Former St. John Designer Debuts Casual Contemporary Line
For Maria Lopez, her 10 years at St. John were filled with designer looks and celebrity clients.
She helped clothe actress Angelina Jolie, who was briefly the face of St. John in beautifully crafted magazine ads, and Lopez worked with Hillary Clinton when Clinton was the first lady.
But after a decade at the high-end knit suit maker in Irvine, Calif., Lopez felt it was time to start her own line. She departed in 2008 to work on some projects and incubate the casual knitwear line called 2627, which launched for Fall 2010.
The collection of soft knit T-shirts, sweats, hoodies, tunics, dresses and leggings is meant for the woman who takes her clothing from daytime dressing to an evening out on the town. “My target market is the super-amazing mom, a working woman of today that enjoys the California lifestyle,” said Lopez, a 1993 graduate of the Otis College of Art & Design. “It is something you would wear on the weekend or dress up to go to dinner.”
Lopez’s line consists of basic solid colors that include black, taupe, olive and a slightly washed ruby red. Fabrics are extremely soft with some cashmere/cotton blends as well as vintage-wash fleece, French terry, silk crepe and MicroModal. Silhouettes are simple but classic. “My concern is the quality of the fabrication. Once you put it on, I hope you love the feel of it, like you want to throw it on every day,” said Lopez, who grew up in the Los Angeles area.
Retail price points start at $65 for a T-shirt and go up to $180 for a cashmere cardigan.
The line will be carried by American Rag at its Newport Beach, Calif., and Los Angeles stores. The online shopping venue Moxsie will also be stocking it.For more information, call (866) 440-1461 or visit www.2627-line.com.—Deborah Belgum
