Poleci: architect of California's fashion landscape

Bobbin, August, 1998 by Julie McElwain

In fact, regardless of the division, quality remains a primary ingredient to the success of all Poleci lines. As Levin-Krok says, "I think that people come to us because they can get a specific look that is of excellent quality at an affordable price." Wholesale prices for the company range from $30 (for a basic top) to $350 (for a leather jacket).

To ensure its high quality, Poleci staffs its own in-house quality control team, which operates out of the company's 20,000-square-foot factory in Los Angeles. The factory also houses the sample pattern making, marking and grading operation, design team and inventory, and shipping departments.

The actual cutting and sewing work is handled by local contractors - something which Levin-Krok says won't change anytime soon because she's skeptical about the advantages that may be found in Mexico or offshore. "Because we're high fashion, our turnaround time is too quick. Besides, we want to stay away from anything that call be stopped at the borders," she quips.

Poleci may want to avoid sourcing production of its sewn goods outside of the United States, but it has no qualms about shipping the merchandise outside the country. The company exports heavily to Asia, with Japan in particular emerging as an avid fan of the Poleci label. While LevinKrok says Japanese retailers have become a tad more cautious since the Asian economic crisis, she insists: "They're still growing. They're just more conservative in their growth." More importantly, she adds, the Asian money woes haven't affected Poleci's bottom line.

However, in what may be Poleci's equivalent to spreading its eggs in more than one basket, the company has begun eye-balling Europe. In May, the company opened its first international sales office in London, which sells the Poleci label to stores throughout the United Kingdom and Europe. "We'll have a more active role in exporting our merchandise to Europe," Levin-Krok acknowledges. For the time being, sales for the rest of the world (including the United States) will continue to be handled out of Poleci's four corporate showrooms in Los Angeles, New York, NY, Atlanta, GA, and Dallas, TX.

While the company seems to be opening up new lines and new markets at a blisteringly rapid pace, Levin-Krok is quick to point out that Poleci's growth is carefully controlled. "We've been very cautious in running the company - we want it to grow securely, steadily and slowly," she says.

This is a stratagem that everyone expects will take the company well into the future. Certainly when Levin-Krok looks into the design company's crystal ball, she recognizes the opportunity and potential to expand even further, albeit carefully. There are no plans, for instance, to rock the firm's distribution base by selling direct to consumers through company-owned retail stores. Rather, says Levin-Krok, Poleci will concentrate on building the brand into "a complete lifestyle."

She concludes: "I see Poleci offering the customer everything from clothing to furnishings. Ultimately, we see ourselves offering shoes, accessories and probably [home domestics]. These are things that we've been thinking about, but now we're at a time to begin making it happen."