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Jeffrey Sebelia
Launches New Line
On the heels of debuting his Spring 2008 Cosa Nostra
collection on the runway during Los Angeles Fashion
Week, designer Jeffrey Sebelia has launched a new line to
further his reach. Sebelia, who is widely recognized for his
appearance on Bravo TV’s “Project Runway” fashion reality
competition, is hoping to capitalize on his fame with Jeffrey
Sebelia, a new young contemporary line.
“I’m targeting a different customer [than Cosa Nostra].
It’s a much younger woman, and it is priced as such,” Sebelia
said. Backed by Los Angeles–based Green Mochi, makers
of the 12th Street by Cynthia Vincent line, the new collection
is set to appeal to a wider audience. “It’s more of a casual
look that more women can wear,” Sebelia said. Less focused
than Cosa Nostra, which targets a niche market of sexy rock
’n’ roll outcasts, the new line is more wearable, with pretty dresses, flirty tops, tailored
pants, jersey dresses and skinny tuxedos.
“It’s still me, so there is a bit of a rock ’n’
roll slant, but mostly it is just sportswear
done really well. The tuxedo is about as out
there as I get with this line,” he said.
With wholesale prices starting at $22 for
T-shirts and hovering between $41 and $78
for dresses and pants, the collection is positioned
to be easy on the wallet. The collection,
which is produced both domestically
and overseas, is just beginning to be introduced
to retailers, and Sebelia is hesitant to
pinpoint exactly who will sell the line. “We
want to be in all the key boutiques. I think
it is something that would do really well in
those boutiques that mix really high-end
stuff with more-contemporary and young
contemporary,” he said.
For now, buyers can see the line at the
Steve Martino & Associates showroom
in The New Mart. For more information,
call (213) 627-4413.—Erin Barajas
8 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS OCTOBER 26–NOVEMBER 1, 2007
Hellz Bellz:
Raw, Loud and
in Your Face
Hellz Bellz went from a spare-time hobby
for Lanie Alabanza-Barcena to demanding every
inch of her space. Alabanza-Barcena and her husband,
Bam Barcena, felt the growth of the line immediately in their New York apartment,
which was doubling as the shipping center for more than 3,500 units of graphic T-shirts.
“It got out of hand to the point where we could barely walk through our apartment,”
said Alabanza-Barcena, who was also working as an art director for Rocawear at the time.
“That’s how we ended up getting a bigger warehouse, and that was in L.A.” she said.
Alabanza-Barcena started Hellz Bellz in 2005 as a cotton T-shirt line splattered with
graphics such as a trompe l’oeil print of a bandanna tied around the neck. A San Diego
native, Alabanza-Barcena moved to New York in 2004 with her husband, who was a senior
designer at Ecko Unlimited and design director for Akademiks.
In September, the two opened new ample warehouse
space in El Monte, Calif., and expanded Hellz Bellz into
a cut-and-sew line for Fall 2007.
Each season, a different dose of niche culture clubs
inspires Hellz Bellz graphics and fashion designs. This
Holiday it was 1960s and 1970s sexploitation films and
the British punk and mod scene. For Spring 2008, “revolution
for the hell of it” and youth angst serve as inspiration.
A classic masculine motorcycle jacket is made
feminine when rendered in an Arabic scarf fabric with
fringed edges and extra-pocket detailing.
“I wanted to create a brand that catered to the girls
who weren’t so into the cutesy flowers, hearts and unicorns
graphics. I wanted more edgy, in-your-face graphics
for the tough girls, but still sexy,” Alabanza-Barcena said.
Hellz Bellz is sold at boutiques such as In4mation in Honolulu; Commonwealth in
Norfolk, Va.; 5 & A Dime in San Diego; and Black Market in Santa Monica, Calif.
Wholesale price points range from $20 for cotton T-shirts to $61 for an embellished cotton
fleece hoodie and from $65 to $75 for satin track jackets and nylon windbreakers.
For more information, contact The Museum Group Showroom at (212) 575-2373,
Ext. 10, or visit www.hellz-bellz.com.—Rhea Cortado