California Apparel News

Micky Sills is on a roll. The Los Angeles–based designer and retailer is constantly on the lookout for new niche markets.

With his latest collection called Scanty, the designer finds a comfortable place between contemporary looks and novelty leisurewear. Early projections are estimated at $1.5 million in annual sales for 2003, said Sills.

His early successes include an athleticwear company called Guys Who Wear Suits Make Me Nervous and a novelty sleepwear collection called PJ Salvage (which he sold to Loomworks Apparel in Irvine, Calif.). In between, Sills started a denim label called Safety Clothing. He also worked for a short time as a designer at Vernon-based Lucky Brand Dungarees.

The 40-something business owner says he learned a few lessons along the way.

“The change is mainly my own ego—the job is not about me any more; it’s about running my business,” said Sills, sitting back in an easy chair at Michael Cohen showroom, wearing a pair of Roy’s Jeans, a long-sleeve Tshirt and low-top Converse sneakers.

“I can look at everything I’ve done and feel good about it because I’ve learned now how to follow through on my ideas and stick with them.”

Loomworks’ owner and president Peter Burke, said, “Micky certainly helped to revive a retro look in sleepwear [with PJ Salvage]. He is an exceptionally creative person who is always on the lookout for new opportunities and he has a way of sniffing out new direction in the market.”

For his new collection, which is manufactured through various contractors throughout Los Angeles and finished at Mission Printing in San Francisco, Sills said he wants to focus on product development in niche markets. “With Scanty, the concept is to produce a multifunctional pj collection,” he said.

For Spring, the line features 100 percent cotton T-shirts and tank tops that are paired with boy brief undies and divided into three theme groups: Las Vegas strip, motorcycles and hot rods. The collection’s garment-dyed and pre-washed sets feature flocking, puff print, glow print and glitter treatments for a hip, youthful look.

Sills says some of his influences are drawn from fallen heroes and American subculture. “The prints remind me of Route 66, James Dean or an image you see in a Russ Meyer film,” he said.

The collection is geared toward young women who are looking for something fresh and playful. Although, with the naughty nature of the prints, it’s easy to see how Scanty’s adult-themed printed underwear sets—“Hot Rod Girl,” “Hustler Squad,” and “Hell’s Belles”—are more in line with Meyer’s films than, say, Fruit of the Loom.

Sills said some of the sets have double-entendres, such as “Phone in for Quick Pick Up” or “Start Your Engines.”

With wholesale price points starting at $24, each set is uniquely packaged in a clear plastic bag with logo.

Currently, the collection is shown at Michael Cohen showroom in the New Mart, where it has been for the past three months. For Spring, Cohen said he booked more than $100,000 in first orders, and the line will be sold at specialty boutiques on the West Coast and Midwest, including E Street Denim, M Frederick and Detour in Los Angeles and Toby Blatts and Stash in Las Vegas.

Keeping the line fresh with new prints for specialty stores is part of the equation, said Sills. “We want to get the same amount of customer feedback and interaction from our buyers as we get at our store,” explained Sills.

He launched the line at the company’s eponymous retail store in Venice, Calif., where it has received a strong reception.

Scanty’s 1,000-square-foot boutique is located in the Abbot Kinney section of Venice, nestled between specialty retailers Minnie Tees and Slave. It offers Scanty’s collection, which retails for $52, as well as lines by other contemporary designers, such as Lacey J., Riley and Blue Cult. At the rear of the store there is a 400-square-foot design space, which Sills uses to create his collection.

“I realized what my talents and strengths are: designing and marketing,” said Sills. “Now my job is to be creative and get the business rolling.”

On top of managing and designing for his company, Sills says owning a retail store comes with its own challenges.

“It’s hard because the store costs a fortune and traffic on Abbott Kinney is not the greatest,” he explained. “We’ve been trying to build our own traffic with locals and loyal customers.”

In the meantime, he said he’d like to see Scanty turn into a multi-purpose line by adding denim, swimwear and kids under the Scanty label. —Claudia Figueroa