Red Scorpion Clan: Plaid but Punk
Since 2002, Jeff Shafer has invested his time in building a fashion line characterized by playing it safe. This year he is going to take a gamble. The fashion executive and designer debuted the denim line Agave five years ago. It was for men aged 30 and up, a consumer that he felt was being ignored by the market. While other denim lines experimented with looks that became more baroque season after season, Agave kept it simple with two fits and several washes. For Shafer, keeping it simple was a smart move. Today, Agave sells at Nordstrom and more than 450 boutiques across the world. While still riding this success, Shafer decided to try an idea that he had been toying with since 2006.
“In terms of product, these are things which don’t go together,” Shafer said. He was specifically talking about time-worn Scottish plaids, graceful Japanese prints and icons of scorpions. He mixed these elements together for his new fashion concept, Red Scorpion Clan, which will debut at the Project Global Trade Show in Las Vegas.
About one year ago, Shafer tried mixing things that did not seem to match. He placed a glen plaid pattern on the silhouette of Agave’s straightleg jean style, “The Gringo,” and renamed it “Madness.”
At first, buyers didn’t get it, but Shafer persevered, and at February’s Project show he wrote many orders for the style.
According to Shafer, “Madness” found a niche because premium-denim stores are hungry for new product that is neither a basic jean nor the distressed denim, which has been riding a wave of popularity for years. He said that these stores could be among the first customers for Red Scorpion’s blend of premium denim and streetwear.
The line will debut with 45 items. Pants include the plaid denim as well as indigo jeans with intricate stitch work. All will feature a plaid waistband. Tops include T-shirts and polos that bear allover prints of Japanese graphics. A soccer jacket and some woven shirts will feature plaid prints. The collection also will offer headwear such as a driver’s cap. Suggested retail price points are $180 to $260 for pants, $80 to $110 for knits and $25 to $45 for headwear. Red Scorpion Clan will be exhibiting at Project booth number 18137, Avenue J.
For more information, contact Natalie Miller at (213) 452-0881. —Andrew Asch
