Michael Stars Opens Two Retail Stores
Business for the Michael Stars brand of women’s T-shirts is on the upswing. Sales revenue grew 30 percent from 2004 to 2005, according to Michael Cohen, founder and partner of the Manhattan Beach, Calif.–based brand. The T-shirts are sold at more than 800 retailers. Against this backdrop, Cohen is opening two Michael Stars shops in one month.
A 750-square-foot Michael Stars store is scheduled to open at The Grove shopping center in Los Angeles on Dec. 2. A 1,400-square-foot store will open at 613 State St. in Santa Barbara, Calif., by the end of December. The company already maintains two stores. One is located in Manhattan Beach; the other is in Santa Monica, Calif.
Cohen hopes to open more Michael Stars stores, but he said not to expect a big rollout. “We’re going to make haste, slowly,” he said. One of the reasons for the slow growth is his retail clients. Cohen vowed not to invade the territory of boutiques selling his wares, which include 220 styles that come in 25 colors each season.
Another reason is property. The family-owned company will not open a store unless it finds just the right location, he said.
Cohen said he hopes the Michael Stars stores will make the brand more familiar in the public’s mind and, perhaps, make it more likely that they’ll buy T-shirts from a boutique carrying Michael Stars.
Cohen started his company in 1986 and created a niche for women’s T-shirts in 1992. Instead of manufacturing boxy T-shirts, Cohen introduced a line of shirts that fit women’s shapes. Different fabrics include a soft Supima cotton, a stretch-friendly French terry and Stars’ signature fabric: the shine. It’s 50 percent cotton, 50 percent rayon. According to the company Web site, the mix gives the shirt a shimmering contrast. —Andrew Asch
