Star Power Launches New Line
Joey and T designers Joey Tierney and Tanya Tamburin created a buzz during Los Angeles Fashion Week. Taryn Manning, Jaime Pressly, Aimee Osbourne, and Paris and Nicky Hilton walked the catwalk in their hot, colorful creations at Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. at the Downtown Standard Hotel. Britney Spears and Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne cheered them on from the audience.
It was Spears who encouraged Tierney and Tamburin to launch their first collection. The design duo had toured with Spears and had designed several items for the pop star.
Norma Zuckerman of Gene Zuckerman & Associates said the showroom’s calendar is packed with appointments to view the line. Lisa Kline in Los Angeles, Tryst in Studio City, Calif., National Jeans in Long Island, N.Y., Talulah G in Las Vegas and Saks Fifth Avenue stores have placed orders for the line, according to Zuckerman, who just recently began repping the line.
Tanya, or T for short, said the line’s look is “sexy, rock ’n’ roll, confident and fun” and appeals to a wide range of women. Sharon and Aimee Osbourne, who both wear Joey and T designs, are perfect examples of the line’s unlimited appeal.
“As long as you are confident, want to have fun and want to feel sexy, you can wear the line,” Tamburin said. “You can also wear the line to give you confidence.”
The current Joey and T collection has six different skirt bodies that can be made 61 different ways by combining fabrics and by adding various details such as studding, argyle stitching and spray painting— which Tierney and Tamburin call “tayloring”—-to the garments.
“Buyers create what they want,” Zuckerman said.
For example, a pleated “Joey” schoolgirl skirt comes in hot-pink leather and is studded with the words “Fierce” on the front and “Bitch” on the back. Or, yellow satin charmeuse is paired with denim on a “Zorka” miniskirt and “taylored” with paint.
The designs come in hot-pink, lime-green, turquoise, metallic pink and gold, black, and vintage-brown leather; yellow, purple, pink and teal satin charmeuse; and unwashed indigo denim. Some body styles include super-sexy 7.5- to 9-inch microminis, 12-inch and 14-inch pleated schoolgirl looks, punk-inspired kilts, and 22-inch skirts with sexy side slits.
Wholesale prices range from $40 for a basic pleated “Joey” schoolgirl skirt in denim to $185 for a more elaborate studded “Janet” skir t in vintage-brown leather. Bandeau tops stenciled with the Joey and T logo that were shown on the runway will soon wholesale for $25.
Joey and T still design for their celebrity clientele but are also focusing on building their line. The designers plan to offer some one-off pieces before they show their full Spring collection this fall. New additions to look for include tank tops, hats, T-shirts, jumpsuits and sweat suits.
The line is available at the Gene Zuckerman & Associates showroom in the California Market Center, suite B571. For more information, call (310) 384-7882. —N. Jayne Seward
