Spirit Activewear
California Market CenterSuite A340(213) 784-0540
For the first time in its 26-year history, Spirit Activewear is opening a permanent showroom in the California Market Center—just in time to introduce its boutique lifestyle collection.
For years, Spirit Activewear has supplied hotel gift stores, catalogs and retail stores with comfortable knit and linen resort wear made for men, women and children. Spirit produces all its garments in Los Angeles and does all its screen printing and embroidery in-house. It’s known for its name-drop logo business.
But two years ago, Jake Ptasznik bought the Los Angeles company and decided to make a few changes. Bringing on Tricia Burwell as the design director, they set out to create a more sophisticated boutique line that would still cater to the misses market but add a contemporary feel and look that can be worn by hip baby boomers who might need a higher rise in a pant or a more generous sleeve.
The result is a collection of pants, tops, dresses, shorts and tops with simple lines and done in a multitude of colors as well as interesting fabrics, such as a cotton rayon fabric woven into a stripe design. The collection wholesales for $12 to $29.
Ptasznik also hired Mike Bowling as head of corporate sales. One of the first things Bowling suggested was a CMC showroom to cater to buyers attending market weeks and shopping for fill-in orders. The company can ship in two to three weeks on cut-to-order requests.
The showroom isn’t large, but the solid white walls and grass-mat carpeting gives it a clean, Zen feeling. “We decided to go small so we don’t have to raise our prices,” Bowling said.—Deborah Belgum
