California Apparel News

For retailers in Santa Monica, Calif., summer feels like Christmas.

That’s the season when more than 50,000 people travel to downtown Santa Monica every day, according to the Bayside District, a public/private management company for downtown Santa Monica.

Many come for the sandy beaches. Then there are the crowds that come to shop for fashion. In the summer, more than 200 people pass through the Active store in Santa Monica every day. It’s double the traffic that the store enjoys on an average day in the rest of the year, according to Tyler Cummings, manager for the store, which is located at 1460 Fourth St.

Santa Monica retail is dominated by the Third Street Promenade, a three-city-block pedestrian thoroughfare of restaurants and national retailers such as AX/Armani Exchange, Anthropologie and Pacific Sunwear. By 2009, an adjacent mall, Santa Monica Place, owned by retail developer Macerich Co., will reopen, offering high-profile retailers alongside the mall’s existing Macy’s department store.

Some specialty retailers put down stakes on the streets jutting from Third Street Promenade, where many stores sell a lot more than beach clothes. For the past 22 years, the 25 stores at Fred Segal Santa Monica, located at 420 and 500 Broadway, have offered some of the most fashion-forward styles in Los Angeles.

One of those stores, Ron Robinson, has helped introduce lines such as RVCA, Theory and Ted Baker to Los Angeles County, said Karen Meena, vice president of buying and merchandising at Ron Robinson Inc.

Much of Ron Robinson specializes in menswear with an eclectic touch. The 3,500-square-foot store offers streetwear, denim and some lines with a classic edge.

Los Angelesshy;–based denim label Bread is one of the store’s best-selling items. The label’s straight-legged style, dubbed “Cassidy,” sells well, retail priced at $180.

Los Angeles–based T-shirt brand Retro Sport also sells well at Ron Robinson. With a retail price of $52, the well-worn-looking T-shirts bear vintage logos from major sports teams.

Woven shirts from Dutch brand Scotch & Soda are also popular. One of their unique silhouettes is a woven shirt with a hood. It retails for $136 and can be used as a shirt or a hoodie, Meena said.

Avant-garde street looks are also strong sellers at Ron Robinson. Top-selling Japanese line Yoshi Yuki uses kimono-style stitching on its black-and-white T-shirts and jackets. Retail price points are $150 for T-shirts and $360 for jackets.

Active is located across the street from Ron Robinson. The store opened in August 2006 and is one of the flagship stores for the Mira Loma, Calif.–based chain of more than 25 stores. The chain specializes in some of the most fashion-forward skate, surf and fashion labels.

The top-selling brand at Active is the store’s private label, which is named after the store, Cummings said. Active’s “Reform” jean is one of the store’s most popular styles. The slim, straight jeans style is retail priced from $39.99 to $59.99, with a range of colorways and various fits.

Color could be the next big wave in denim, according to Cummings. Green or red jeans are being produced by companies including Irvine, Calif.–based surf label Billabong and Swedish street-fashion label WESC.

Altamont, a line owned by Lake Forest, Calif.–based Sole Technology Inc. has been quite popular at Active. Altamont’s tailored jackets and peacoats are selling well. Retail price points start at $90.

Up the street at 725 Broadway, Dana Rossi owns and runs Dame, a boutique that sells mostly dresses. It opened in May 2005. Top-selling items include a silk print dress from New York–based label Twinkle, which retails for $300.

Another line that sells well is Interlude, a Los Angeles–based line of belted dresses. Price points range from $80 to $120. Jackets from Los Angeles–based Plastic Island also sell well, retail priced from $80 to $100. Dame offers some jeans, including a wide-legged pant called “Typhoon” made by Level 99. The style is priced at $99.