LOS ANGELES — Designer David Cardona’s career is taking a new turn after a year of disappointments.
Cardona has been named creative director of Development, the Los Angeles-based designer contemporary line, which in four years has earned a following for its tailored, cool aesthetic.
“David was the perfect fit, being that he designed a European line, was more established in his life [and] owned his own company,” said Andy Crane, 39, who founded the line in 2000 along with Stuart Gaddis, 43, and Phillip Lim, 31, who is pursuing his own designer collection, 3.1, in New York.
“For us, it’s really as much about the design process as the fit,” Crane said. “With David, it’s really an evolution of where we are and not going backward.”
Cardona, 38, views the move as the next step in a career marked by the higher end of the market. “It’s very similar to the type of product I do, the same styling and attention to detail, but at lower price points,’’ he said. “If I were to do it for my label, it would be triple the price. I wanted to try something new.”
The new gig also comes at the end of a year that was anything but smooth for the Colombian-born, former military aircraft designer. In February, Cardona’s relationship with Fin.part, which hired him as head designer for women’s Cerruti Arte and the 1881 diffusion lines only a year before, crumbled as the Milan brand defaulted on its bonds.
Cardona had hoped his work with Cerruti would boost interest in his namesake line, which he cofounded in 1997 with industry veteran John Bowman. He had spent the six years before learning the finer points of tailoring and couture as assistant to Richard Tyler.
With prices from $2,200 for a two-piece suit to $6,000 for a leather coat, Cardona’s collection sells in a handful of specialty stores in the U.S. The company had retail sales of almost $5 million annually, and Cardona faced many of the challenges that confront other young designers, particularly those working with higher price points. He had celebrity clients who visited his Westside studio — Angelica Huston, Janet Jackson and, more recently, Hilary Duff, and was co-winner of an Emmy award with Bob Mackie in 2000 for costuming Cher and her dancers.
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But Cardona maintained production in-house, and with smaller store orders came higher costs, he said. Asked about the future of his signature line, he only confirmed that spring 2005 orders are on track. Still, a conversation with Cardona and Crane indicates that the designer’s energies are increasingly focused on Development and the secondary, trendier line called White.
“When Andy and I met and started discussing the line, we saw this as a long-term commitment, a long-term vision,” Cardona said.
Crane insists Development, which anticipates wholesale sales of $6 million this year, will maintain its slow strategic growth. It also will begin expanding its accessories category — now limited to a handful of handbags — and explore licensing in Italy or Brazil for footwear, planning to debut those categories in 2006.
Crane and Gaddis cut their teeth in the business at Mossimo before its IPO and reincarnation at Target. Crane ended up as chief operating officer, Gaddis in international sales and distribution. Crane met Lim at Paul Frank Industries, where they decided they would rather work for themselves.
Development has had a profit-sharing program in place from the start. Its 20 full-time employees, from sample sewers to merchandising staff, all have an investment in the success of the brands.
With an almost nonexistent promotional program, Development cultivated a following among consumers and fashion editors. The clothes, made mostly of Italian fabrics, strike a balance between classic and edgy — just enough of both to interest twenty- to fortysomething fans.
To capitalize on its own successes with a lower-priced, domestic-fabric collection, the trendier, more casual White line rolled out in spring 2003. Price points are about 30 percent less than those of Development.
White’s spring collection offers knit sweaters that wholesale from $24 to $98; pants from $58 to $99 and dresses and skirts from $38 to $125. Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue have picked up the line, and it sells at specialty stores including Madison in L.A. and Barneys Co-op in New York.
Despite the initial focus on boutiques, as the White brand builds the emphasis is on volume — and, ultimately, department stores, Crane said.
“With Development, even though we plan to grow it with licenses, we want it to remain somewhat exclusive,” he continued. “It’s always had this very eclectic following who like to think of it as their own treasure. We like that concept. But we are going to grow it a little more.”
Development is carried on the collection floor of Barneys New York, at Henri Bendel, Harrods in London, American Rag in Japan and Jill Roberts in Beverly Hills. Spring wholesales from $68 for a jersey top to $148 for a cashmere sweater, woven pants are $78 to $148 and dresses run for $108 to $325.
One area the company will aggressively pursue in the next year is broadening its European and Asian sales. Japan accounts for 25 percent of business abroad, said Crane, adding that Hong Kong and Shanghai are ripe for the Development and White look.
Both lines are carried and promoted by the News showrooms in L.A. and New York.
“It’s an opportunity to do contemporary modern sportswear, which I’ve always wanted to do,’’ Cardona said.