Business Beat: Love Culture coming to mall

By Marijke Rowland
mrowland@modbee.com

E-Mail

Comments (0)

Text Size:

tool goes here

If all you need is love, the Vintage Faire Mall is in great shape.

The women's clothing retailer Love Culture is moving into the Modesto mall. The Los Angeles-based company is the latest trendy yet affordable fashion brand to join the center, following in the footsteps of the expanded Forever 21 and new H&M store.

Love Culture will be part of the revamped Centre Court, on the lower level next to H&M and across from Forever 21.

The stores are part of the "fast fashion" trend — retailers that specialize in quickly created, reasonably priced collections based on the most recent runway styles from high-end designers.

Janice Curtin, Vintage Faire senior manager of marketing, said Love Culture is the kind of store that consumers have been asking for.

"I think (the store) is meeting market demand," Curtin said. "It's following what the economy is dictating right now. Our shoppers want to be fashionable, yet they need that clothing to look trendy without breaking their budget. They can follow the trends, stay current, look great and save money."

The store will take about 8,000 square feet formerly occupied by Radio Shack, Hallmark and a portion of Wet Seal.

Curtin said the retailer hopes to be open in time for the holiday season, like its neighbor H&M, which will occupy the 20,000-square-foot space next door.

Love Culture has stores across the country, including one at the Westfield Galleria at Roseville. Company representatives could not be reached for comment.

Curtin said she did not know how many jobs the store would create or when it would begin hiring.

The stores all have a distinctive look with white, high-gloss interiors accented by brilliant red and black. The styles are aimed at women in their teens to 20s.

Love Culture's Web site is under construction at www.loveculture.com.

Elsewhere around the Business Beat:

This week the Vintage Faire Mall also kicked off its Denim Drive, a charity clothing drive for Inter-faith Ministries Community Clothes Closet.

The event collects new and used denim jeans to give to homeless and low-income families. In return, shoppers will receive special offers and discounts from select mall retailers.

The drive runs through Aug. 13. All clothes can be dropped off at Guest Services in the mall.

The event will culminate with the "Get Together & Give: Love Your Genes" event from 5 to 7 p.m. Aug. 13 at the Fountain Courtyard in the Village. Participants are asked to bring a pair of jeans to donate.

Other clothing items such as new underwear and socks for school-age children also are being accepted.

And finally, the Frog and Fiddle in Sonora is fighting on.

Despite the downtown Sonora eatery closing its dedicated restaurant two weeks ago, the pub portion will live on, said bar manager Shane Vastbinder.

The pub, 177 S. Washington St., will be open starting at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, with the possibility of other special events. Each night will feature mostly live music. A limited bar menu of pizza, hot dogs and the like will be served.

The eatery, formerly The Old Stan, has been in downtown Sonora for more than five years. For more information, call 536-9598.

Have an item for Business Beat? Contact Marijke Rowland at The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352; 578-2284 or mrowland@modbee.com.