Most fashion designers would never imagine, nor wish, that identifying an arsonist suspect during a weekend hike, could lead to business recognition. But the Los Angeles-based designer Davanh DiMarco can.
The until recently little-known creative, DiMarco, and her partner, Scott Mitchell, were nearing the end of their seven-mile hike in Runyon Canyon in Hollywood on July 13 when the incident occurred. Mitchell, a former Canadian Football League player, pitches in with the company, which is run from DiMarco’s Hollywood home. Instead of going for their weekly hike at 7 a.m., the pair was running behind schedule. DiMarco said, “It was just timing. If we were two steps ahead or two steps behind, we never would have seen this man. At the end of our hike, as we were coming down the hill and around the bend, I saw this man coming out of the bushes. He looked a little bit disheveled, and I thought, ‘That’s odd. Maybe he’s coming out of the rugged terrain.’”
Related Articles
Fifteen seconds later, an entire palm tree went up in flames, according to DiMarco, who recalled saying to Mitchell, “‘This guy did it. Go catch him.’” Having just filmed a video for a social media post, she said she happened to have her phone in her hand and recorded the man “in case he ran off.” She also tried to call 911, but without any cell reception, she asked others to. Mitchell, a former wide receiver at the University of Kentucky, and another hiker detained the man until park rangers arrived.
You May Also Like
Andrew Ocalliham was arrested and was charged with one count of arson of forest land. The July 13 incident happened near the remnants of Sunset Fire, one of the wildfires that threatened Los Angeles County homes in January.
Media requests to the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Parks Department were not immediately returned Wednesday.
After starting out in custom swimwear made of recycled fabrics in 2015, DiMarco now focuses on activewear and streetwear that is sold under the brand Label to individual clients. Her designs, which are made locally, are sold via the Label Los Angeles website. Having been interviewed by about 12 media outlets, DiMarco’s designs are gaining more attention. “Before the Runyon fire, getting people to even acknowledge me or know my name as an independent and small designer was hard. The media attention has changed all of that. People have been reaching out, following up and are interested in my pieces. It’s just been surreal and I’m thankful,” she said.
Developing a collection for hiking that is made of fire-resistant materials is something that she is mulling over. DiMarco said she is hopeful that the attention will lead to “something positive after this chaos” like retail distribution. Having had to evacuate her home for a few days in January due to the wildfires in southern California and friendly with people who lost everything in the blazes, DiMarco said, “If you weren’t affected in January or have never been part of a fire evacuation, you don’t understand the severity of losing your home, family members and pets. Now people are dealing with insurance and have been displaced.”
Committed to domestic production, the designer said she had to temporarily shift some manufacturing to Long Beach, Calif., due to how ICE raids in the L.A. Fashion District have impacted the manpower in factories. “[Some] workers have been staying home or they’ve been detained,” she said.
Post-COVID-19, shoppers are less interested in labels and are more interested in clothes that relay identity and resilience, DiMarco said, “That’s what I’m trying to base my fashion on. I want people to love what they wear and to feel good in it. That’s more meaningful to people to have that experience.”
DiMarco and Mitchell are still hiking every Sunday. She said, “I’m hoping that this is a reminder that even in chaos, there can be a purpose. Perhaps the attention will spark new interest in my brand to open up new business opportunities and growth. As a woman of color business owner, I know women can be heroic in formidable situations as well.”