213 Industry
Michelle Kim knew she was on to something when Debra Messing wore one of her tops on “Will & Grace.”
“That’s why we’re in this business,” Kim said. “You express yourself, and people love it, and that’s really exciting.”Previously a designer for Just in Time, Hazel and several other lines, Kim launched 213 Industry in November 2003 armed with a modest amount of capital and the desire to break free of the design restrictions imposed by her previous employers.
The young contemporary line consists primarily of novelty tops. Six employees oversee 40 percent of the line’s manufacturing in Los Angeles, and Korean subcontractors handle the remainder of the manufacturing.
The tops, which wholesale from $22 to $38, include crinkled chiffon and gold lace pieces with a 1920s flapper influence. Mesh tunics are also popular, as are sublimation tops with hand-set rhinestones that wholesale from $12 to $23. The line tops out at $40 for dresses. Kim will increase the line’s dress and skirt offerings for Spring 2005.
The tops are meant to be paired with jeans. Denim is so important in the young contemporary wardrobe, Kim said, that consumers don’t give a second thought to spending $150 for premium denim. But they would rather pay $30 to $40 for a top to go with it, she noted. “Girls buy three tops for every one bottom,” she said.
The company fills a hole in the market for affordable, but distinctive novelty tops, Kim said, adding that most tops in the young contemporary segment are either too casual or too expensive. “If I do something basic, it always has a little detail that pops. I think people want that. It’s for people who want to be sexy, but not overexposed or too flashy.”
Shunning modesty, Kim said 213 Industry is the best young contemporary line at its price point. “There’s nothing basic, boring or plain in the line,” she said.
The company did more than $1 million in sales in its first year, and Kim is projecting more than $3 million for her second year.
Southern California retail customers include Intuition, Polka Dots & Moonbeams and Francesca’s Collection. A Dallas-based sales rep has given 213 Industry a strong customer base in the Midwest, where retailers often sell out a new shipment in one weekend. For the East Coast and West Coast, 213 Industry is repped by Steve Martino & Associates in The New Mart.
For more information about 213 Industry, contact Whitney Anderson at (213) 627-4413, Ext. 105. —Christian M. Chensvold
