The Offbeat Track : Twins Find Store’s Abstract Clothes Are Their Strong Suit
Strange things started happening at a unique clothing store called Zoom even before it opened in the Mission Viejo Mall.
Construction workers in charge of remodeling what was to become Zoom’s space began putting up walls at weird angles and suspending fin-shaped sculptures of perforated steel from the ceiling. They covered the walls with cement and steel--and left it that way.
They installed and removed two staircases before finding one that would pass building codes. Then there was the matter of the mirror. Measuring 13 feet tall and 8 feet wide, the massive mirror was supposed to be a foot taller but had to be cut down to fit through the store entrance. Still, the store’s L.A.-based designers say it’s the largest single piece of glass mirror in the state.
When Zoom opened for business in September, the store had a high-tech look like something out of Star Trek. That’s exactly how the owners, twins Vince and Mark Ambrose, wanted it.
“There are no right angles,” says Mark, proudly showing off the store’s asymmetrical front entrance with its skewed cement-covered doorway.
Everything about the store strives to be different, from the funky decor to the smallest accessory. The limited selection of men’s socks, for instance, features fun retro and geometric prints. There’s not a boring one in the bunch.
“You can go anywhere and get a plain navy sock. Why would they come here?” Mark asks.
Zoom specializes in fashion-forward clothing for young men and women that fits the store’s futuristic environment.
Shirts with unusual details and prints are one of Zoom’s strong suits. No dull pin stripes here. Many come in rayon awash in rich dyes and bold prints, such as the blouse by Z. Cavaricci with an abstract blend of mustard, cranberry and plum tones for about $50.
Often their shirts have a slight design twist, such as the ivory-colored blouse for women with an embroidered sheer panel across the front and a pointed collar covered in buttons, or the men’s blue-flannel shirt with a collar in a contrasting shade of rust. Denim shirts by Edwin are one of Zoom’s best sellers.
Jeans for both sexes are a Zoom staple. They come in a broad range of styles and prices, from $39 to $109 for a pair of French jeans by Big Star. Some are distressed and dyed deep teal, cranberry and midnight blue.
“Designers are experimenting with a lot of different washings and treatments” of such fabrics as silk and denim, Mark says.
Zoom has a small selection of suits, none of them conservative.
For men, there’s a washed silk jacket in taupe by Maxwear for $189 that can go with jeans or with matching taupe pants, and a plum-colored shirt in rayon with the look and texture of washed silk.
A mix-and-match group of jackets and skirts in rayon crepe for women by Cline Kolarek features a double-breasted bright-pink jacket with a black-and-white check trim and big buttons that can be worn with a kicky pleated skirt in a matching checked print or a straight skirt in solid pink or black.
Accessories include a modest showing of ties, chosen for their abstract prints, and leather belts, some decorated with brass studs. One patriotic belt comes with studs of the Statue of Liberty and the American flag.
Vince and Mark buy the clothes and handle Zoom’s financial operation. They even helped construct the new store, coming in at night to cement the walls.
The brothers, both 28, are fraternal twins. Vince is the eldest by three minutes. Their uncle, Jim Cavaricci, is president of the Z. Cavaricci clothing line that figures prominently in their store.
“I’m very proud of what they’re doing, but I’m always encouraging them to try harder,” says Cavaricci, a Laguna Hills resident. “I’m kind of hard on them.”
Thanks to the family connection, the twins have their pick of Cavaricci’s Italian-influenced clothing.
After graduating from college, the brothers worked briefly for their uncle’s company before opening Zoom in 1986 at a smaller location in Lake Forest. They have prospered in spite of the recession, moving to the mall for more space and more traffic.
“They’ve got a pretty different-looking store. People either love it or hate it,” Cavaricci says. “There’s no vanilla.”
Among Zoom’s cement and steel there are a few warm touches, such as the mahogany countertops, racks and dressing-room doors.
A 12-inch gold baroque frame surrounds half of the large mirror--the rest of the frame is finished in cold rolled steel. A bust of Caesar (“We rub his head every morning for good luck,” jokes Vince) is displayed in a corner of the shop.
While their target market was initially 18- to 25-year-olds, the store is attracting a wider group, from ages 15 to 45, Mark says. Thus Zoom’s short black-lace skirt by Z. Cavaricci might appeal to a preteen, while the Chanel-inspired suit from Laundry would work for a career woman.
Despite their age differences, the customers have one thing in common:
“They’re not afraid to be a little different,” Mark says.
