JW Los Angeles by Johnny Was
Fun, feminine and flirty, JW Los Angeles is a new lifestyle line that reflects the modern way that people dress. Casual streetwear and T-shirts are mixed with feminine pieces for an unexpected look that is casual yet elegant.
Los Angeles–based better label Johnny Was launched the young, hip counterpart to its signature collection at Designers & Agents in New York in September 2004. The line, co-designed by Biya Ramar and Victor Tanisaka, mixes colorful cotton tees featuring “happy” embroideries of flowers and birds with feminine printed crinkle– silk chiffon tops, tunics, skirts and dresses. “It makes the wardrobe more versatile,” Tanisaka said.
“We thought the combination of mixing the T-shirts with prints would make it interesting,” Ramar added.
“The future is bright,” said Eli Levite, president of Johnny Was. And it’s no wonder he is so optimistic: Many top-tier stores, including Gallerie Lafayette in Paris, Biffy in Milan, and Harvey Nichols and Selfridges in London are selling the line. Los Angeles–area boutiques such as Lisa Kline, Fred Segal Santa Monica, Rebel and Planet Blue have also picked up the line. “We wanted to do something different that nobody has done,” Levite said.
For Fall, embroidered stretch-corduroy blazers; French-terry track jackets; and silk twill printed tops, tunics, skirts and dresses, have been added to the line.
For more information, contact the Johnny Was Showroom in California Market Center suite C586, or call (213) 629-1717.
—N. Jayne Seward
