Dream Society: Everyday Chic

Los Angeles designer Joe Dahan, the Joe of Joe’s Jeans, has found his better half, both personally and for his jeans. Dream Society was born from a collaboration between Joe Dahan and his wife, Ambre. The new knits line provides matching tops to Joe’s Jeans.

Jennifer Lazarus, Dream Society’s sales representative, said the line fills a void in the market for casual knits that aren’t riddled with screen prints, studs and embroidery. As the market cleans up to produce a sophisticated woman’s silhouette, Dream Society provides the casual knits version of the movement. Dream Society is a separate entity from Joe’s Jeans, which is owned by the Innovo Group Inc., a publicly traded company based in Commerce, Calif.

Ambre, who graduated from law and business school in her native France, has no formal design training, but she knows what she wants to wear and has an eye for what’s happening in fashion.

“Living in Paris, my parents are very into aesthetics and architecture,” she said. “Since I [was] young, I was into fashion. At 14, I was wearing John Paul Gaultier and Alaia and going everywhere in Paris with my dad.”

Dream Society’s understated color palette of neutral white, black, graphite, heather gray and creamy tan brings a refined aesthetic to casually comfortable tees and sweat pants. Color is added into the mix with younger leopard-print tees and sun-faded vintage groups that depict dream island locales such as St. Barts, the Galapagos and the Seychelles.

Wholesale price points range from $19 for a compact cotton jersey tank to $63 for a cotton/Lycra knit blazer.

Many retailers have faith that the fit that made Joe’s Jeans successful will be translated into Dream Society’s design quality. Lazarus has already sold the line to Los Angeles stores such as Ron Herman and Lisa Kline; Blue Bee in Santa Barbara, Calif.; and Revolveclothing.com, based in La Mirada, Calif. Dream Society officially launches during October’s Los Angeles Fashion Market. Lazarus has booked more than 100 appointments with buyers and projects the line will receive $500,000 worth of orders during that time.

For more information, call Showroom 903 in The New Mart at (213) 489-5998. —Rhea Cortado