Key Takeaways
- E-2 fashion brand and apparel company owners qualify for Bankable funding based on wholesale and retail revenue
- Seasonal inventory purchasing, production orders, and showroom expansion are all eligible uses
- Korean (LA Fashion District), Italian, French, and Turkish E-2 investors dominate the US fashion industry
- The March 2026 SBA rule change eliminates SBA access for non-citizen fashion business owners
- Bankable accommodates seasonal fashion revenue patterns in its underwriting approach
The Los Angeles Fashion District is one of the most E-2-intensive business districts in the United States. Korean wholesale fashion companies — operating buying offices, showrooms, import businesses, and manufacturing agencies — dominate the 100-block fashion wholesale market around Santee Alley and surrounding streets. Italian luxury goods companies use E-2 visas to establish US distribution and retail arms. French fashion brands open US subsidiaries through their principals’ E-2 investments. Turkish textile manufacturers establish US sales offices and brand operations. The US fashion industry is profoundly shaped by E-2 investment.
Fashion industry revenue is intensely seasonal: Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer buying seasons create large revenue spikes followed by lower periods. Bankable’s underwriters understand these cycles and evaluate fashion businesses on an annual basis, not penalizing slow months that are structurally unavoidable in the seasonal buying calendar.
Fashion Business Capital Uses
- Seasonal production orders: Funding the production of new season inventory before wholesale buyer payments arrive
- Showroom and trade show: New York, Las Vegas, or LA showroom buildout and trade show presence
- Inventory financing: Pre-season stock purchases from domestic or international manufacturers
- Ecommerce buildout: Online store development and digital marketing for direct-to-consumer sales
- Brand development: Photography, samples, marketing, and brand identity development costs
Working Capital Line
Revolving access for between-season operational costs and production deposits.
Learn More →Ecommerce Funding
Build your DTC channel alongside wholesale with Bankable’s ecommerce capital.
Learn More →Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. E-2 fashion and apparel business owners with documented wholesale and retail revenue qualify for Bankable funding. No green card required.
Fashion seasonality is fully understood. We evaluate annual revenue with seasonal context and structure working capital lines for between-season operational needs.
Yes. Production order financing — funding the cost of a season’s production before buyer payments arrive — is a core Bankable product.
Wholesale fashion companies, apparel brands, clothing manufacturers, fashion importers, accessories companies, and retail boutiques all qualify.
We accept wholesale buyer POs, invoice aging reports, showroom sales records, and bank statements showing buyer payment deposits.
Yes. Korean and other wholesale fashion companies in the Los Angeles Fashion District are a primary Bankable client category.
Most Bankable fashion clients have $600K+ in annual wholesale revenue. Brands with major retail buyer relationships may qualify at lower levels.
Yes. DTC channel development alongside existing wholesale operations is an eligible use of Bankable growth capital.