Splendid and Ella Moss Celebrate New HQ

LOS ANGELES-Fashion labels Splendid and Ella Moss have opened corporate headquarters at Alameda Square in the downtown area, adding to recent fashion additions in the area.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held yesterday in downtown, featuring council member José Huizer; deputy mayor Brian Currey; Jonathan Saven, president of Splendid and Ella Moss; and Martin Caverly, CEO of EVOQ Properties, which owns Alameda Square.

Alameda Square is located at the intersection of the Arts District and Fashion District. Other fashion brands in the area include American Apparel, Groceries Apparel, J Brand Jeans and Lucky Brand.

“We are excited to enter into a new phase in our company's history,” said Saven. “The new space, with its rich history, openness and wonderful natural light, will help us further expand the brands. As a Los Angeles-born company, we are pleased that we can stay, grow jobs here and contribute to the community.”

The completion of the Splendid and Ella Moss space is “just the beginning of the revitalization of Alameda Square,” said Caverly. “In the coming months, we are looking to bring new tenants that not only will bring new amenities, services and new jobs to the campus, but new life to a growing community.”

Splendid and Ella Moss said last year that they signed a 10-year lease with EVOQ to occupy 82,000 square feet of Building 1 at Alameda Square, located at 777 Alameda. The new corporate headquarter covers two full floors and houses approximately 225 employees in product development, design, marketing and sales, finance, retail operations, customer service and other administrative functions. An additional 100 employees still remain at its finished goods & fabric warehouse, located at 3751 S. Hill St. in Los Angeles.

EVOQ spent eight months and an undisclosed amount in the millions renovating Building 1 to support the new tenants. The improvements included large industrial windows, exposed concrete floors, redeveloping the ground floor and loading dock into restaurant, retail and outdoor public space, adding a 6000-square-foot roof deck and kitchen, increasing parking to 450 spots, and adding new landscaping and seating areas.

Built in 1917, Alameda Square includes four buildings covering 1.4 million square feet with American Apparel's headquarters occupying half of the space. The property has historically played a role in serving as a commercial hub in the region.

The warehouse complex and adjacent product market was designed for the Los Angeles Union Terminal Co. Southern Pacific Railroad completed the construction in 1923 and operated the property as a major intermodal produce market and distribution center connecting Downtown to the rest of the L.A. region.

As previously reported in GlobeSt.com, downtown L.A. may be at a tipping point for its retail and fashion industries, as new tenants enter the market.