L*Space Launches Denim Line
Santa Ana, Calif.-based swimwear manufacturer L*Space launched a denim sportswear collection featuring jeans, skirts and T-shirts at last month’s Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo in Long Beach, Calif.
Owner/sales manager Monica McNeel said L*Space is gearing its denim collection, like its trendy swimwear, toward the girls’ surf market. McNeel said the company is marketing the young, sophisticated collection to specialty-store girls who are growing out of youth brands and into a more mature cut.
So far, the company has booked orders with several of its swim accounts, including ZJ’s Boarding in Santa Monica, Calif.; Jack’s Girls in Huntington Beach, Calif.; and Zebra Club in Seattle, said McNeel, who realizes that entering the denim market is not going to be easy.
“We were doing it conservatively because it’s completely different than producing swimwear,” said McNeel. “It’s harder to source and produce, and there’s a lot of competition [in the denim market].”
McNeel said L*Space plans to cut and sew its denim collection in-house and contract local send-out services for novelty treatments. Additionally, McNeel said the company expects to expand its facilities and production capacity 30 percent by early summer.
“We want to keep close tabs on the high quality of our denim,” she added.
The company plans to make initial deliveries in April and to book approximately 10,000 units of denim for summer delivery.
McNeel said the company will add new styles to the collection as soon as it increases its production capabilities. Currently, L*Space’s denim collection offers 11 styles for stretch and non-stretch bottoms, which feature specialty treatments such as permanent wrinkles, indigo dyes, engineer stripes and rigid denim. Wholesale price points start at $41.
“We’d like it to be on the same par with contemporary denim labels like Earl Jean, Juicy Jeans and Seven Jeans,” said McNeel.
L*Space’s denim collection also offers cap-sleeved T-shirts and cotton, ribbed tank tops, which wholesale for $11 and feature screen-printed names of popular surfing destinations. —Claudia Figueroa
