X-Large Goes Feminine With XGLA
X-Girl’s tomboy customer is ready to show her feminine side. Enter XGLA, a new division launched for Spring 2006 under the X-Large umbrella that includes the urban men’s line X-Large and sister line X-Girl. Parent company X-Large, based in Los Angeles’ Atwater Village neighborhood, is distributed internationally and is partly owned by Japanese company B’s International, but XGLA’s design is based in Los Angeles.
“X-Girl has been a street-rooted brand with emphasis on casual styling. We want to take it to the next level and explore, with detail, nicer fabrics,” said XGLA designer Andrew Hinkley, who was the main designer for XLarge for a number of years until 2000, when he branched off to fully pursue his own high-end men’s line, Lalo.
The key looks from XGLA push the casual urban edge of X-Girl toward lightweight femininity. A transparent polyester crinkle chiffon shirtdress with leopard print features an asymmetrical touch of ruffles along one side of the V neckline. The three-quarter-sleeve canvas blazer has a rounded collar and satin-covered buttons for a hint of softness. Metallic thread throughout a custom knit shawl provides pretty daytime sparkle.
Denim styles for XGLA take after the cigarette-leg rocker look of X-Girl with a more sophisticated fit. The skinny shape has been a signature of X-Girl since the style was developed by the original designers, Daisy von Furth and Sonic Youth band member Kim Gordon, in the early 1990s.
Hinkley collaborated with Naoko Kurosawa, manager of the X-Girl store in Los Angeles, to create looks that would be accessible to any person. “It doesn’t have funny, intimidating pieces,” Hinkley said. “Some off-the-shelf pieces serve as a beach cover-up or something super casual.”
The wholesale price points vary from $12 for a basic cotton-rib tank to $58 for a cotton jersey racer-back dress, $50 for stretch jeans made from raw Japanese denim and up to $70 for a cotton twill blazer.
Stores that have written orders for XGLA’s first season include Subject Matter in Costa Mesa, Calif., and Sirens and Sailors in Los Angeles. For more information, call (323) 667-2515. —Rhea Cortado
