Selling Clothes With a Cause at the CMC

Combining commerce with altruism has become a new way of business for California Market Center showroom owner Sharon Koshet, who operates Sharon Koshet Sales. Koshet has introduced a new children’s line to her upscale womenswear showroom and is using the line to help place orphans and other parent-less children in Russia, Bulgaria, China and the United States with new families.

The Lana Collection for girls, created by veteran Los Angeles designer Ruth Fellah, features about 20 pieces of denim, tiedyed tops and sportswear in sizes 2 through 6X. Custom denim jackets detailed with ribbons and appliqueacute;s anchor the collection, which has been picked up by Nordstrom’s Northwest division and Fred Segal Kids, among other stores. Fellah plans to introduce about 40 pieces for Fall. Wholesale prices range from $15 to $55.

Both Fellah and Koshet are working to bring awareness to the line and its cause. Hangtags on the clothing feature pictures of adopted girls and information on Nightlight, a Fullerton, Calif.–based nonprofit organization that helps place children from around the world with local families. Koshet became aware of the organization when she adopted a child from Ukraine several years ago.

Koshet, who previously sold Fellah’s Girasole line, said a lightbulb went off when she learned Fellah had recently started designing kids’ clothes.

Fellah said that during her brief one year of retirement, she started designing clothes for her granddaughter and positive feedback pushed her back into business. “I’ve been working with Sharon for years and enjoy watching her daughter grow up, so we decided to make the clothes to count for something,” said Fellah, whose own daughter is designer Nony Tochterman of Petro Zillia fame.

Koshet has remained cognizant of the plight of parent-less children around the world, especially with the new rash of orphans after the tsunami disaster in Asia. “A lot of kids come here looking to get adopted, and unfortunately, many of them don’t get adopted,” she said.

The Nightlight organization is one of several licensed adoption agencies that work with foreign governments. Executive Director Ron Stoddart said the need to place children comes from various situations. In overpopulated countries such as China, which has a one child–per–family policy that is enforced in many regions, children are often abandoned. “Many of the families want a boy because they may be farmers, so if they have a little girl, she might end up abandoned in front of the police station,” Stoddart explained.

In Russia, poverty, unemployment and substance abuse often break up families. Stoddart said Russia is strict with its policies and if an alcoholic parent cannot correct problems, the state sometimes places children in social care.

Creating awareness and raising money for children through apparel sales was one way Koshet thought she could help. An adoption advocate, she has already assisted many with the process. “You can look at it as a way to save a life, but for me, it saved my life, too,” she said.

Now, she is facing the challenge of selling children’s clothes on the third floor of the CMC, a misses and updated womenswear area. Koshet is known for her womenswear collections, which range from the eveningwear of Alberto Makali to the WWW Collection. She also carries Mesmerize, Nina Austin, Lauren Max, Cachelli, Solange, U3, Linda Segal, CML Collection, Isabel, Vera Cristina, Arev, Hope & Emma and Karma Licious.

Fellah said word-of-mouth referrals are helping. “We’ve received calls from buyers who have seen it in stores, and you are seeing more women’s stores carrying kids, too,” she said.

Koshet and Fellah are not the only apparel industry representatives looking to help children. Lucky Brand Denim’s Luck Brand Foundation also helps a number of organizations that assist children with illnesses, disabilities and other handicaps.

For more information on Nightlight, contact Koshet at skoshet@aol.comRobert McAllister