Today we’d like to introduce you to Houman Salem.
Houman, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am the oldest son of Iranian immigrants who came to this country in the mid-1970s. I grew up in the San Fernando Valley at a time in which the valley was a magical place. I attended Chatsworth High School with a lot of classmates who would later go on to become celebrities or influential people in Hollywood. My aspiration growing up was to work in the music industry or be involved in music in some way, shape, or form.
I attended Cal State University Northridge, where I got my degree in history, and later Pepperdine University, where I got my MBA. While at Cal State Northridge, I served as the director of concerts for their student-run entertainment organization. My job was to book bands on campus. Having networked with several record companies and agents in the industry, I was lucky to land a position with Capitol Records upon graduating. I had met my goal to work in the music industry, and although it was a start, it was a start in the right direction. However, for the next six years in the 1990s, albeit during the most exciting time ever to be working in music, I was bouncing around from one record label to the next, not progressing in my career upwards, only sideways. So, I decided to continue my education and entered the MBA program at Pepperdine.
Although I didn’t spend much time in the music industry, I discovered a new field that I immediately fell in love with. After graduating from Pepperdine University, I started a small consulting firm where I helped companies develop business plans and assisted with investor relations. I had a client, a small lingerie brand in Hollywood, that required my expertise in management consulting. I assumed the role of their consultant in 2003, and after three months of working with them, they offered me the position of CEO. This marked the beginning of my career in the fashion industry.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I spent the first half of my career in the fashion industry, working for other companies. However, in 2010, I decided to start my own lingerie store, hoping it would be the first of many. I opened a small boutique in Sherman Oaks Fashion Square Mall and managed it for two years. During this time, I purchased and sold products from other vendors and decided to start manufacturing my own product line. I worked with a famous fashion designer and pattern maker to create my collection, but I couldn’t find a factory in Los Angeles to manufacture it.
Los Angeles is the fashion design and manufacturing hub of the USA, with over 9,000 apparel factories in Southern California at its peak. However, we are down to roughly 1,500 factories today. During the summer of 2013, I visited countless factories in downtown LA, but none were willing to take on my small project. As a result, I saw an opportunity to start a new business that would cater to start-up brands by offering high-quality manufacturing with small-batch production runs.
I founded ARGYLE Haus of Apparel in 2014, and since then, we have launched over 1000 fashion retail brands in virtually every category. We work with established designers, new entrepreneurs in the industry, celebrities, and influencers. We are also the fashion house that designs and develops apparel for a wide range of growth-stage brands and mid-sized companies. If you spend any amount of time shopping for apparel online, there’s a 100% chance that the online brand has had exposure through our company. After having spent the first half of my career in the fashion industry working for other people and companies, I’ve ventured off on my own in 2010 to start what I hoped would have become my first of many lingerie stores. I opened a small boutique at the Fashion Square Mall in Sherman Oaks and managed to operate the business for two years. During that time, I was buying and selling products from other vendors and decided to start manufacturing my own product line. I had worked with a well-known fashion designer and patternmaker to help create my collection, but I could not find a factory in Los Angeles that would manufacture my brand.
Los Angeles is the epicenter of fashion design and manufacturing in the USA. At the height of the industry, there were over 9000 apparel factories in Southern California. Today, we are down to roughly 1500 factories. During the summer of 2013, I spent countless hours visiting factories in downtown LA, but I could not find any willing to take on my small project. As a result, I saw an opportunity to start a new business that would cater to start-up brands offering high-quality manufacturing with low-volume (small batch) production runs.
I launched ARGYLE Haus of Apparel in 2014, and since its inception, we have launched over 1000 fashion retail brands in virtually every category. We work with established designers, new entrepreneurs in the industry, celebrities, and influencers. We are also the fashion house that designs and develops apparel for a wide range of growth-stage brands and mid-sized companies. If you spend any amount of time shopping for apparel online there’s a 100% chance that the online brand has had exposure through our ARGYLE Haus.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about ARGYLE Haus of Apparel?
ARGYLE Haus of Apparel is a world-class fashion design house located in Los Angeles, CA. Our apparel manufacturing facilities are in the San Fernando Valley, and we have a showroom at the famous New Mart building in downtown Los Angeles.
Our company specializes in designing, developing, and manufacturing clothing in a wide range of fabrics and product categories. We can make everything from lingerie and swimwear to outerwear and formal apparel.
Our people are our competitive advantage. Our factory production employees are some of the best in the industry, and our designers, pattern makers, and development professionals are world-class. Over the past 10 years, we’ve had very little to no turnover with our production employees. We have created a work environment where our employees can be proud of their work. We prioritize creating a healthy and safe work environment, and we put our employees first before profits. If our employees are not happy, they will not deliver quality, and we cannot market ourselves as the best in the industry. Our focus on employee satisfaction sets us apart from other fashion design houses.
Our second competitive advantage is that we own the factory, so we have control over the means and methods of our work. While other design houses have to rely on outside resources, we do everything under one roof, allowing us to ensure quality and timeliness.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memories always involved ditching school. Usually, weather permitting, a group of friends and I would hang out at Zuma 6 (in Malibu) and try to avoid being caught. I really hated school; I despised every second of every grade. When people ask me if I would like to relive my childhood, I always say no because I would have to go through all that school nonsense again. So, whenever I think about my childhood, the first thing that comes to mind is hanging out with my friends at Zuma Beach.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.argylehaus.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/argylehaus/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/argylehaus
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/argylehaus
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3ilxjE3iIlSiMz5J0cOFNw
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@argylehaus
Image Credits
ARGYLE Haus of Apparel
