NEW YORK — The Amsterdam-based 10 Feet denim collection has launched in the U.S. for spring retailing.
The women’s line, which for the past eight years has retailed in Europe in stores such as Selfridges in London and Galeries Lafayette in Paris, shipped an introductory offering to a handful of specialty boutiques nationwide in recent weeks. A wider rollout is slated for fall.
“We saw 10 Feet last year when we went to the Bread & Butter fashion trade show in Berlin,” said Genie Parada-Fishman, chief executive officer of Agent R.E.D., 10 Feet’s sales representative in the U.S. “They had such focus and vision.”
There are four cuts in the collection: Reina has a lower back yolk and back pockets; Naomi is a classic five-pocket; Karen is the most fashion-forward style, with a dropped crotch, loose thigh and tapered leg opening, and Iris is a sexy, low-waisted straight leg. The jeans feature contoured waistbands, with a lower rise in the front than the back.
There are also four fabrics: a washed, worn-in denim; a double-faced denim with an interlock weave; a denim with 1 percent spandex, and a denim with 2 percent spandex.
“The key to 10 Feet’s success is that it’s not introducing fashion jeans each season,” said Parada-Fishman. “Each season, the jeans are the same with regard to fit, so you know how they’re going to fit each time.”
Parada-Fishman expects the U.S. wholesale volume for the women’s denim collection to reach $3.5 million in 2005.
Wholesale prices for the women’s denim collection range from $64 to $84. The 10 Feet collection also includes non-denim pieces such as T-shirts at $38, hand-knit sweaters for $96 to $109 and outerwear from $166 to $188.