California Apparel News

Construction of luxury high-rise condominium buildings dominates the skyline of Ocean Boulevard in Long Beach, Calif. Retailers across the street, in the East Village Arts District, are trying to forecast how the new condominiums will affect their sales and rents.

“We’re waiting for local clientele to pick up,” said Hillary Blazin, owner of the Prissy Lou boutique. “Right now, the majority of people shopping are business people. New residents will add diversity and more of a neighborhood feeling.”

The Long Beach City Council has spent the past decade planning to redevelop this 1-square-mile strip between Broadway and Ocean Boulevard into a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood marked by independent bookstores, cafeacute;s, art galleries and boutiques.

The rents are highly attractive to new and independent businesses. East Village rents range from $1 to $1.75 per square foot, compared with the better-known retail strip of Pine Avenue, where rents range from $1.65 to $2.50 per square foot, according to Todd Cutts, the economic development director of the Downtown Long Beach Associates.

Low overhead has allowed area retailers to keep prices moderate and experiment with the brands they carry.

Blazin’s 550-square-foot store, at 105 Linden Ave., specializes in the frilly and feminine from up-andcoming labels from Southern California and around the world. Japanbased Doki Geki’s pink seersucker capri pants sell for $39. Also popular is a pleated black-andwhite 1950s-style full skirt by Los Angeles–based Scott that sells for $39.

Camisole shir ts by Los Angeles–based Tea retail for $34. Los Angeles–based Vocal’s white tank tops with sequins in the shape of a butterfly sell for $26.

The chief obsession for customers and clerks at Seams, at 427 E. First St., is the latest from the surfwear and skatewear industries.

One curio at the more-than 1,000- square-foot shop is a $150 Nike T-shirt made out of a light sneakersuede material and emblazoned with sketches by Tinker Hatfield, the designer who created the Air Jordan III sneaker.

More customers, however, purchase the ornate, yet popular-priced denim apparel, shorts and T-shirts from Santa Ana, Calif.–based LRG. The label’s T-shirts cost $18.95, denim items hover around $83.95, and shorts run from $63 to $67. The store’s manager, Vince Villanueva, said his customers are drawn to the details, including embroidery and idiosyncratic art, on LRG’s T-shirts, shorts and jeans.

Items from Irvine, Calif.–based Stussy—from pin-striped walking shorts ($45.95) to short-sleeved woven shirts ($51.95)—have also been big sellers.

The Costa Mesa, Calif.–based RVCA and Los Angeles–based Freshjive labels are also very popular.

Papis & Chicas, at 1216 E. Broadway, is one store adjacent to the East Village that would feel right at home in the arts district. Owner Guillermo Castillo retails men’s and women’s clubwear and contemporary casual designs from up-andcoming Southern California labels.

Summery tank tops have been selling well on the girls’ side of the 500-square-foot store. A fitted tank with a midriff gathering by Los Angeles– based Funkadelic has been very popular and retails for $12.

Tanks by Los Angeles–based Chloe K. have been big sellers because of their snug fit and details such as rhinestone-covered clasps on spaghetti straps. The shirts retail for $12 to $18. A gray bolero-cut coat by Los Angeles–based Sole Mio costs $18.

The jeans at Papis & Chicas favor a low-rise cut. Castillo sells low-rise models from Los Angeles brands such as Picarra and New York–based Bongo for the reasonable price of $30.

The guys’ side retails full catalogs of brands such as New York–based Ko’s, whose muscle tank tops, wide-collared woven shirts and pants retail from $18 to $55. Sports shirts by Los Angeles–based Mission are very popular, too.

Another retailer immediately adjacent to the arts district is East 4th Skate, owned by Kousuke Iyoda, who also runs Seams.

Iyoda started the shop, at 2120 E. Fourth St., as a skateboard business, but his revenue from skateboarding gear has plummeted 50 percent in the past two years, reflecting a wider industry trend. However, skateboard apparel has remained popular, and sneakers and clothes make up 70 percent of the store’s revenue.

Iyoda’s clients at East 4th Skate are usually younger than the 18- to 25-year-old demographic at Seams. However, they prefer the same brands: Stussy, Los Angeles–based Obey and Costa Mesa–based Volcom.

Also popular are T-shirts by Nike Skateboarding, Beaverton, Ore.–based Nike Inc.’s skateboard division. The shirts retail for $24. The store sells reggae-influenced T-shirts ($19.95) and baggy jean shorts ($48.95) from Costa Mesa–based Nesta International, as well.