Akiko: Luxe Look
Southern California native and Otis College of Art + Design grad Akiko Yasuda designed for Poleci before launching her eponymous label in 2003. With a notably laid-back design aesthetic, Yasuda transitioned from creating T-shirts to tops and dresses in late 2006.
“The line has evolved considerably since its humble beginnings,” the designer said. “When it was first launched, it was a small collection of novelty T-shirts and tank tops. Since then, it has grown into a full collection of tops and dresses. We now offer 15 to 20 new styles every month, and we develop all of our own prints and artwork, so they are exclusive to us.”
The line is produced entirely in Los Angeles, including the knitting and dyeing of fabrics. Henri Bendel, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Holt Renfrew are among the stores carrying the contemporary label. Best known for Modal-jersey knits that feature special treatments such as lambskin and silk trims or laser-cut appliqueacute;s, the line is made up of simple, yet chic, bodies in very wearable fabrics. Yasuda said her consistent inspiration is “to design clothing for women that is flattering, stylish and up to date with trends without making women look like fashion victims.”
Akiko’s Fall 2008 styles have a sexy, close-to-the-body fit. The designer said the new silhouettes were inspired by the luxe, decadent looks of the late ’70s and early ’80s, with a nod to Michelle Pfeiffer in the 1983 film “Scarface.” Most of the new fits can also be purchased with belts. “The new bodies are much tighter and [more] body-conscious than previous seasons,” Yasuda said. “I am currently 8 months pregnant and am so tired of the whole baby-doll/tent dress look. So I was very inspired to do anything sexy!”
The leaner silhouette also came at the request of retailers, Yasuda said.
“For the most part, all of our buyers are asking for new bodies for Fall 2008,” she said. “I think everyone is tired of what is on the market, and retail really needs a boost of life with some new fresh bodies. That being said, we didn’t carry over any of our Spring bodies into Fall. We will, however, continue offering unique embellishments with a new twist, such as embroidered lambskin sewn onto knit dresses and new dye processes on silks.”
In addition to the label’s signature Modaljersey, the Fall 2008 collection features the line’s newly developed hand-painted crepe de chine silk. Each garment is individually hand-painted with light brush strokes across the body. Also new is a beautiful marble wash on silk charmeuse, offered in different shades of navy blue, emerald green and gray. Other new prints in the upcoming collection include an abstract graffiti print in vibrant jewel tones and the “Foliage” print of falling autumn leaves in pretty shades of purple and gray. While the exclusive custom-made prints and fabrics remain a key element in the line, Yasuda also explored some interesting fabric-manipulation techniques such as “silk charmeuse spaghetti hand-stitched onto crinkled silk chiffon, which gives an amazing texture,” as well as crinkled silk chiffon hand-wrapped around crystal beads that were hand-sewn onto the silk dresses.
Wholesale price points range from $63 to $86 for tops and $76 to $115 for dresses.
“Standouts so far include a shirred, long-sleeve, dolman mini-dress, which comes with a matching belt. Another hit is our ’Basic Instinct’ dress, which is a tight, sleeveless tube turtleneck dress with shirring down the sides,” Yasuda said.
For more information, call the Sabrina showroom at (213) 670-0044 or visit www.akikoonline.com. —D.S.
