Rokara: High-Low Fashion for the Upper-Crust Rocker
After 20 years of making clothes for punks, Goths and misfits under the Lip Service, Black List and Kill City brands, Original Cult is launching a contemporary line for men and women with a similar aesthetic and a higher price point.
Taking its name from an amalgamation of “tokara” (the Japanese word for treasure) and “rock ’n’ roll,” Rokara is a new lifestyle brand for the uppercrust rocker. “The sensibility is of a down-and-dirty rocker masquerading as a member of society. It’s got tons of edge, but the execution is top drawer,” said Brand Manager Rick Lohr. The men’s apparel is body conscious and skimpy, while the women’s apparel is alternately pretty (hippie rock chick) and scary (Janis Joplin on a bender). The goal is to make heads turn.
Lohr, formerly of rock fashion line Salvage, joined Los Angeles–based Original Cult in October. He and Drew Bernstein, Original Cult’s chief executive and resident bad boy, take inspiration from their own lives.
“Rokara is a natural progression for Original Cult,” Lohr said. “We’re crafting the brand out of our own personal lifestyle.” It’s perfect, he said, for someone who wants attitude, sex appeal and sophistication in his or her wardrobe.
Launching with Holiday 2006 at Project Global Trade Show in New York in July, the line includes all-over print cashmere sweaters, military-inspired jackets, motorcycle jackets, sheer layering knits, and superskinny drainpipe jeans for men and women. Snaps, buttons and zippers all have some sort of leather component. Saturated jewel tones, lots of leather and shades of black dominate the Holiday collection.
With retail prices ranging from $60 to $240 for tops, $230 to $425 for outerwear and $180 to $240 for bottoms, the line prices itself out of reach for most of Original Cult’s standing accounts. “We want to be in the top 25 doors in the U.S.,” Lohr said. In its sights are stores such as Villain’s Vault in San Francisco and Ron Herman in Los Angeles.
“This brand will be exclusive and expensive. It will discriminate,” Bernstein said. “ Let’s be real—the rocker is addicted to attention.Statements must be made.” For more information, call (866) 365-4779. —Erin Barajas
