LOS ANGELES — Southern California is considered the birthplace of designer jeans and cool Ts. It also is home to an emerging high-end knitwear market with three labels being launched this fall: Karanina, Marlova and Bishop.
The trio is getting started at a fortuitous moment. NPD Group, a market research firm based in Port Washington, N.Y., reported that sales of designer knitwear last year grew 72 percent, to more than $68 million, compared with $40 million in 2005. Although the fledgling labels differ in aesthetics and influences, they share one goal: to keep a woman warm in style.
Karanina
Three years after introducing flowing jersey dresses and tops, Karanina is expanding into knits. The twist is the Santa Barbara, Calif., brand’s environmentally friendly approach to luxe apparel.
Each piece is made entirely of biodegradable bamboo thread. Designers Kara Smith and Nina Firestone said they were searching for an itch-free alternative to wool when they realized that bamboo, which has a soft hand, like cotton, is perfect for mild California winters.
The wide range of silhouettes includes dresses, sweaters, jackets and capes in deep fall colors such as wine and graphite. A mock-turtleneck tunic that can be worn as a dress or top has a scalloped hem and blouson sleeves. Columns of contrast stitching on the bottom of a V-neck tank dress resemble pleats from afar.
With sweaters wholesaling for $126 and short dresses for $128, the 10-piece collection is priced similarly to Karanina’s sportswear, which is sold at some 100 retailers, including Henri Bendel, Neiman Marcus, Shopbop.com and Blue Bee in Santa Barbara. Karanina estimated that 25 percent of its sportswear customers would purchase pieces from the knitwear line.
“When Nina and I go shopping, we’re constantly looking for knitwear,” Smith said. “This collection has funky but modern basics with an urban sensibility.”
Marlova
The debut collection for Marlova, based in Los Angeles, is a combination of striking statement pieces with thoughtful, modern basics. The 37-piece line is made exclusively of 3- to 16-gauge cashmere in muted hues, including heather blue, ash rose and soft gray. Each item is marketed as an intimate and sometimes unusual alternative to the everyday jacket or blouse. A fluid military cardigan has large brass buttons and two front pockets at the hip, while a poet dress pairs voluminous sleeves with a formfitting pencil skirt. Even the basics have their allure: A delicate tank dress with side pockets can be slipped over a bikini.
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Soyun Shin, Marlova’s head designer, said she was inspired by her frequent trips to foreign cities such as Shanghai, as well as two years working as an associate designer for St. John Knits in Italy. “When a woman packs for travel, she’s forced [to deal] with the no-nonsense, let’s-cut-to-the-chase process,” she said. “The fall pieces she chooses would be comfortable, easy to wear, yet not compromising in the interpretation of her style.”
In Italy, Shin, who previously designed for Mark Eisen and BCBG, met her partner, Nadia Bozzatti, who oversees production. Bozzatti later introduced Shin to another eventual partner, Costantino de Angelis, Marlova’s general operations manager.
Marlova’s wholesale prices range from $125 for tops to $440 for coats. Specialty shops, including Opening Ceremony in New York’s SoHo district and The Grocery Store in San Francisco, have bought the line.
Bishop
Los Angeles’ Bishop, which also advocates an environmentally conscious philosophy, uses cashmere from goats raised humanely in Inner Mongolia for its sweaters, tunics and dresses in vibrant jewel tones. Yet designer Anna Barthelme, whose résumé includes acting off-Broadway, strove for an eclectic look in the 22 styles.
“There’s the dainty and sweet next to the rock-star pieces with deconstructed scheming,” she said.
That translates into a prim knee-length dress with a crew neck, and pleats cascading from the waist, which hangs by an exaggerated cableknit sweater with a dramatic shawl neck.
Barthelme said she modeled the line after her own style, which reflects her Seventies’ childhood in New York’s West Village, as well as that of her father, writer Donald Barthelme, who was always clad in vintage sweaters.
The collection will wholesale from $135 to $450, and wholesale sales are forecast at $1.5 million in the first year, Barthelme said. Stores that ordered Bishop for fall include Los Angeles boutiques Madison and Diavolina, Santa Barbara’s Dress and Chicago’s P45.
Tricia Tunstall, owner of P45, said her customers were willing to pay extra for a new line like Bishop that has an edge and cool factor. “Bishop offers something a little different,” she said. “My customers will get into knit dresses for the fall.”
By Victoria J. Chin and Catherine Moore