Findings
At 10,000 square feet, Dierdre Roffoni’s sprawling Findings showroom is a study in modern design and comfy spaces.
“I show in Paris twice a year and I was struck by how much care they take in presentation— from the flowers and pastries all the way up to the clothes and decor. It made an impression. I wanted to create that same sort of attention to detail,” Roffoni said. First to get that treatment was the Findings showroom in New York, but Roffoni said the Los Angeles showroom was her latest project.
Not a small undertaking, the work began after she moved Findings from The New Mart, where it had been for years, to the Cooper Design Space in August 2005. The showroom opened in time for November market.
Divided by low white and charcoal walls, the showroom creates sunbathed nooks for each of its 15 lines. Transparent bronze metal curtains add a sense of privacy. A red rust wall adds a dose of drama to the concrete walls and flooring. Vegetation and a sweet seating area with vintage couches and a chandelier dripping in crystal break up the otherwise modern design.
“It’s important to me to showcase the lines properly—and it’s easier for the buyers to work in this environment,” Roffoni said. The lines, which she describes as “expensive eclectic,” gel with the environment. “This is a business- oriented, specialty store–driven showroom and our focus is on specialty lines,” she said.
The lines are decidedly modern and upscale. “We don’t really do pink or frills,” Roffoni said. Mod jackets in a stormy gray by Wyeth by Todd Magill work well with roughed-up leather pieces from Blur. Vintage-inspired pieces from Burning Torch play nicely with sophisticated separates from Graham & Spencer. Findings is also home to knitwear from Inhabit, tailored pants from Jaidan, fluid dresses from Miguelina and quirky pieces from A Common Thread.
The lines work well independently and together, and buyers often buy from multiple lines. “We had buyers from one store here for six hours the other day, and they’re still not finished,” Roffoni said. —Erin Barajas
