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Stephenson
With the Fall 2007 launch of her
eponymous label, North Carolina native
Amy Stephenson has settled into the So-
Cal premium-denim market with ease.
Strictly focused on jeans and washedcotton
trousers, with limited distribution
and small production runs, the line is
sold at Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman,
American Rag, Planet Blue, AB
Fits and Nordstrom’s Via C boutiques,
among others.
Still, one of the biggest challenges
the designer is facing is trying to stay
small. “I want to be part of every aspect of the operation, and as this label grows, it’s becoming
more and more challenging to do it all,” she said. “I would rather produce 2,000 beautifully
crafted pieces as opposed to 200,000.”
Targeting women 25 years old and older, Stephenson’s line offers fully finished all-bound
seam construction on the interior, unusual leather and metal hardware, as well as the absence
of outer branding. She views the line as being pure and vintage without being contrived,
with a “just found in my mom’s hope chest” look. “I’ll never be a five-pocket brand,
nor do I want to be,” Stephenson said. “I have some in the line, and they are super, but
generally people come to me for novelty premium denim.”
After only one season, signature styles have emerged: “The Brother,” a boy cut that
Stephenson dubbed the epitome of tomboy chic, and the “Mercer Fisherman Pant,” with
sailor-style button detailing on the front pockets. The denim is sourced from Japan and
Italy, sewn in Shanghai and washed in Los Angeles.
Stephenson, a Parsons School of Design graduate, designed in New York for eight
years and is currently based in Los Angeles. The line remains bicoastal, and Stephenson
visits New York once a month for inspiration and to see vendors. “My favorite photographers
are in New York, my favorite vintage stores, etc.,” she said. “But for the most part, I
live in the wash houses and shipping facilities of L.A.”
Spring 2008 is Stephenson’s sophomore season. Twelve new styles will be introduced for
the upcoming season, and the best-selling “Mercer Fisherman” and a few other top sellers
will be carried over, as well. Maintaining a vintage vibe, washes for the latest styles are a
palette of super-light ’70s-looking tones, described by the designer as “very Woodstock.”
As she embarks on her third collection, she will also be producing diffusion lines for Urban
Outfitters and Anthropologie. “They are so much fun to work with. It’s a way of growing
the business for me while keeping the main line exclusive in the market,” she explained.
And for Fall 2008, the newlywed will introduce a men’s collection with four styles inspired
by and fitted for her husband.
Wholesale prices range from $72 for shorts (available for Spring ’08) to $109 for the popular
“Mercer Fisherman” style. Stephenson is showing at the Los Angeles Fashion Market
at the Proper Fools Showroom, located in suite 520 of the Cooper Design Space.
For more information, visit www.stephensonstudio.com.—Dena Smolek
Kate and Kass
Putting a playful twist on retro chic, Kate
and Kass founder Anya Teresse brings a
youthful eye to a classic aesthetic. Gleaning
inspiration from 1960s films and female
icons—including Jane Fonda, Jackie Onassis
and Gloria Steinem—the Los Angeles
designer clearly has a passion for vintage
style.
“Kate and Kass is inspired by singers,
writers, artists, iconoclasts, movers and
shakers,” Teresse explained. “I’ve always
been inspired by women leaders. The line honors women who stood up for what they believed
in, in every aspect of their lives, especially through their style of dress. Each dress is
named after a great woman, a woman who changed the world.”
Retro looks are modernized with ultra-comfy fabrics and contemporary details. Launched
for the Spring 2006 season, Teresse’s California-made label has garnered the attention of
Barneys New York, ShopBop, Diavolina, Nordstrom and Intermix, among others. A
former costume designer, Teresse studied fashion design at Parsons in Paris and Otis in
Los Angeles before launching her line.
Teresse said the A-line body is the signature silhouette in the line, and she incorporates
the shape into every collection with modifications and new details. Specializing in “loose,
drapey, free-flowing” silhouettes, Teresse said she is drawn by the rebelliousness of such
cuts. “They represent a kind of femininity that defies confinement and celebrates freedom,”
she said. “The free-flowing silhouettes rebel against the constraining, binding fashions that,
I feel, are exhausted in contemporary style.”
For Spring 2008, Teresse expanded on her formula of muted tones and flowing fabrics
with more dresses with lots of movement and a retro modern aesthetic. Working with cotton
gauze, cotton Modal and silk charmeuse, Teresse used prints that “are reminiscent of
the floral patterns from the ’70s” for the latest collection. “I feel like the soul of the line is
still the same, and I’m still expressing the same very personal aesthetic, but I think the line
has more depth and character now than a year ago,” she said. “I’m able to use a wider range
of fabrics, and I’ve introduced a broader color palette. It is still a line that is based on having
a strong sense of individuality.”
As for her personal favorites from the Spring 2008 line, she said: “I live in the ‘Jessica
Benjamin,’ ‘Gloria Steinem’ and ‘Mary E. Walker.’ I wear the ‘Ingrid Newkirk’ to cocktail
parties and the ‘Eve Ensler’ to formal events.”
Wholesale prices range from $55 to $140.
For more information, contact the Em Productions showroom, located in suite 402 of
the Cooper Design Space, or visit www.kateandkass.com.—D.S.
Extreme
Makeover
It was time for a change.
The new California Apparel News Web site is
now dramatically improved: beautifully designed,
better functioning and more interactive than ever.
See the new Trends section and search the archives
for your favorite trends, both past and present. The
Fashion Slideshows will dazzle you with extensive
runway coverage. The new Calendar section lets you
visit all 2007 & 2008 trade shows and events, locate
them on Google Maps and save to your calendar.
The Classifi ed section is searchable,
divided by category and FREE!
It’s better than ever.
Visit the new California Apparel News Web site
and see for yourself.
CALIFORNIA
ApparelNews.net
Where fashion get down to businesssm
OCTOBER 26–NOVEMBER 1, 2007 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 23
OCTOBER 26–NOVEMBER 1, 2007 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 23