Propaganda’s spring line will feature short and long-sleeved sweaters and shorts, with chunky color blocking and delicate embroidery coming together to create an L.A.-landscape inspired motif, complete with blue skies, mountains, and ocean waves.
Classic silhouettes like button-front bowling style shirts, chunky knit collegiate sweaters and sleek knit pullovers are punched up with vibrant hues and eye-catching patterns, from psychedelic space dye to sensible checkers in shades of blue.
The brainchild of Band of Outsiders alum Jack Watkins, the retro-inspired line pulls influence from the aesthetic of the ‘70s.
Designed in Los Angeles and manufactured in Peru by hand-loom knitwear artisans, the luxe line of menswear is made entirely from material blends of organic Pima cotton and alpaca wool.
Featured mostly at California retailers like Ron Herman, Canvas Malibu and Seed Peoples Market in Costa Mesa, the brand also services a few small boutiques in New York, Australia and Japan. Retail prices range from $165 to $595.
The company is best known for its trademarked style: a drop-shoulder pullover sweatshirt with yoke stitching and oversized puff-printing across the upper back.
Spirit Jersey blends lounge and streetwear with an irresistible blend of comfort and visual interest.
The brand’s introductory line launched in 2020, but its styling may look familiar to eagle-eyed shoppers and Disney aficionados.
“After spending more than three decades servicing other brands, we decided we wanted to enter the market with our own collection and artwork that’s designed by us in house,” Trevor Larson, the brand’s creative director, told Sourcing Journal.
Spirit Jersey’s first foray into the market combines all the aesthetic bells and whistle at its disposal, from tie-dying to printed graphics in every color of the rainbow.
The new line’s ready-to-wear pieces are manufactured in Downtown L.A. and made from U.S.-milled cotton, Larson said.
A denim jacket made from two pairs of Levi’s 501 jeans is a staple of the line, Amzallag said, bringing the most recognizable elements of the heritage denim style to an altogether different garment.
Old army jackets, Harley Davidson T-shirts, worn-in flannels and even classic Levi’s are all fodder for deconstruction and revision, he said. Some pieces are adorned with studs, grommets, gemstones and vintage patches while others are cut and re-sewn into modernized silhouettes.
As shoppers gravitate increasingly to secondhand and vintage wares, Oldies But Goldies is using repurposed garments to build unique new pieces with added contemporary flare.
The nascent brand, which plans to launch its direct-to-consumer site in September, is able to create the one-of-a-kind styles at scale thanks to a relationship with a sourcing partner that purchases vintage pieces en-masse, he said.
“There’s a big avenue for this because sustainability is everything today,” he added. “Going green and reusing—I think it’s beautiful.”
Founded by former Vince assistant designer and FIDM grad Taylor Rose in fall of 2020, men’s lifestyle brand XIVI was a conceptual “Covid baby.”
After losing her job due to the pandemic, Rose decided to craft her own line based on the elements she valued most: comfort, sustainability and timeless design.
Rose has also reinvented classic silhouettes, like a structured button-front jacket, in soft, stretchy fabrications for more versatile wear.
Small design details like an embroidered logo on a collar or a subtle seam down the front of a notch-collared T-shirt give the line, which is undeniably casual, a hint of polish.
The line is cut and sewn in Downtown L.A., and fabrics are milled in the city’s Garment District as well as Newport Beach, Calif., some 40 miles south.
Orange County-based streetwear brand Slushcult was launched nearly a decade ago as an inside joke between friends, its anonymous founder and designer told Sourcing Journal.
Preferring to be known only as the “Slushgod,” the creator originally launched his line of T-shirts, caps and beanies to reflect his love of 7-11 Slushies.
But the goofy graphics soon evolved into a more meaningful movement, Slushgod said—and one that resonated with consumers across the country. The size-inclusive line of gender neutral gear is made to make wearers feel comfortable in their own skin, using cheeky slogans and bright graphics to highlight positive messaging.
It was important to build recognition without a celebrity endorser or figurehead at the label’s center, he added, in order to engender a feeling of community around the brand.
The line features many styles up to 3XL and some up to 7XL, and has grown since its early days to include bucket hats, ski masks, hoodies, pullovers and a wide variety of tees featuring tie-dye motifs and screen-printed graphics.
For more than a decade, Quebec, Canada-based unisex lifestyle brand Hip and Bone has manufactured many of its streetwear and lounge styles in Downtown Los Angeles.
With sizes ranging from S-XXL, the easy-wearing, relaxed styles are made edgy with eye-catching graphics, embroidery and patterns all designed in-house.
The brand’s spring line is made up of 100-percent cotton T-shirts and natural-dyed cotton sweat sets.
Darkly revised imagery of cultural icons like Mickey Mouse and Bart Simpson is featured prominently on T-shirts and hoodies, while more muted palettes are available in the loungewear styles.
The line also features a sneaker style dubbed the Block Shoe, with 3D-knitted sock-like uppers, maximalist foam soles and suede paneling.