Purr: Roar's New Girl
Twelve-year-old men’s shirting line Roar is in position to make noise in the women’s young contemporary market with a new line, Purr. Los Angeles–based Roar is best known for its woven shirts that offer intricate vertical embroidery designs and trendy design details, such as pocket treatments, stripes and contrasting linings, at a more moderate price point.
Flashy styling that stirs attention has always been a part of the Roar image, according to its founder, Deepak B. Vasandani. For Roar’s female counterpart, Vasandani describes the Purr girl as someone who “looks like she’s trying” with colorfully embellished shirts that draw the eye.
For its first season, Purr introduced cotton/ spandex Western-style woven shirts embellished with intricate multicolored embroidery and girly floral taping trims that were in step with the look of the men’s line. Topaz Kalmon, the women’s design director for Purr, applies her design background working in denim to add special wash treatments to the shirts.
“Washes and embroidery done right is key right now,” said sales representative Michele Bykerk of the latest Roar designs, which are adorned with original graphics, embroidery and novelty washes. Roar is sold at stores such as Metropark throughout California, M. Fredric’s men’s stores, Nordstrom and Macy’s West.
For Spring 2007, Purr focuses more attention on knits and the social butterfly persona of the Purr girl. “We find from the stores that everybody wears layers, so knits are important,” said Kalmon. “Shirting is just a jacket piece, an outside piece.”
Knit cotton tops are printed with hearts and star prints for an edgy attitude in place of skull graphics. Bold eyes and eyelashes graphics, inspired by European graffiti, of faces and figures in electric colors have a 1980s slant.
Other styles add all the bells and whistles in trims with strips of lace, scalloped lace accents and ribbon ties on a sweet apple-printed top.
Vasandani has more plans for his company on the horizon. A new leather line, Untouchable, is planned to debut at the upcoming Project Global Trade Show in Las Vegas.
Wholesale price points for Purr range from $18 to $22 for tops and $35 to $49 for jackets.
For more information, call (213) 744- 1765. —Rhea Cortado
