GG Collective: Luxe Fabrics, Made With Speed
Sisters Beatrice and Luvi Guapo could be breaking speed records in bringing GG Collective, their new knits line, to market.
In January, the Guapos envisioned the creation of a knits line for women of their generation— age 25 and up—who need casual fashions for office, travel, leisure and evenings. By February, retailers were taking orders at the Class trade show for GG Collective’s debut Spring/Summer 2011 line. In May, the line began shipping to boutiques such as Ron Herman.
The sprint from idea to market was blissfully short because the Guapos know the fashion game and how to work with Los Angeles’ manufacturers. Beatrice worked as a designer for Fluxxus from 2006 to early 2009. She later served as a fabric consultant and developer to businesses. The Guapos also grew up in the fashion business.
Their parents, Louis and Virginia Guapo, manufactured clothes for Guess? Inc. and Quiksilver before retiring in 1995. GG Collective is manufactured entirely in Los Angeles. But the impetus to keep GG Collective made in L.A. wasn’t nostalgia for their parents’ business, Beatrice said. “There is a level of quality that can’t be beat,” she said. “[Los Angeles] manufacturers know what they are doing. They have been cutting, sourcing and doing trims for a long time.” Better yet, for a perfectionist such as Beatrice, she gets to quality-check on her line’s manufacturing at any time.
Costs are an issue, though. Beatrice estimated manufacturing in Los Angeles drives up costs 20 percent to 30 percent compared with manufacturing overseas. She is gambling that women will see that the price points ($29 to $190 wholesale) reflect a welldesigned knits line manufactured with quality materials.
Since GG Collective’s debut, the line has been placed in 100 stores across America.
Key looks for the line include the “Passport Poncho,” a one-piece garment that can be buttoned up into a vest or bunched up into a scarf. There’s also the “Visa Cardigan,” which can be tied tightly to the waist with a drawstring as well as worn loosely. The line’s “Tri-Tshirt” features a drop back and a striped pattern made from different panels of fabric.
While the line is inspired by the romance of travel, Beatrice said she hopes GG Collective will summon the ambiance of the finer things in life.
“I love things that are soft and luxurious,” she said. “The feel of the fabric is important to me.”
For more information, email info@ggcollective.com. —Andrew Asch
