Hip Buyers Start with Studio Elle

Studio Elle
1300 Apparel Center
Chicago, Illinois 60654
(312) 527-5885
Showroom hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

For buyers in the Midwest, finding contemporary fashion can be as easy as heading to Studio Elle. According to Studio Elle owner Shane Limbacher, his multi-line reping firm has clothes perfect for the woman looking for something hip.

"Sure New York and L.A. are much more contemporary," acknowledges Limbacher, who was born and raised in the Midwest, "but we are contemporary too, only just a bit softer. The Midwest doesn't have as many funky stores as New York and L.A. do, so we have to be safe in what we carry in order to make a profit."

When Limbacher started out in the fashion industry five years ago, he says things were much more traditional. "Women wouldn't be going out to wear fringe on the bottom of their pants, but now everyone is going to be doing it," he says. "I initially had a hard time grasping it, but it's happening, and it was the manufacturer that began the trends. We had the contemporary edge before anyone else did."

As a wholesaler, Studio Elle acts as the middleman between the manufacturer and the retailer. Buyers will come in from primarily the Midwest and Limbacher will inform them what trends are happening, and what he predicts will be good sellers for their stores. "We definitely have input on what's going to work," he says. "I travel the territory and do the business. They listen."

Limbacher opened Studio Elle two years ago after interning as an outside salesman for another rep firm. "I shop the market," he says. "I spend 75 percent of my time traveling. I do all the New York shows and some regional ones. I see what the manufacturers are doing, and if I'm interested in it and think that it is something for the Midwest, I'll pursue the manufacturer and try to represent them."

Studio Elle's domain spans the entire Midwest, with large accounts that include Nordstrom, Jacobsons and Von Mauer. However the majority of his business comes from the smaller specialty stores in Chicago like Art Effect (651 W. Armitage), Christina's on the Park (2248 N. Clark St.), and Tangerine (1659 N. Damen Ave.).

"I work really hard and I pound the pavement," Limbacher says. "I read all the fashion magazines and after I do the shows in New York, I translate it into what works for the retailers in the Midwest.

"The secret [to Studio Elle's success] is that we've always been very honest with our customers and we pride ourselves on customer service," says Limbacher. "I have excellent rapport with the buyers. I've really built a special working relationship with the sales staff involved. Because of my sincerity in wanting my stores to do well, our customers believe in us and trust us."

According to this fashion scout, the Fall season is calling for a lot of color. Shades of gray with accents of orange and fatigue are selling in the stores. And as far as specific items, capris and crop pants are being carried through into the fall season. "The whole market right now is all about items," Limbacher shares. "People want things that they can just buy one thing of and add it to their wardrobe.

"I think fashion, as a whole, goes in a cycle," he continues. "It's what someone doesn't have in their closet that they're going to buy. It's what they haven't seen in the market for a while or what they don't have. That is what makes fashion, and that is what they are going to buy."

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