Milan Takes Fashion to the Counterculture
Claudia Milan helped bring contemporary women’s fashions to the counterculture milieu of Los Angeles’ Venice Beach neighborhood four years ago. On Sept. 23, she became an equal-opportunity clothier when she opened Claudia Milan for Men adjacent to her pioneering store, Claudia Milan, in the 1300 block of Abbot Kinney Boulevard.
The 1,400-square-foot men’s store will focus on European style with a competitive price point, according to Milan. The store will sell Danish label 4You; U.K. labels Pringle, Ted Baker and Paul Smith; Italian jeans brand Diesel; Canadian brand Buffalo; and stateside brands such as Kenneth Cole. Price points will range from $80 for a woven shirt by 4You to $200 for Diesel jeans and $1,200 for a Paul Smith suit.
Milan also decided to jump into the manufacturing side of the fashion game. In November, she will debut at her boutique a line of guys’ clothes bearing her name. She hopes to present an alternative to denim with her line of trousers made out of a Lycra-canvas-wool blend. Price points will be $160–$180. For her jackets, Milan’s inspiration came as much from the trend-setting 1966 film “Blow-Up” as it did from the Italian leathers and suedes she used to make them. Styles will range from Pierre Cardin–style smoking jackets to pea coats and double-breasted motorcycle jackets with linings that come in such colors as chartreuse. Price points for the jackets are $700–$900. —Andrew Asch
