Level Seven Showroom

Gerry BuildingSuite 408 (213) 452-0594

The contemporary California styles of surf, urban, skate and punk-music cultures converge at the Level Seven Showroom in the Gerry Building. Showroom owners Dana Smith and Sid Moises, who have known each other for more than a decade, grew their sales expertise and showroom from the base of men’s clothing.

“We thought [the men’s market] was a niche that a lot of reps were not going after,” Moises said. Currently, all of the brands in the Level Seven showroom have both men’s and women’s offerings, with the exception of New York–based men’s line Cabral.

Each brand taps into different niches of youth culture with a California twist. Smith and Moises aim to match up the brands with a specific pool of stores, which include Nordstrom, Hot Topic, Villains and Villains Vault in San Francisco, Up Against the Wall, and Yellow Rat Bastard.

“If we look at our account base across the country, we usually sell three out of five [brands] to them. We want to stay focused on our account base,” Smith said.

San Diego–based Jedidiah’s illustrated graphic tees, casual cotton twill jackets and plaid woven shirts hang with the surf and skate crowd. Top sellers of the Jedidiah line include its “Hope Collection” T-shirts, which support 10 different humanitarian organizations. For example, $5 from the sale of each “Invisible Children” T-shirt is donated to the nonprofit organization of the same name.

Art drives Los Angeles–based T-shirt line Blood Is the New Black, which features offbeat illustrations and photographic prints. The shirts retail for $36 to $48 and are sold at a myriad of stores, from museums to surf, skate, hipster and streetwear stores.

Covering the higher-end casual market is Cabral, whose soft, premium V-neck tees, fashion boardshorts and detailed woven shirts are described as having a “surf meets N.Y. City” vibe. The line has been sold to stores such as Lisa Kline and Planet Blue in Los Angeles and Atrium in New York. Retail price points range from $55 to $180.

Rounding out the selection are Neves leather belts, wallets and cuffs, which are handmade in Oklahoma City, and Atticus, a line of “clothing made by musicians for musicians.” Atticus collaborates with a long directory of skate, Goth, punk and emo bands such as Taking Back Sunday, A Day to Remember and Forever the Sickest Kids and sponsors various live events such as The Warped Tour concert series. —Rhea Cortado