Contemporary Line Has Vintage Menswear Roots
Designer Nikki Chu is adding a little exclusivity to T-shirts and jeans.
The 20-something designer created Chu Vintage, a 22-piece collection of one-of-akind contemporary sportswear that includes denim skirts, tops, belts and capri pants made from reconstructed vintage men’s shirts and ties.
A ribbon tube top with a tie front and a lace back, a vintage T-shirt camisole with lace detail and lingerie straps, and athletic cutout sweat pants with zipper detail and ankle ties are just a few looks in the collection, which is priced from $35 for a silk-tie belt to $150 for a long, denim skirt with zipper detail.
Retail price points for the accessories start at $70 for a vintage silk-tie belt with rhinestone buttons. The line is sold at local specialty retailers Barkley Hope, Kitson and specialty-store newcomer Apartment #3 in West Los Angeles, among others.
Stylists and designers alike stop by Barkley Hope to check out Chu’s eclectic, retro-print tube tops with silk-tie accessories and her faded denim with novelty trims, according to Lacey Rolse, assistant manager at the West Los Angeles store.
Rolse said the store has carried Chu Vintage since November and on more than one occasion has had to place reorders.
“People love Nikki’s stuff because it’s funky and different,” Rolse said. “Many customers like that her line is made up of oneof- a-kind pieces. Chu is an innovative thinker—the look of her line is always changing.”
Chu, who was born and raised in Toronto, said her design philosophy is to incorporate comfort, style and sex appeal.
“There are a lot of cool elements about menswear,” Chu said. “I want to incorporate those elements into a contemporary collection that makes a statement about the woman who wears it.”
Chu attended the International Academy of Design in Toronto, where she studied design and merchandising. Following graduation, she got a job as a graphic designer and creative director for Tinsley Advertising in Miami. She later worked as a consultant for a multimedia company before launching Unleashed, an urban menswear magazine.
“I was just using my magazine as a launching pad for my clothing line,” Chu said. “I was doing a lot of styling myself and thought of it as a beginning to something much bigger.”
Chu recently designed a men’s top collection called Chu Vin. The collection is made from vintage dress shirts and is trimmed with zippers, silk and vintage sports patches. With a bright color palette of red, orange, blue and yellow, the line is perfect for the understated, urban guy who still wants to be noticed and impress people in any formal situation, said Chu.
For more information about Nikki Chu, call Jennifer Michelle Sales at (213) 891-1744.
