MANUFACTURING
Ten79LA
California Market Center, Suite B530
(213) 489-0846
After a move from the California Market Center’s 10th floor to the fifth floor last year, accessories brand Ten79LA has settled in.
Founder Amrita Ahluwalia and Samantha Serrano, a longtime friend who works in operations, are feeling the peaceful vibe of the new showroom. This easy feeling aligns with the core principles of the 10-year-old brand, whose jewelry, handbags and belts are handcrafted in India to create modern, hippie-inspired designs using traditional practices from the region. “The vibe is better. The energy is better down here,” said Ahluwalia.
The women didn’t have to do much to decorate the nearly 700-square-foot space. They kept the open ceiling that exposed the room’s mineral insulation, which allows the brand’s colorful handmade pieces to pop. Sitting at their glass-top, marble and mother-of-pearl–based table in the middle of the room, the women remember decorating this new showroom the weekend before another Los Angeles Fashion Market. “It’s the way the room was when we got it. We just made it brighter. Added lights. White paint. White shelving,” Ahluwalia explained.
Ten79LA’s products are arranged around the room with each of the jewelry lines—from gold-plated and vermeil with semiprecious stones to more-affordable festival-inspired pieces—occupying their own sections.
Leather and suede bags that feature beading and woven and mirrored accents are sectioned together and divided by style, such as clutches, backpacks and totes. Other accessories—including belts, brooches and coin purses—are displayed on white tables.
Ahluwalia and Serrano believe the room’s raw aesthetic provides a simple appearance that allows the pieces to be fully appreciated. “It was a bit of a rush to get in. Thank goodness minimalism is in right now. It worked to our advantage,” Serrano said. “The products are very unique. We might as well use a more minimalistic backdrop rather than distract from it [the line].”
With pieces wholesaling from $15 to $80, Ten79LA’s previous partners have included Gilt Groupe and HauteLook. Despite her faith in selling in the digital marketplace, Ahluwalia still believes in the importance of having a showroom to meet with clients during Los Angeles Fashion Market.
