Eucalyptus: Label Aids Guatemalan Workers
Eucalyptus, a 5-year-old misses label out of Austin, Texas, made its way to the West Coast when its owners struck a distribution deal with Roseanne Tritica and Ernesto Mantilla of the Betty Bottom Showroom in Los Angeles.
Eucalyptus is a colorful line of separates featuring cotton and cotton/rayon blends in tops, bottoms, jackets and dresses. The line is designed in the United States and produced in Guatemala. Wholesale prices range from the teens to the mid-20s.
“Stores love it because they can get more than keystone pricing for it,” said company principal Ed Glickman, who manages the company with Claudia Velasquez.
In addition, 10 percent of pre-tax profits from sales are donated to Amigos de Santa Cruz (www.amigosdesantacruz.org), a charity that provides health care and education for women and children in small villages in Guatemala’s Central Highlands.
Glickman said Guatemalan workers have helped him so much during previous ventures that he felt a need to give back to the country this time around.
“Guatemalan workers put a lot of attention into the sewing of garments and take pride in manufacturing,” he said. “There are so many interesting fabrics and fabrications. It has a very soft hand.”
Eucalyptus features an extensive inventory of more than 120 bodies with a color palette of more than 30 choices to accommodate regional tastes.
The line features mostly solids in garment dyes, many made with jacquard weaves, and quilted corduroy styles, as well as other fabrications and treatments.
For more information, call (213) 485-8926. —Robert McAllister
