Now Open: Azzure Couture Special Occasion Dresses

 

The stretch of Santee Street between 9th and 14th Streets has long been known as the go-to destination for prom and special occasion dresses, a reputation that continues to grow as new special occasion dress stores open along the street. The latest is Azzure Couture, a Florida-based line offering prom, pageant, bridesmaid, mother of the bride, evening, and special occasion dresses. This is Azzure's first West Coast location, with plans to expand in the near future.

Azzure Couture is owned by a husband and wife design duo who maintain full creative control over their business. This mans all of the dresses at the Santee location are exclusive to the store. You won't find them anywhere else in the Fashion District.

The dresses are sized 2-20, retail between $250 and $350 dollars, and are available for wholesale and retail. New collections arrive every two to three months.

Azzure Couture
1136-A Santee St.
323-672-1189
Facebook, Instagram

Santee Alley Prom Shopping Guide

Image Bridesmaid & Quinceañera, 1026 Santee St.

Prom dress? Check. Heels? Check. Accessories? Check. Tuxedo, tie, and dress shoes? Check, check, check! Santee Alley has everything you need for prom, and in this post we're going to help you find it.

For those of you who are new to the area, Santee Alley takes up two blocks of the LA Fashion District and offers special occasion apparel, accessories, and footwear for men and women at steeply discounted prices. The alley is located between Maple Avenue and Santee Street from Olympic Boulevard to 12th Street.

Prom Dresses
The majority of prom dress stores are located on Santee Street between Olympic and 12th. There is one dedicated special occasion dress store located inside Santee Alley - Top Star (pictured above) - and many women’s apparel stores will stock special occasion dresses during the prom season (March-June). There’s also a couple stores located on Maple Avenue between Olympic Boulevard and 12th Street.

Heels & Special Occasion Shoes
We have at least a dozen women’s shoe stores in the area carrying heels, sandals, wedges, and flats in all colors. Shoes typically range from $15-30. See some of the shoe store’s we’ve featured on this blog: Betty’s Shoes, Cherry-4U (pictured above), Sensual Steps, Forever Shoes, I Heart Fashion, and Instagram favorite – Lola Shoetique.

Jewelry & Accessories
The majority of jewelry and accessories stores are located on Santee Street between Olympic Boulevard and 11th Street. Inside the alley you will also find Halo Handbags, LA Purses, Fashion Fantasia (pictured above) and Accessories High Bijoux.

Cebu, 1022 Santee St.

Fashion Vogues, 1008-B Santee St.

For the Guys

We’re not just girly glitz and glamour here, we’ve got the boy’s covered too! You can actually buy a suit for the same price or under the cost of a rental. Suits are often sold in package deals that include a tie, shirt, and various accessories. Most package deals are offered for about $100. 

Suit stores can be found throughout the Santee Alley on Maple Avenue, Santee Street, and inside the alley including Bucci and BZ Studio.

Aron Imani, 1013 Maple Ave.

Want to know more abouSee our previous post on saving money for prom here. Questions? Tweet us! @shopsanteealley or message us on Facebook.

Top Star Prom and Special Occasion Gowns for Women and Girls

Past the sunglasses and handbags at the entrance of 1039 Santee Alley you'll find Top Star. The special occasion women's and children's wear store specializing in  flower girl, first communion, and baptism gowns, prom dresses, and special evening gowns. Styles vary from more conservative Mother of the Bride gowns to fun and flirty dresses for prom and graduation parties. They also carry tuxedos for boys.

New styles are added weekly and tailoring is available. For purchase or pricing inquiries please contact store manger Michelle at 213-747-9113.

Girls dresses are available in children and tween sizes.

Top Star
1039 S. Maple Ave. inside Santee Alley
213-747-9113

Weekly Fashion Finds: Back to School, Discounts and Princess Dresses

ICYMI (In Case You Missed It) Three's For Me is still offering 10% off  to all our blog readers as well as their Facebook and Instagram followers. More info on that here. The Princess and the Frog's Tiana gown is pictured above on the right. They carry most Disney princess gowns along with their flower girl and baptism selection.

On to this week's Weekly Fashion Finds... We're Back to School ready! The Santee Alley is fully stocked with backpacks for children and teens for the back to school season. We love the little animal shaped backpacks like the one the boy is wearing in the photo above. They're perfect for smaller children and oh so adorable! You'll find everything from cartoon and action hero themed backpacks to the high school classic Jansport. For the fashion forward crowd, we also have stylish totes and book bags available at handbag stores throughout the alley.

Bargain of the week: $5 animal print bags we found at New 9 Nine Handbag (located at 1057 S. Maple Ave. inside the alley). We'll be showing you more from Nine Handbag this week.

Also coming to the blog this week, gorgeous dresses from Top Star (located at 1039 S. Maple Ave. inside the alley). They carry prom, special occasion, bridesmaid, mother of the bride, and children's formal wear. Stay tuned...

P.S. Check out our amazing shoe deals!

How to save money on prom at Santee Alley

According to a recent report published by USA Today, the average family will spend $1,078 on prom this year. That’s almost $300 more than the average in 2011. The report states the average girl will spend $231 on her dress and $45 on her shoes. The average boy will spend $127 on his tux and another $100 on accessories including shoes and a tie. The average cost for a corsage is $20 and $10 for a boutonniere.

That’s over $500 on just outfits! Not to mention dinner, limo rides and the actual prom. We headed down the alley and found that you can save up to 50% by buying your prom outfit at the Fashion District. You can even go to the Flower District and make your own corsage and boutonniere!

Dress: Average Cost $100-150

Conny's Dress
1149 Santee St.
213-999-3788

Conny's Dress
1149 Santee St.
213-999-3788

Conny's Dress
1149 Santee St.
213-999-3788

Tux: Average cost $89.00, starting as low as $49.99, includes tie and shirt

Available in Fashion and Slim Fits.
Gold Man
Quality Men's Wear
1132 S. Santee St. #H
213-746-4860

Available in Fashion and Slim Fits.
Gold Man
Quality Men's Wear
1132 S. Santee St. #H
213-746-4860

Spotted: Santee Alley in Seventeen Magazine

Ever seen a dress you love and wonder where you can get it? Well, we recently spotted some of our vendors in Seventeen magazine's Winter/Spring Prom 2012 issue. Check it out!

La Femme
Where to buy: La Femme, 1312 Santee St.

 

Scala

Where to buy: Social Occasion, 1205-A S. Santee St.