Agave's Denim Push
Jeff Shafer got his start in streetwear, made the jump to surfwear and is now taking on the men’s premium denim market with Los Angeles–based better men’s line Agave.
Shafer made big strides in the action-sports market when he helped launch men’s streetwear line BC Ethic in the mid-1990s and watched the line’s sales grow to more than $24 million in just four years. He left to work with Carpinteria, Calif.–based Solitude, the men’s casual apparel line launched by former professional surfer Shawn Tomson.
Shafer left two years ago to launch Agave, targeted toward better boutiques. He described his design aesthetic as “authentic styling, luxury textiles, impeccable tailoring, attention to detail and organic- looking finishes without gimmicks.”
The line is geared toward young fashion-savvy men who want a better jean. Although the line is designed to attract a high-end denim customer, Agave’s medium-rise fits are built for average American men, Shafer explained.
The line comprises ring-spun denim in weights from 7 ounces to 13 ounces and loose-weave, brokentwill and stretch-twill constructions in Lycra and polyurethane blends. Key bodies for Spring ’05 are steel-gray boot-cut corduroy pants; crosshatch denim with a medium-indigo finish; sulfur-dyed classicfit linen/cotton trousers with a stonewash finish; and classic-fit pants using a Japanese technical fabric made with a poly-cotton “hollow yarn” that has mechanical stretch and water-resistant qualities. Retail price points range from $145 to $185.
Agave is a whole new design experience for Shafer. Three years ago, Shafer’s partners bought him out of BC Ethic, the Southern California–based men’s streetwear label that emphasizes car culture and roots rock. He worked at Tomson’s Solitude brand briefly before launching his own denim label.
Shafer said he departed BC Ethic with enough courage and wisdom to start a new brand. This led to Agave’s motto: courage, compassion and conservation. “In retrospect, I know I made the right decision,” he said.
Shafer said his business model for Agave is in stark contrast to that of BC Ethic and his role has changed, as well. His main focus these days is design and marketing. “I want to focus on a smaller volume and be more selective about distribution as opposed to mass producing my product,” he explained.
The denim brand’s succulent logo design and old California mission–era theme appeals to a variety of retail store buyers, said Shafer, who is planning an $850,000 increase in sales volume by the year’s end as a result of opening a handful of high-end retail accounts. This year, Agave is on track to do $1.2 million in sales for Spring 2005, Shafer said.
Agave is carried at AB Fits in San Francisco, Black & Blue in Santa Monica, Calif., Rubensteins in New Orleans, Detour in Milwaukee, Frank Stella Clothiers in New York and select Nordstrom department stores.
Retailer Scott Hill, whose Sunset Plaza boutique, Scott & Co., carries the denim line, said: “It’s the jean that fits everyone. Once we get it on the customer, it sells.”
The Los Angeles retailer sees 100 percent sell-throughs for the denim each month. “It’s hard to keep it in stock,” Hill added.
Building on Agave’s momentum, Shafer launched a line of modish men’s knit tops and T-shirts in crew and polo styles to correspond with the denim collection. The line uses ringspun combed Supima cotton and gold flat-lock stitch detail. Other novelties include enzyme and mineral washes and stylish, yet subtle graphics. Wholesale price points range from $32 to $48.
“I wanted to use the best cotton fabrics to complement the denim line,” Shafer explained. “Using mineral and enzyme wash gives it a soft and faded vintage look without damaging the fabric.”
These days, Shafer is primarily focusing on keeping overhead low. He sources his denim fabrics from Japan and buys cotton fabrics made in the United States. Both tops and bottoms are produced domestically through fullpackage programs. Part of Shafer’s business plan is to build the company with some help from independent contractors in production, sales and public relations, he said.
In the meantime, Shafer said he is content with his business pace. “I’m not interested in how big my company can get, only how great I can make it,” he said.
Agave will be shown at the Aug. 1–3 run of the Westcoast Exclusive at the W Hotel in Los Angeles.
—Claudia Figueroa
