Zambrano to Head Denim Division at Bebe Studio in L.A.
Monah Li has company at Bebe’s design studio in the Cooper Building in downtown Los Angeles. Bebe Stores Inc. has hired Ruben Zambrano as senior designer for denim, following the Brisbane, Calif.-based retailer’s hire of designer Li in November. Zambrano comes to the retailer with a background in both design and merchandising for companies such as Los Angeles-based contemporary manufacturer Bisou Bisou, junior label Self Esteem, a division of Los Angeles-based All Access Apparel and Foothill Ranch, Calif.-based junior retailer Wet Seal, where he worked on the Blue Asphalt private label brand.
“My background is definitely in wholesale manufacturing and design but I have a strong retail buying background as well,” said Zambrano.
The two designers will work on independent collections for Bebe under the label Bebe Studio. Li will continue to design fitted, romantic dresses and separates in a mix of fabrics—a look she developed for her eponymous line, which she shuttered when she joined the Bebe staff. Zambrano said he would be creating “funky, directional” denim designs, woven bottoms and items that work back to the denim pieces. Bebe’s contemporary customer base is familiar territory for Zambrano, whose stint with Bisou Bisou included the launch of Bisou Bisou Denim, which hung cohesively with the Bisou Bisou collection, the designer said.
