Code C: Italians Boost California Couture

The husband-and-wife retail team of Andrea and Marzia Rossetto made a career of selling Italian fashion in California. Yet for a new venture, they shifted gears.

The Italian-born retailers made it a point to sell California fashion designers at their Code C boutique, which debuted in August at 8641 Sunset Blvd. in Los Angeles’ exclusive Sunset Plaza retail district.

They devoted much of the 3,000-square-foot space of their store not merely to stylish clothes but also to the unique couture of California designer labels such as Louver by Louis Verdad, Koi Suwannagate, Valerj Pobega and ALC by Andrea Lieberman. The Rossettos plan to give their store added cachet by displaying the designers’ entire lines, not just a few of their looks. “First thing we wanted to show is that they have a voice here,” Andrea Rossetto said.

The ambitious retail vision begins on the top floor of the two-story boutique. Against a backdrop of black velvet curtains, the store holds one-of-a-kind pieces by Pobega and Verdad. Both collections recently appeared on the runway at Los Angeles Fashion Week.

Code C’s bottom floor offers clothes for the office and weekend, as well as some accessories. Nothing is priced above $1,000 on this floor. The store’s top category has been dresses, Andrea Rossetto said. Lightweight sundresses from label 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent were popular in late October. The sundresses retailed for $250 each.

The store offers confirmation that some styles are eternally popular. Consider the black dress. Black dresses produced by every designer represented in the store have been selling well. A diagonal zip dress from ALC by Andrea Lieberman retailed for $288.—Andrew Asch