Denim Veteran Launches New Line

Michael Cassel, the man behind Los Angeles–based selvage denim line Stronghold and founder of the Von Dutch clothing line, has announced plans for a new premium denim line. LSD, short for Leather Silver Denim, is a collaboration with Jeantex Group, the Huntington Beach, Calif.–based denim manufacturer that makes Stronghold’s jeans.

Made of Japanese denim complemented with sterling silver hardware, the brand is expected to generate $2 million in revenue for Jeantex, which plans to sell the line in specialty and department stores domestically and abroad.

Cassel, who is responsible for the hand-woven, hand-dyed $1,000 Stronghold jeans, said he hopes sharing Jeantex’s infrastructure and manufacturing expertise will “accelerate the reach of this new LSD brand.”

Jeantex has been on a growth track of late. In December, the company acquired a majority stake in high-end clothing design company Yves Castaldi Corporation, which designs and markets apparel under the Just Yves, I Generation and Instinct Yves brands. The company also announced new manufacturing contracts, including deals to manufacture goods for Korean conglomerate Samsung and denim for Vikki Vi’s junior, missy and plus size divisions. Jeantex also manufactures denim for Blue Cult, Guess and Lucky Brand Dungarees.

“Michael Cassel’s design and marketing expertise will prove invaluable to us as we continue to grow our store distribution and our capabilities,” said Henry Fahman, chairman of Jeantex Group.

Denim Goes Tux Lux

New York designer and first-season “Project Runway” contestant Kevin Johnn showed at last season’s Los Angeles Fashion Week because he wanted to appeal to the entertainment movers and shakers. Now, in a sense, he is returning to Los Angeles to create Soixant Neuf, a new line of “black tie tux denim.”

The premium denim line for women will be manufactured in Los Angeles and will bow at the Project Global Trade Show in August, Johnn said. “It’s dressy denim—a cross between a dress pant and jeans,” he said. The line will debut with three silhouettes—skinny, boot and kick flare—in four stretch and rigid fabrications. “There are three washes per fabrication,” Johnn said.

But beyond the shapes, which he describes as clean and narrow, Johnn is counting on upscale and unexpected design details to set the line apart. “There will be 12 different style treatments. Some will have piping, dress satin or neon piping—all with an emphasis on high-end style,” Johnn said.

The combination of premium denim and eveningwear-inspired styling will appeal to girls in the big city, he thinks. “It gives girls something fancy to wear out, but the jeans will still look good when they’re beat,” he said. The collection, which Johnn hopes will sell in specialty stores and majors, will retail for $124–$198. A limited-edition collection with novelty styling and removable gold buttons will retail for approximately $380.

Blue Jeans Gone Green

San Francisco designer Tierra Del Forte has environmentally friendly denim on the brain—which is interesting as her first name means “earth” in Spanish.A veteran denim designer (she began her career at Mudd Jeans in 1999), Del Forte launched a line of premium denim this month made of 100 percent organic cotton. “It’s something that’s important to me, but it’s not something that I’m really pushing. The buyer cares about fit, and that’s what I focus on,” she said. Still, the designer thinks the eco-chic concept will appeal to women who interpret “luxury as a combination of both exquisite beauty and ethical product.”

The line, Del Forte Denim, will debut at the Designers & Agents show in New York in April. Made in Los Angeles from domestically produced materials, the line features denim bottoms and jackets for women. Inspired by art nouveau, Del Forte’s Fall 2006 collection spotlights dark washes, streamlined silhouettes and vintage fabrics.

The line’s three basic fits include skinny, trouser and slight flare. Buyers are also responding well to a cropped, relaxed leg jean, Del Forte said. Two jackets, one with a three-quarter sleeve and the other with a cap sleeve and vintage kimono insets, are also doing well. Additional pieces will be offered for Holiday deliveries and transitional periods.

Del Forte is positioning the line to sell in smaller boutiques in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and Austin to start. Cropped bottoms will wholesale for $57, jackets for $109 and jeans for $88. An early Fall delivery in May will give buyers a taste of the line.