Charlotte Tarantola

The New Mart 127 E. 9th St., suite 403(213) 488-0288www.charlottetarantola.com

Sweaters can be classified as merely knits.

But to designer Charlotte Tarantola, they’re garments filled with possibilities.

“They can be as thin as paper or as chunky as a blanket,” said the designer and president of the Culver City, Calif.–based company that bears her name. “Anything can be done with sweaters.”

She should know.

Her business skyrocketed in 2002 after she started manufacturing sweaters along with the fashion forward T-shirts she had been designing since launching the company in 1996. Her company earned $12 million last year. Tarantola’s collection is sold at such specialty stores as M.Frederic, Fred Segal Santa Monica and such department stores as Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Macy’s West.

On May 7, Tarantola opened a 1,200-square-foot showroom in The New Mart with a prime objective of selling her sweaters and other garments in her Fall and Holiday 2006 collections. Wholesale price points for sweaters range from $49 to $82. Wholesale price points for tees range from $19 to $58.

Popular looks feature animal prints on a shrunken cardigan.

“It looks simple, but it’s money in the bank,” Tarantola said of the animal prints.

Silk camisoles and silk chiffon tunics are expected to be popular. Other hot looks include featherweight sweaters detailed with embroidery and filigree appliqueacute;s.

Tarantola said the future of her company could be as boundless as the categories of sweaters.

“I want to do a lot of things,” she said, “and I’m having a good time.” —Andrew Asch