Bizzaro

The New Mart, suite 1100 (213) 683-9904

Contemporary lines by up-and-coming European designers are sometimes hard to come by in Los Angeles’ apparel market. Bizzaro showroom owner Damia Azar wants to make those lines accessible to her buyers. That’s partly why she opened shop in Custo Barcelona’s co-op showroom on the 11th floor of The New Mart.

Azar began exploring the European market after several of her clients asked for more international collections. “A lot of my contacts in the apparel industry kept telling me that Turkey is going to be the next Paris or Milan in the fashion world,” she said.

A small, neatly decorated office and several display racks make up Bizarro’s 300- square-foot space. In addition to Bizzaro, the contemporary co-op also carries lines by Custo Barcelona, Rock & Republic, Rebecca S. Showroom and Liza Shtromberg Jewelry.

Azar, who is married and has a 1-year-old baby, splits her time between caring for her infant and traveling throughout Europe to find new lines to represent. Currently, she reps lines by Rose & Thin, Idil Tarzi and Sam & Sally.

The showroom owner–turned–fashion connoisseur discovered Turkish designer Idil Tarzi on a recent trip to Europe and now reps the youthful designer line in her showroom. Tarzi’s 12-piece Spring/Summer 2004 collection, made with viscose and yarn from Italy, is sold as separates. Styles include a hand-knit tube dress with flower appliqueacute;s ($100 wholesale), high-waisted skirts with cabbage trim ($65 wholesale), tennis dresses with shoulder ties ($75 wholesale) and bikinis with colorful stripes (starting at $35 per piece wholesale).

Sam & Sally and Rose & Thin are two collections from Italy. The first is a fashion-forward basics line made with wool and cotton fabric mixes. With wholesale price points ranging from $45 to $150, the line features longsleeved shirts with front ruching, women’s button- up shirts and A-line denim skirts. Rose & Thin’s youthful mod collection includes a wool asymmetrical skirt ($48 wholesale), tailored pants with elastic-band ankles ($58 wholesale) and short-sleeved mohair turtlenecks with keyhole details that come with matching elbow- length cutout gloves ($48 wholesale).

Azar said her goal is to sell the lines to better department stores nationwide. Most of her clients— including Luxe in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Blu in Palm Springs, Calif.; and Soft in Jacksonville, Fla.—are specialty retailers.

Claudia Figueroa