Yokoyama Joins Paul Frank
Julius is teaming up with Yoki.
Paul Frank Industries, the accessories and clothing company known for its playful designs and monkey mascot, Julius, hired Jeff “Yoki” Yokoyama as design director for its sportswear division.
Yokoyama is the founder of various lifestyle apparel labels, including Modern Amusement and Generic Youth. The appointment represents a move by Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Paul Frank Industries to strengthen its apparel line, which launched a couple of years after the accessories business started in 1997.
In the newly created position, Yokoyama oversees collections for men; women; pajamas; innerwear; and Small Paul, the children’s line that will bow in Fall 2005.
“They want to try to enhance the special thing they have,” Yokoyama said. “That special thing is the cleverness in this line, the hand-done feel in this line, the cool colors in this line, the humor in the line. Not that it was lost. It’s just now we realized that is a big part of the line.”
Yokoyama’s addition fills a need, said Ryan Heuser, who co-founded the company with Paul Frank and John Oswald and currently serves as president. “Jeff’s track record speaks for itself,” Heuser said. “We are pioneers in the accessories world. In the sportswear world, we have some ground to gain with retailers.”
The founders of Paul Frank Industries are partners in Generic Youth, the quirky brand Yokoyama started a year ago with his teen-age daughter, Coco. Yokoyama formed Generic Youth after he sold Modern Amusement to Santa Monica, Calif.–based Mossimo Inc. in March 2004. Yokoyama said Generic Youth, which also employs a merchandiser, moved into Paul Frank’s offices about eight months ago. He said he will continue to be the owner, president and designer of Generic Youth, which will remain a separate entity from Paul Frank Industries.
Working with Frank, who is the creative director, Yokoyama will design some pieces for the 15 Paul Frank Industries stores and handpicked boutiques, and consult on other divisions such as swimwear, the company said. The first collection to bear Yokoyama’s imprint will launch in Fall 2006. —Khanh T.L. Tran
