Joe & Flo: Denim-Minded T-shirts
Denim-loving designer Cindi Carper didn’t want just any T-shirt to wear with her premium denim. “It had to be comfortable and a little bit twisted, but there wasn’t anything out there that was right,” she said. A 20-year veteran of the surf and action sports market, Carper was well-versed in casual design. Following stints at Stussy, O’Neill and Redsand, she ventured out on her own in 2005.
After more than a year of searching for funding, Carper has partnered with former private-label manufacturer David Dabiri to launch Joe & Flo, a line of high-end, garment-dyed T-shirts and fleece for men and women.
“The whole concept is that I wanted to make something that my friends and I could wear with our jeans,” Carper said. For her, that means soft and airy garment-dyed Supima cotton and Modal T-shirts, Henleys, tanks and tunics in pretty colors for women; and T-shirts, polos and fleece for men.
Thermal and fleece groups will include pleated miniskirts, shorts and pants for women and hoodies and boardshorts for men. “The fabrication is a huge part of the brand,” she said.
Carper, who proclaims herself a lover of “twisted traditional” apparel, adds a dose of quirkiness to her line with inside-out construction, raw edges, specialty stitching and lots of color choices.
Longer shapes and contoured bodies make the fit ideal for denim’s low waistlines. The women’s line will feature pink satin ribbon trim; the men’s line will be similarly trimmed in brown satin ribbon.
Carper hopes these unique touches will help Joe & Flo stand out from the competition.
The line will launch with Spring 2007 at the Project Global Trade Show this week in Las Vegas.
Wholesale prices for the line range from $20 to $48 for T-shirts and fashion tops; $22 to $38 for shorts and pants; and $52 for thermal and fleece jackets. Carper and Dabiri, who will manufacture Joe & Flo in Los Angeles at the facility of their silent partner, have big plans for the line. Fall ’07 will see the launch of a cashmere sweater group for men and women, and kids can expect their own Joe & Flo apparel in 2008. “Eventually, we want to be a full contemporary brand with twill and denim bottoms,” Carper said. For more information, call (310) 631-6316.—Erin Barajas
