XLA
XLA, an active-lifestyle collection, is the newest brand from Xlarge, the Los Angeles retailer that grew into a fullfledged apparel line. The collection focuses on the active outdoors/boardsports-oriented consumer and will be represented by skater Billy Valdes, who also serves as art director and designer.
XLA was created as a response to the mainstream movement of streetwear, which makes it less accessible to actual skaters.
“XLA makes better skate clothes than skaters would skate in and, most importantly, wear,” said Valdes.
The initial test of XLA featured one T-shirt, one bottom and one hat offered for sale on the Xlarge Web site. The initial inventory sold quickly, prompting the company to increase the number of pieces in the collection.
“We were genuinely psyched by the overwhelming response to XLA and have since expanded the offerings in the line,” said Cindy Wylie, chief operating officer and partner of Xlarge. “Because we work closely with so many individuals in the skate industry, we thought there might be some interest in a new brand that was designed by and for this market.”
XLA will feature long pants, shorts, long-sleeved and short-sleeved shirts, and a limited-edition slip-on-style sneaker made by Vans.
Xlarge opened its original retail location in Hollywood in 1991, with one of the members of the Beastie Boys and Eli Bonerz. The brand continues to attach itself to icons of music favored by skaters to retain credibility of the lifestyle.
“We had a real—sometimes too real—attachment to the hip hop and rave music scenes, and that had immediate and massive influences on our designs,” said Bonerz.
The XLA collection will be ready for Spring ’03 delivery, with wholesale price points ranging from $9.50 to $65. The collection will be available online and in specialty stores, as well as in the Xlarge retail outlets in New York and Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 666-5097 or visit www.xlarge.com. —Darryl James
