Can Fred Segal’s Brand of L.A. Cool Win Overseas?

LOS ANGELES — The market’s heard this one before: Fred Segal is growing and now will continue to do so under new ownership. The question is whether the plan this time sticks. Wednesday’s announcement that Global Icons has acquired a majority stake in Fred Segal came with news that the business planned to continue growing through more stores and more branded product, peddling its version of “L.A. style and culture.” It’s banking on an international consumer’s affinity for Los Angeles to do so with a three-pronged approach: More branded product, more stores overseas and more product licensing deals. The company is set to open a store in Malibu next month and believes that should now cover — at least in the near term — the U.S. with its flagship on Sunset Boulevard and a store at Los Angeles International Airport. The rest of its fleet is in Taipei, Taiwan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Zurich; and Basel, Bern and Lausanne, Switzerland. “I don’t think that there’s not an opportunity to grow Stateside,” said Fred Segal chief executive officer Allison Samek. “We just think that the opportunity to bring California, L.A. specifically, culture abroad, there’s a really strong demand now.” Added Fred Segal president John Frierson: “I

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