Designer Davies Is the Latest Development

Designer Erica Davies has joined Los Angeles contemporary label Development as creative director.

Davies is the label’s fourth creative director in the last year.

Development had been searching for the right design fit since Philip Lim left the company last year to launch his own collection in New York. David Cardona, who served as creative director before leaving to design the new Collection Bebe label, briefly filled the position. Designer Sue Tsie stepped in for Resort and Spring ’06, but recently left to have a baby.

Los Angeles–based Davies previously was the creative director for Tyler, Richard Tyler’s diffusion line. She also designed for Sportmax, consulted for the contemporary Sean John line and launched her eponymous label in 2003.

“I’m smiling ear to ear,” said Andy Crane, Development’s co-founder. [Davies is] fantastic—she has a great sense of style and point of view. We’re very lucky she’s part of our team.”

Founded by Mossimo veterans Stu Gaddis and Crane, Development has changed its structure with the addition of Davies. It has dissolved White, the young-contemporary item-driven label, and will continue with Development and the Erica Davies collection.

The arrangement is a best-of-both-worlds scenario, according to Davies, who now has the benefit of Development’s infrastructure for sourcing, printing original fabrics and manufacturing her eponymous line. She will maintain ownership of her Erica Davies line.

The Erica Davies Fall collection, 20 silk chiffon dresses “with a hippie-fied Bohemian feel,” is made in subdued 1960s-style prints with simple engineered cuts inspired by Ossie Clark.

Davies said she found her niche with the flirty, sophisticated collection. The collection will retail from $850 to $1,500 and serve as inspiration for the more-affordable Development line, which includes dresses retailing from $260 to $420.

“I designed the Erica Davies line first and then watered it down for Development,” Davies said. “There is that kind of branding that goes on between the two collections. They’re not completely separate—the same feeling goes on between the two.”

Davies’ new Fall line has been picked up by such stores as Scoop NYC; Septieme Etage in Geneva; Matches and Jezebell in London; Harvey Nichols Hong Kong; and Iconology, Ron Herman-Fred Segal Melrose and Tracey Ross in Los Angeles.

Collection takes on Euro style

The Development collection is making a transition in style but seeks to maintain its existing customers. Davies collaborated on the Summer ’06 collection with Tsie, but the look will change to Davies’ more-sophisticated European style for Fall.

While the old aesthetic was less body conscious and had an easy, L.A.-casual feeling, Davies gave the new collection a more-sophisticated look with a harder edge and feminine touch.

“You can see the craftsmanship and hand and tell it’s her style,” Crane said.

The look is easily wearable, feminine, hip and eclectic, with a quirky twist.

Jersey tops and dresses juxtapose more-complex, yet easy-to-wear tailored pieces such as a heathered blue stretch-wool sleeveless tuxedo dress, chic washed metal velvet trench coat, and a brushed-cotton and leather jacket. Details such as buttons, pin tucking and floral prints accent the 1960s-inspired look.

The collection is tighter and more focused than in past seasons, which Crane credited to Davies’ strong point of view in the high- contemporary market.

The line, which retails from $100 to $700, is carried by such stores as Nordstrom, Bergdorf Goodman and Big Drop in New York and Madison et Cie, Fred Segal Santa Monica and American Rag in the Los Angeles area.

Crane praised Davies for returning sales back to where the company was when Lim was designing.

“She has been able to bring back the consistency,” Crane said. “It has to start with that one mind at the beginning. She was able to pick up the line and put her flare to it.

“To be able to do two looks that are strikingly different, but very similar, is not easy to do.

“She’s a young star in this marketplace and we want to help her fulfill [her potential].”