Ogle Me This, Ogle Me That
Los Angeles–based designer Avril Ozen thinks women can never have too many T-shirts. After years of designing printed tees for her Language Los Angeles line, Ozen has launched Ogle, a line of garment-dyed T-shirts and tops in pima cotton, rayon matte jersey and heathered rayon. “Every woman wants the perfect T-shirt, but what ’perfect’ is is always changing,” she said.
Free from prints, the new line focuses on fit, color and details. Ozen develops her own color palette and says it makes a world of difference in how buyers view the line.
“The colors are very sophisticated, very rich,” she said. Midnight blues, saturated purples and steely gray hues help the line stand out in a sea of T-shirts. She offers every style in her line, from crew necks to Victorian-inspired blouses, in 25 to 35 colors per month.
Ozen, herself a jeans-and-T-shirt woman, says she turns to her own closet—or rather what’s missing from her closet—for inspiration. “I ask myself: ’What do I need that I don’t already have?’”
Ogle’s offerings are divided into two categories: Need and Want.
Each season the Need collection is full of classics. “It’s the stuff you can’t live without,” Ozen said. “The shapes are long and lean, very flattering.”
The Want collection is packed with stuff that you just plain want—sexy date tops and whimsical shapes. “It’s the stuff you flirt with and flirt with, and then you finally just buy it,” the designer said. Want blouses have special touches, covered buttons, tiny pleats and figure-flattering draping.
Sold in specialty stores, including Fred Segal, Barneys, Anthropologie and Lisa Kline, Ogle wholesales for $20 to $44. Ozen manufactures the line in Los Angeles, and says she cuts extras of every style and can dye batches as orders come in. Reorders can be turned around in as little as two weeks, she says.
For more information, call (323) 980-1177. —Erin Barajas
