California Apparel News

Richard Tyler had planned to retire—but then he changed his mind. Instead, he opted to downsize his company and close his Los Angeles boutique to focus on his custom clientele and bridal business.

“Honestly, I was going to [retire], but when it came down to it, I thought, I love what I’m doing, and I said, ’Let me just reevaluate.’ So, we downsized, and we’re closing the store at the end of June.”

The Beverly Boulevard boutique has been open since 1989. Tyler said he is in the process of selling off excess inventory, including archival pieces from the mid-1990s. “It’s sad, but it’s good in a way—to clear one’s head. I think everybody needs to do that,” he said.

Rumors that Tyler was planning to retire quickly spread throughout the apparel industry, and many people called to congratulate the designer.

“Since people thought I was retiring, I got so many phone calls and wonderful letters from people saying how they love my clothing,” Tyler said. “It’s quite inspiring.”Tyler will finish shipping Fall orders for his contemporary collection, Tyler, and his eveningwear line, Eve, as well as bridal orders placed at the store.

The designer said he will continue his custom design business and that he hopes to continue his bridal business. He recently unveiled his uniform designs for Delta Airlines, a project he said he enjoyed very much. He even left a door open to fashion shows for the bridal collection and one-of-a-kind pieces. “Where I am right now, I just love doing things I want to do rather than thinking about what the department stores want,” he said.

One thing that Tyler said he would like to do is maintain his ties to the Los Angeles design community, where he is seen as a mentor to many designers, including Michelle Mason and Erica Davies, who both worked for Tyler before launching their own lines.

“L.A. has incredible design talent,” Tyler said. “I would love to get more involved, like a father figure, and help them as much as possible. I love the rawness of designers here and what they’re doing. I would just like them to get a little more exposure on the East Coast—they deserve it.” —Alison A. Nieder