 29, 2024

Emptying The Closet

Walk into Laney’s Closet in Agoura Hills and you may just walk out with a $600 Betsey Johnson leather jacket or a $150 Michael Kors dress – for as low as half the cost of a department store. But cost is a relative term in the Closet. You don’t bring money; you bring something to leave behind. The Closet operates like a fashion club, requiring a small monthly membership, but with a significant difference: the members need to bring in a new or lightly worn high fashion item in to walk out with what they want. “This is really for women who want to update their wardrobe regularly and not break the bank,” said owner Laney Vivo. Consignment and second-hand shops are nothing new to the fashion industry. Buffalo Exchange Ltd., a Tuscon, Ariz. company with outlets in Ventura and Los Angeles, has been in business for almost 40 years buying and selling used clothes. But the barter-and-trade system at Laney’s Closet represents a new wrinkle in the trend. And Vivo’s decision to found her store last July in Agoura Hills is telling. The Conejo Valley is loaded with money, but the typical wealthy female shopper might be stereotyped as a boutique or Nordstrom Inc. shopper. Vivo has the boutique angle covered; as women browse the shop they get one-on-one attention from her. They can also sip wine, champagne or cucumber water should they desire. And it’s appointment only – with a monthly fee of $69.95. But now even the upper middle class suburban demographic is well acquainted with stores that offer used, high-end clothing at a discount. It’s not men who have gathered around to see Bravo’s “Dukes of Melrose,” which chronicles Decades Inc., a consignment shop in L.A. Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association, a Los Angeles-based trade group, said resale and trade is a hot trend in women’s retail and various iterations are popping up. “Those who are very brand-conscious, but lack means, can change their wardrobe easily now,” she said, noting women have swapped clothing privately for years. But while businesses that focus on handbags or jewelry have proven successful, inventory and fit is a major hurdle with apparel. “Not all size 10 are the same,” she said. In the closet Vivo, 45, isn’t new to the fashion industry. The Agoura Hills resident said she was a private shopper and clothing buyer for boutiques in Hawaii for years before she moved to the area and opened the 300-square-foot Closet. She said she got the idea for the business from her fashion experience and interest in the swapping phenomenon. After planning, she signed a one year lease and opened last July, with plans to sign a long-term lease this summer. She originally invested about $25,000 in products, ranging from jackets and heels to purses and dresses to stock the Closet and continues to stock as new trends become popular. Vivo credits 70 percent of retail cost for items that have never been worn. From there, the scale slides down to “lovingly worn” items that will earn 50 percent. The shopper uses that credit to choose items she wants. Each member can visit the store as often as she likes, with no limit on the number of exchanges that can be made in a month. But Vivo won’t accept mainstream brands such as Banana Republic or Ann Taylor, saying they are not exclusive enough. “I’ve got all kinds of clients, from soccer moms to working business women, and they expect the best,” she said. The store started with one member referred by a mutual friend. Membership is now up to 50 and includes LeeAnne Hall, a housewife from Camarillo who joined in September. She said she visits the Closet about once a month to swap clothes in her wardrobe, including brands such as Free People, Goya and Splendid. Hall said Laney’s Closet helps her stretch the size of her wardrobe while keeping her costs under control. “For me, the membership fee is worth it because I can go in and swap as much as I want,” she said. “A woman can say she never has enough clothes, and that’s true, but swapping helps.” Out of the closet Cameron Silver, founder of Decades, said there is no negative connotation to used clothing anymore. After all, a Decades customer can browse items that cost more than $1,000 from Gucci or Louis Vuitton, inside the Melrose Avenue shop. “There’s always a high demand for designer pieces,” he said. “It’s fashion’s equivalent to insider trading.” Vivo is aiming for 100 members before she considers expansion, though it’s already on her mind. In an effort to boost attention to her business, she is hosting several parties over the summer, including an event in May that will feature hors d’oeuvres, wine, champagne and a fashion show. “I always knew this wasn’t going to be a get rich quick thing,” she said. “This is long-term.” Neil Stern, a senior partner at Chicago-based retail consulting firm McMillanDoolittle LLP, said he sees a shop like Laney’s Closet serving as a supplement for women who already possess the means to shop, but not rotate their wardrobe at a fast pace. But he’s not sure the business model is ripe for expansion. “In an affluent community with a small and healthy membership base, there is money here,” he said. “But there’s a long way to go to see this work at a bigger level.”

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