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Couture
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of Art, the intimate setting was
well-recieved, and Klein continued
to produce shows on his
own in his atelier on Beverly
Boulevard.
Inspired by the 1939 Joan
Crawford high-society film “The
Women” and the in-store shows
held in Parisian couture houses,
Klein’s fashion shows bring a
welcome dose of glamour and
decorum, Klein said. “This way,
we have a whole afternoon. We
can talk about the clothes; they
can see them on a body and see
Designer Lloyd Klein
the construction. [Traditional] fashion shows are more
for press and buyers. These shows allow me to focus on
my customers and listen to what they like. As a couture
designer, I like to work closely with my customers,” he
said. And, since his designs are not determined by the
season but rather by the needs of his customers, the
monthly shows make more sense for him than seasonal
catwalk extravaganzas.
Populating the shows was a no-brainer, Klein said.
“For the first shows, we invited our regular clients. Then,
they began to bring their friends and daughters. It makes for a very
nice atmosphere,” he said. Now, the shows’ popularity has grown so
much that the designer has added a second show to accommodate
the demand. “We have a very small afternoon show of about a dozen
women. Then, in the evening, we have a larger show of about 50 or
60 women. It is more casual [than the afternoon show], but it is a lot
of fun,” he said.
The proof of the show’s allure is in Klein’s rising sales figures.
“We have been very successful. Many of our customers buy right
after the show. Some return for a private fitting of their own. It is a
very nice way to shop. My clients are very high-profile ladies and
couture lovers. They appreciate the added attention and discretion,”
he said. Several of his clients left cheat sheets with the designer so
he could help their husbands shop for them. “The husband of one
of my clients was just in. He is [a French diplomat], and his wife
sent him here to buy her a Christmas present,” he laughed. “She
will be very pleased.”
Still, couture doesn’t dominate Klein’s in-store catwalk. A new
knit collection, which he debuted during his December shows, has
been very well received. “Women can buy it right after the show—
instant gratification!” Klein said, adding that the new ready-to-wear
knit collection is helping to drive sales and expand his client base.
“It is more affordable and very versatile. Very young and hip,” he
Los Angeles–based couture designer
Bradley Bayou has shown on the runway
at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week
at Smashbox Studios, but the former
Halston designer recently eschewed
the large-scale runway show format in
favor of a more-intimate setting.
In early December, Bayou hosted a
party and private showing of his Spring
2008 couture collection at his home in the
Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles.
The decision to show outside the
confines of a formal fashion week made
sense with his business model, Bayou
said.
“My core business is celebrities and
special clients,” he said. “I don’t sell to
stores.”
In addition to custom designs for an elite clientele, Bradley
also produces a more-mainstream collection for QVC. The designer
also recently published a book, “The Science of Sexy,”
which is a guide to dressing for a variety of body types.
“My business has taken off,” he said. “I’m adding new lines,
[including] interiors. It’s becoming a world brand.”
Bayou keeps the two sides of his business separate, but the designer’s
creativity is the common thread that runs through both.
“The couture is a design lab. It’s where I get my ideas,” he said.
The show was scheduled to coincide with the Hollywood
awards season, which kicks off in January with the Golden
Globes and ends in February with the Academy Awards.
“What better time to show actresses who might be nominated?”
Bradley said, adding that the intimate setting and very limited
guest list was designed with his clientele in mind.
“Couture is not good for runway because you miss all the details,”
he said.
The designer showed a small collection of gowns and cocktail separates.
Models snaked through the designer’s living room and out
6 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS DECEMBER 28, 2007–JANUARY 3, 2008
NEW KNITS: Klein
debuted a new collection
of knitwear in December.
TIMELESS ELEGANCE: Klein said his clients dress for blacktie
events and red-carpet affairs–not for the season.
said. Sexy and body-conscious, the knits have become a hit with
the younger crowd. “It is the sort of thing young women can wear
to parties or clubs,” Klein said. Retail prices for the knits line fall
well below the price of Klein’s couture gowns. Sweater dresses,
miniskirts, jackets and tops retail for $200 to upwards of $600.
Eveningwear designer Kevan Hall, who is a regular during
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver
City, Calif., will produce similar events when his new couture
studio is completed next year. The new studio is located
on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles—down the street from his
current location. “It is a targeted focus, very different from the
Fashion Week shows. They allow me to cater to my clients, the
ones buying my gowns,” he said. For his couture shows, Hall
said he will invite select clients for luncheons or tea. Beyond
building a personal rapport and inspiring women to buy his creations,
these gatherings of his most influential clients will give
him insight into their needs and tastes. “It gives women an opportunity
to work closely with the designer, and they love that.
