California Apparel News

Designers and manufacturers looking for in-stock fabrics with no minimum-yardage requirements have a new resource in Vernon, Calif.

A few months ago, Marvin S. Jacobs and Michael Balaban carved out a 20,000-square-foot space for Designer Fabric Warehouse (DFW) from their existing 60,000-square-foot warehouse on District Boulevard in Vernon.

The two longtime textile executives have been buying and selling stock fabric for the past 10 years but decided to open a showroom to cater to small designers and manufacturers, costume designers, students, and interior designers.

“We buy fabric from all over the world,” Jacobs said.

Among the recent offerings are Italian wool, cotton, linen, silks, technical fabrics, Japanese denim, leather, swim and surfwear fabrics, and a section of vintage textiles from the 1950s “found in a warehouse somebody stumbled upon,” Jacobs said.

“We have a niche people need, [and] we have everything under one roof,” Balaban said. The warehouse is a 10-minute drive from downtown Los Angeles and easy to spot. (Employees tell first callers to look for DFW’s bright-red door.) “People are happy to find us,” Balaban said.

Prices range from $2 to $60, depending on the fabric, and quantities range depending on availability.

“Sometimes there’ll be 75 yards, sometimes 200,” Jacobs said.

Some customers come in to browse, and others are looking for something specific. A denim customer in San Francisco recently called looking for selvage denim. “They can’t just go overseas and buy it,” Jacobs said. DFW had the denim—and at “far less than mill price,” Jacobs added.

Because Balaban and Jacobs also sell to large companies and fabric retailers, they’re able to turn their inventory quickly to keep inventory fresh.

“We have a wide range, and it’s easy to shop,” said Larry Ammon, who runs the DFW showroom. “Most people who come by say they have to come back to see what else we have.”

For more information, visit www.dfwla.com.