California Apparel News

Offering pieces such as embroidered jogging suits, embellished tanks and studded pullover tunics for women, Royal Plush often was mistaken for a California-based company. “Buyers at trade shows would always assume we were from Los Angeles,” said Steve Waller, the brand’s co-owner. Much to buyers’ surprise, the casual-meets-flash line was, until June 15, based in Plymouth, Minn.

The brainchild of Waller’s wife, Michelle, a former department store buyer and boutique owner, Royal Plush started as a creative outlet for the stay-at-home mom in 2004. “The plan was to be creative again and have a small business,” she said. Those plans were dashed in March of the following year when the Wallers brought their line of razzle-dazzle sweats and cashmere to the Brighte Cos. trade show in Los Angeles. “We picked up 300 accounts. It was unexpected and overwhelming,” Steve Waller said.

Since then, the line has grown to include knits in terry, fleece and knit rib fabrications, cashmere and cotton sweaters, down vests and jackets, leather jackets, leather handbags, belts, and the occasional dog collar. And with multiple washes on everything and embellishments that run three layers deep with studs, rhinestones, appliqueacute;s, embroidery, prints and custom hardware, the line’s prices are anything but Middle America. Wholesale prices range from $20 for branded baseball hats to $200 for leather outerwear pieces.

Now, the Wallers have moved crosscountry, and the contemporary brand has established its headquarters in Torrance, Calif. From its new home, Royal Plush is positioning itself to make the most of Los Angeles’ distribution and manufacturing resources.

Easy access.

With four deliveries per year, 40 pieces per season and approximately 600 doors to ship to, Royal Plush faced some tricky shipping logistics in Minnesota.

All its manufacturing is done overseas in Hong Kong and China. “Minnesota was sort of land-locked. In Los Angeles, it is faster and easier to receive [shipped] products,” Steve Waller said. With the move, the brand stands to save money in shipping costs.

Moving to California also made good business sense to the Wallers because, with 60 percent of their accounts focused on the West Coast, their business is very West Coast–driven. M. Fredric and Malibu Beach Club are current clients, and Royal Plush will begin shipping to Planet Blue for Fall.

Being on the Left Coast allows the Wallers to build personal relationships with their clients. “It’s great to be able to visit accounts,” the designer said, and it’s easier to get feedback about what’s selling and what can be improved. And, they hope, having a West Coast address will help increase their credibility as an upscale brand.

Made in L.A..

Taking advantage of the local manufacturing opportunities is a big priority for the Wallers. “We’re starting to bring some of our manufacturing stateside,” Steve Waller said. For Spring 2007, Royal Plush is working on a test program for tank tops to be manufactured in Los Angeles. “We’d like quicker turnarounds on reorders,” he said. The tanks will feature garment dyeing and some embellishment, but not as much as the rest of the line.

Although the city is full of topnotch manufacturers, the embellishment and treatment-heavy work that is a trademark of the Royal Plush line would be too costly to produce here, the Wallers said. “A lot of people don’t want to deal with it. Domestic manufacturers don’t want to do the type of three-dimensional treatments we want, or, if they do, their prices are outrageously expensive,” Michelle Waller said.

Rather than change their look to match what local manufacturers will handle, the Wallers said they will continue to produce their highly crafted items overseas. Steve Waller, who quit his job as vice president of sourcing and manufacturing at Wilsons Leather to handle Royal Plush’s manufacturing, uses his overseas sourcing contacts to keep the company’s manufacturing costs reasonable.

Despite the cost challenges, the brand is committed to manufacturing more than just tanks in Los Angeles, he said. Eventually, it hopes to produce 5 percent of its knits domestically.

For now, Steve and Michelle Waller are looking to build brand awareness in their new home, where they acknowledge that competition is stiff. Royal Plush will be making the rounds of the trade show circuit, including stops at Intermezzo and Fashion Coterie in New York, Brighte Cos. in Los Angeles and the Project Global Trade Show in Las Vegas.

Royal Plush is carried in the Rande Cohen Showroom in the California Market Center Suite B520. For information, call (213) 489- 3044 —Erin Barajas