California Apparel News

Longtime sales representative Mitch Stedman died on Dec. 30 at the age of 90.

A familiar figure in the California Market Center (previously called the CaliforniaMart) and a fixture in the California apparel industry, Stedman and his late wife, Susan Barry, are remembered as consummate professionals who loved the apparel industry.

The Brooklyn, N.Y.–born Stedman moved to Los Angeles as a young man and joined the Los Angeles apparel industry as an independent sales representative for better misses sportswear collections. For more than 50 years, he kept an office at the CMC—or the CalMart, as it was then known.

Mike Bowling, who runs the Sympli showroom on the CMC’s third floor, recalled Stedman as “one of the last great ones,” who always had “a smile, a kind word, an open heart and a caring ear.”

Margaret Cox, who represents Lindi on the third floor, described Stedman as “an icon.”

“He was always very professional, always in a shirt and tie,” she said. “He was a lost breed. Just an old pro—and I don’t mean old in that way. I mean in the era-gone-by.”

Fred Postal, who also has a showroom on the CMC’s third floor, agreed that Stedman was a born salesman.

“Mitch was a very sharp New York salesman,” he said. “He and Susan made a powerful sales team. It was something they enjoyed doing. You could see it.”

Stedman and Barry were both very active in Pacific Coast Travelers, a sales association that wielded considerable clout in the industry.

“At one time, PCT was a very strong salesman group,” Postal recalled. “We set up our own markets independent from the Mart. [CalMart owner] Sid Morse finally came along with this building and said, ‘We have a home for you.’”

Over the years, Stedman served as a mentor to many in the industry and fought for the rights of independent sales representatives, Bowling said.

“Even in his older years, Mitch was so in love with this business,” Postal said. “He made the trips to New York to work with Nordstrom.”

And the buyers loved seeing him, Cox added.

Stedman was known for always having a story or a pithy quote. One of Bowling’s favorites was “If you keep looking back, you’re just going to get a neckache.”

“He will be sadly missed but will always be in our hearts,” Bowling said.

Stedman’s wife, Susan, passed away in 2014. He is survived by his daughter, Gail, and son, Craig.