Rethinking Von Dutch's Brand Image

Since its trademark trucker hat sparked a fashion firestorm a few years ago, Los Angeles–based apparel maker Von Dutch has lost some of its hipster clout. Now, the brand is looking to reposition itself in the eyes of consumers.

An upscale apparel line and two retail stores are the crux of the brand’s new direction. Shoppers on Los Angeles’ La Brea Avenue and in New York’s SoHo district are familiar with the cryptic black-and-white “Von?” billboards obscuring the faccedil;ades of two storefronts. The billboards are part of a teaser campaign the company launched to herald the coming of a new era for the brand.

“It’s like, ’Von who?’ It questions what people know about the brand,” said Tonny Sorensen, Von Dutch’s owner and chief executive.

When the billboards come down this month, the public will get their first glimpse at the spiffed-up Von Dutch. The brand, which for years had operated a store on Los Angeles’ popular Melrose Avenue, will open its La Brea and SoHo stores with a decidedly upscale vibe. The 2,000-square-foot La Brea shop and 3,000-square-foot SoHo shop will be “cool, clean and eclectic. They’ll be almost gallery-style,” Sorensen said. Hanging on the walls will be original art from the late controversial artist who lends his name to the line.

Set to coincide with the brand’s store openings is the launch of Von Dutch Vintage, a high-end line of apparel for men and women. The collection, which will include denim, tops, hoodies, T-shirts and outerwear, is inspired by the art and lifestyle of Von Dutch.

The company, which also is publishing a 400-page coffee table book featuring the art and life of Von Dutch, dug through the artist’s art and old photos for inspiration. According to Sorensen, the line will be “humorous, funky and artistic.”

Aiming for an older demographic than its current logodriven mid-tier offerings, Von Dutch Vintage will offer better fabrications and more fashion-forward styles. “It’s a totally different concept—it isn’t motor sports related. We spent a lot of time developing the Vintage line,” Sorensen said. Denim will retail for $175–$250, hoodies peak at $300, and tops will range from $45 to $65. Unlike the brand’s mid-tier line, Vintage will be manufactured domestically.

Initially, the Von Dutch Vintage line will sell exclusively at the company’s Los Angeles and New York stores and its online shop. “We want to keep the distribution extremely tight,” Sorensen said. Buyers will get the chance to view the line in February, when the brand hopes to write orders with upscale boutiques and specialty retailers.

Mercedes Gonzalez, director of the Global Purchasing Group in New York, said the brand’s two-pronged re-branding approach could be a smart move. “Von Dutch is a recognizable brand, and the retail environment will have a lot to do with who is shopping there,” she said. Targeting an older customer opens up a whole new market for them—and it’s a market that Gonzalez said is underserved.

“There are men out there that want to wear cool stuff, but there is so little available to them. A lot of brands have forgotten them. These are men to whom price is not an object,” Gonzalez said. “It’s all about exclusivity and feeling like they have an insider track on something that they didn’t learn about through traditional advertising.”

Janine Blain, the West Coast trend analyst for The Doneger Group, said she was surprised to hear of a manufacturer launching a premium brand.

“The trend these days is for brands to re-create themselves with sub-brands,” she said, noting examples such as premiumdenim maker Chip & Pepper, which recently added sportswear.

“Von Dutch seems to really be going against the grain,” Blain said, “but it has huge name recognition. It’ll be a balancing act of channeling [its brand recognition], making compelling product and picking up new customers.”