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NEW YORK -- Poleci isn't shy.
The 11-year-old company designs clothes that are meant to be noticed -- Mongolian lamb capelets, bejeweled camisole tops, patterns and a liberal hand with jewels -- but its U.S. expansion has been low-key.
Poleci, (pronounced POL-icy), has established a beachhead in Los Angeles, where its founders, South African sisters Janice Levin-Kroc and Diane Levin, live, and where fashion is bright, trendy and body-conscious.
Poleci is growing slowly and deliberately. The company took a big step recently, unveiling a 5,000-square-foot store on West 14th Street in the Meatpacking District here. It joins Poleci's existing boutique on South Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles.
While most retail executives have a top 10 list of cities where they would like to plant stores for starters, Poleci has modest ambitions on the real estate front. The company plans to grow organically by adding new product categories and expanding its U.S. and European wholesale...