And, as a designer, I am able to focus and listen and see what
they are responding to,” Hall said.
Currently in the process of building his studio, Hall is working
with his designers to create a space that can accommodate the intimate
gatherings. “It is going to be beautiful.” ■
Bayou Hosts Private Show
to a patio that overlooked the twinkling lights of Los Angeles.
Guests perched on couches and around Bayou’s dining room table
admired the details: the row of feathered trim running down
the spine of a black wool crepe dress, the obi-like corset on a
hand-pleated gown and the origami-like treatment on the collar
of a white suit.
The look was luxe from beginning to end, but the drama escalated
to the finale, which featured sweeping gowns named in honor
of Bayou’s Texas roots. The “Gulf Hurricane” featured swirling
layers of blue and aubergine satin. “Clear Blue Sky” trimmed
aquamarine Duchesse satin with silver. And “Texas Twister” featured
hand-pleated layers of yellow taffeta and tulle.
In February, Bayou will show the collection in a private home
in Dallas for a group of women who call themselves “The Fashionistas.”
“I love showing that way,” he said
The designer said he hopes to continue to show in private settings,
based on the success of the showing in his home. “It’s a great
sign when a designer has fun at his own party!”—Alison A. Nieder
VOLKER CORELL
PHIL CUENCO AND JIMMY FIKES
Surf Report
ASR Goes Digital
By Erin Barajas
MANUFACTURING EDITOR
Come January, the Action Sports Retailer
Trade Expo in San Diego will take
on a distinctively high-tech flair. As part of
its move toward a more eco-friendly and
user-friendly platform, ASR’s directory, the
ASR LineUp, will be offered in an all-digital
format. Expanded Show Preview and ASR
Show Daily publications will be available on
the show floor.
“The relevance and speed makes the
new digital ASR LineUp a win-win for both
buyers and manufacturers,” said Andy
Tompkins, ASR’s show director. “We understand
that as ASR grows, it’s becoming
more challenging for attendees to follow all
the events and news on the floor relevant to
their businesses. These three products are
being designed explicitly to help buyers,
media and exhibitors make the most out of
a trip to ASR.”
A digital ASR LineUp makes updates
easier, cuts down on paper waste and creates
a tool attendees can continue to use
after the show is over, Tompkins said. The
ASR LineUp will be accessible to all of the
industry at the show’s Web site (www.
asrbiz.com) and at entry points throughout
the industry starting this month.
An expanded Show Preview will include a
schedule of events, seminars and a detailed
floor plan for the show’s three-day run of
Jan. 24–26. The new ASR Show Daily magazine
will include breaking news, brands
to watch, events and trends for the coming
season. Each day, the ASR Daily will
be available in hotel lobbies and throughout
the San Diego Convention Center.
Quiksilver Top Hair-Raiser for Charity
One month of prickly faces added up
to more than $65,000 raised for charity by
180 Quiksilver employees. In November,
Quiksilver Chief Bob McKnight, sponsored
surfer Kelly Slater, and employees and
executives from the company’s American,
Australian and French offices participated
in “Movember,” a month-long fund-raising
and awareness event for prostate-cancer
research, in which participants grew mustaches
during the month. Quiksilver’s charitable
arm, Quiksilver Foundation, was
the largest participating and top-earning
team. The Foundation matched up to $100
of each team member’s earnings.
To commemorate the end of Movember,
McKnight hosted a wrap party at Quiksilver’s
Huntington Beach, Calif.–based offices
complete with awards for “Best Mo.”
Reef’s Green Effort Gets New Chief
Reef’s eco-focused Reef Redemption
division has a new chief. The company
promoted Mike Gass to the newly created
position of director of Reef Redemption.
Gass will direct the brand’s environmental
initiatives; the Reef Redemption
eco-friendly product line; and the Reef
Redemption Fund, the brand’s charitable
division.
“We have an amazing team of individuals
committed to affecting real change in
how we make product, conduct our business
and give back,” Gass said in a statement.
“It is great to be working on this
project at a time when there seems to be
a real shift in attitude, not only in our industry
but in the overall business world,
as well.”
Before being named director of Reef
Redemption, Gass was a senior footwear
product developer and an associate product
line manager for men’s footwear at
the company. He was part of the team
that created the program two years ago.
Gass will be responsible for researching
and sourcing eco-friendly materials to expand
the Reef Redemption product array
in 2008. ■