Rails: The Intersection of Basics and Fashion
There will always be a market for basic T-shirts and hooded sweat shirts, Jeff Abrams thought. However, is there room for another basics line? The 27- year-old designer will soon find out.
Abrams debuted his Los Angeles–- based basics clothing label, Rails International, in June 2006. Since then, it’s been continuously sold at fashionable Los Angeles boutiques such as Kitson and Milk.
The line is also sold in 50 boutiques across the United States, yet Abrams’ first steps with the label were cautious ones. Labels James Perse, Splendid and C&C California all have been top-selling brands at high-profile boutiques. Abrams believes that his label provides an alternative by mixing the soft feel of California vintage activewear along with the fitted fashion looks that he saw in Italy, where he lived from 2003 to 2004. During that time, he worked as a marketer for an American television company.
Fashion details crop up in his men’s line with the “Cortez” work shirt, which features a mandarin-style collar.With the women’s line, it’s a deep V–neck sleeveless hoodie. Wholesale price points range from $25 for T-shirts to $60 for hooded sweat shirts.
Fashion experimentation is key to the future of his label, Abrams said. “I don’t want to be a basics line,” he said. “Success should be a balance between being a basics line and doing something with a little more flavor.”
For more information, call (213) 745-6312 or send an e-mail to info@railsclothing.com.
—Andrew Asch
