William Rast, People's Liberation Expand Offerings

Danny Guez, the man behind the denim-based People’s Liberation contemporary brand and a partner in singer Justin Timberlake’s William Rast brand, is in a make-over mood.

Both brands, originally centered around premium denim and its accompanying staples, will see a rebirth for Fall 2007. They will show sexy tops and pretty dresses for women and luxe blazers and leather pieces for men. Denim will still be a focus. “It will all be more fashion-forward with new fits, bodies and washes,” Guez said.

Key women’s looks from both brands will include cashmere/wool-blend sweaters, silk dresses, jersey tops to pair with jeans and plenty of feminine blouses that can go from work to play.Women’s outerwear, a new category for both brands, also makes its debut for Fall.

Men, who “used to be an afterthought,” according to Guez, will get a completely redesigned denim collection with a new trim package and pocket detail for People’s Liberation and updated styles from William Rast. Night-out blazers and jackets will take the brands’ men’s style quotient up several notches from its previous morecasual incarnation.

The new collections, which debuted at the Project Global Trade Show in Las Vegas in February, seem to be a hit with retailers. Guez reported that the show was the most successful ever for both brands. —Erin Barajas