Aunt Beep Signs New L.A. Lines
Aunt Beep, a Los Angeles wholesaler and online retailer of California-produced designs, recently added a number of labels to its stable. Act III, sportswear aimed at the 40-plus woman; Matte Black, a graphic T-shirts line; and One Ear Dog Frog, a casual contemporary collection, joined the online resource.
Owner Tracey Tee launched the Web portal (www.auntbeep.com) two years ago. The site grew 30 percent last year, she said. “We don’t advertise. It’s all word-of-mouth. We deal mainly in L.A. and California lines that are casual and affordable,” she said.
Other lines carried by Aunt Beep include Random Nicole, Psychoville, Side Pony and Freeway Star. The look and feel is pure Los Angeles, according to Tee. “We’ve been appealing a lot to buyers from Wyoming, Pennsylvania and other places that don’t readily have California designs available,” she said.
The Web site also markets art, photography and mixed media from emerging and mid-career artists.
Tee said she launched the site after gaining inspiration from Los Angeles’ art and design scene. “I had been living in L.A. for five years and had friends and acquaintances that were making some amazing things, and I thought, ’I could sell this,’ so I did,” she noted.
Each line has its own story. Act III designer Roz Ritter, for example, was rummaging through clippings from her late father’s clothing business and found an advertisement that read, “If it wrinkles, it must be real.” The find led her to launch a women’s clothing line using natural fabrics and designs that reflect her philosophy that natural aging is beautiful. The collection features scoop-neck tees made with soft cotton ($30 retail).
Most of Aunt Beep’s apparel offerings fall within the $18 to $150 retail price range.
Tee said she named the Web site after her aunt.
“She was an actress who lived in the Hollywood Roosevelt hotel and was very eclectic,” Tee explains. “I think she embodied what Old Hollywood was about, and I try to represent some of that eclectic spirit in auntbeep.com.”
Aunt Beep has a wholesale division managed by Sara Guigliano and a Chinatown showroom that is open by appointment only. The company also offers consultation services for emerging designers.
For more information, e-mail tracey@auntbeep.com, or call (310) 226-7015.
—Robert McAllister
