NEW YORK — Roni Rabl is getting back to her roots.
The Israel-based knitwear designer originally launched her line as a misses’ handloomed sweater collection in 1986, selling exclusively throughout Israel. In 1993, Rabl’s daughter, Yael, moved here to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology and soon after opened her mother’s company in the U.S.
Roni Rabl then stepped away from her misses’ line to fill a need for plus-sized knitwear in the U.S., launching Roni Bis, a collection of knitwear targeting women who wear sizes 8 to 22.
The Roni Bis line is still in existence, but now with the debut of Roni Rabl, the company will again enter the misses’ customer base with a line of handloomed sweaters.
Targeting women size 2 to 16, the handloomed sweater line will launch for spring selling at next month’s Fashion Coterie trade show here. The collection includes hand-crocheted cardigans with mesh inserts and sweaters detailed with embroidery, mirror accents and chiffon ruffles. The collection wholesales from $32 to $75.
“It’s a sexier, more contemporary-looking line that I believe will really open up our specialty store and catalogue business,” said Malka Meiersdorf, account executive at the firm.
Set for February deliveries, Meiersdorf said she hopes to reach $1 million in first-year sales.