Olivia Culpo collaborates with Le Tote; Chris Paul teams with Five Four on men’s collection
It’s finally summer. Time to refresh your wardrobe? If the answer is yes, here are some possibilities: A women’s wear line goes local with an affordably chic pop-up shop, while a basketball star and a beauty pageant winner each offer special clothing collections. Now, before you go shopping, here’s what’s happening on the fashion scene this season in Los Angeles.
Avec les Filles
Joyce Azria’s line Avec les Filles may be available in 150 Macy’s stores nationwide, but it was still important to the Los Angeles designer to have a local retail presence. That’s why she wanted a pop-up space.
“It's like an experiential center where we can have events and offer private shopping,” Azria said of the 2,000-square-foot pop-up, which opened in May near the Grove, carrying on-trend clothes at accessible prices. The offerings include top sellers such as a silk robe dress, crisp shift dresses and snug summer jackets. Most items are between $50 and $100, with jackets up to $595.
Avec les Filles’ pop-up store, 217 S. La Brea Ave., Los Angeles. 1 to 4 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays. Call (213) 358-2752, Ext. 317, to confirm daily hours. aveclesfilles.com
Five Four X Chris Paul
When Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul was asked by Five Four, a men’s fashion subscription box brand, to collaborate on a collection, “it felt bigger than just a business deal,” said Paul, who worked on the collection with his stylist Courtney Mays. Paul’s debut offering with the L.A.-based company launched June 20, and the 20-piece capsule collection includes slender sporty pants, fitted long-sleeved tees and dressier shirts with innovative plaid prints.
“I wanted it to be versatile — pieces to wear to dinner or a theme park, but more elevated than jeans and a T-shirt,” he said. Take note, subscribers: The collection is a standalone offering pieces priced between $20 and $60, although discounts are available for club members.
Le Tote X Olivia Culpo
Celebrity-designed capsule collections for membership-based online retailers appear to be a growing trend. Earlier this month, actress and former Miss Universe Olivia Culpo launched a collection of 10 pieces with Le Tote, a clothing and accessory rental service.
Pieces include summer staples such as a reversible bomber jacket, an embroidered maxi-dress and a V-front floral blouse. Culpo said her inspiration for the line was “girl power.” Prices range from $48 to $128.
Tobi Tobin
Los Angeles designer Tobi Tobin isn’t one to add a ton of superfluous products to her brand. Instead, she has a tightly curated offering of exactly three things: fragrances, candles and chocolates. Last month, the former interior designer, who has a presence in three Los Angeles-area Bloomingdale’s stores in addition to a freestanding boutique in Brentwood, launched her “Black Box” monthly subscription service of a scented candle and a box of chocolates in four sizes.
“The candles use a higher concentration of oils than usual, so they fill a larger space,” she said. The artisanal dark chocolates come in espresso, ancho chile and Hawaiian red sea salt varieties. Black Boxes are between $64 and $175.
Bird Brooklyn
To fashion retailer Jennifer Mankins, the summer’s most in-demand women’s pieces will be sundresses that go from day to night.
“They sold out in a second,” said Mankins, founder of Brooklyn-based Bird, the New York multi-brand retailer that opened its first West Coast store — it’s a 5,000-square-foot space in Culver City — in March. In addition to carrying brands such as Raquel Allegra and Marni, Mankins has unveiled a collection of Bird dresses in floral and peacock prints and solid chambray designs, priced from $295 to $395; Mankins said she has tried to keep prices of items in the store under $1,000. Also selling well at the local boutique? Strappy shoes in pretty fabrics, “because you don’t need the workhorse shoe here [that] you need in New York,” Mankins said.
8870 Washington Blvd., Culver City, birdbrooklyn.com
Jessica Rey
Former actress Jessica Rey, known for her vintage-inspired swimwear, last month unveiled a ready-to-wear offering inspired by the legendary style of Audrey Hepburn. Named Estella after the designer’s late mother, the new collection was created to be “flattering on all figures,” Rey said. Standout pieces include a cotton-spandex dress in dusty rose ($124) and a front-button full skirt in canary yellow ($98).
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