California Apparel News

Designer/musician Danny Drake, who founded the streetwear brand Drifter, takes a punk-rock attitude when it comes to designing and marketing Pathway, his year-old line of better contemporary knit tops for men and women. “We don’t do paid advertising, we don’t do celebrity gifting and we for sure don’t go hunting down exposure,” Drake said.

Instead, the Los Angeles–based brand focuses on creating unique graphics and washes for its line of T-shirts, hoodies, tops and sweat shirts for guys and girls. In the do-it-yourself spirit of punk legends who didn’t always know how to play their instruments, Drake says he doesn’t really know that much about fashion. “I don’t have a degree or background in fashion,” he said. “That helps me design like a consumer rather than get caught up in what is in the pages of fashion magazines. A lot of brands change their identity every season because they don’t stand for anything. It’s important to me to have a solid brand concept and be confident with it,” he said. “We’re a graphics-based tops line inspired by music.”

Targeting a wide demographic swath ranging from 15-yearold skate rats to 40-something music geeks, Drake said Pathway makes clothes for “saints and sinners alike.” That means minimalist to thrashed T-shirts, polos and hoodies for guys and sexy garment-dyed tops with open backs and plunging necklines for women.

“We don’t try to reinvent the wheel with the men’s collection. We stick to the basics for men’s color—black, brown, gray and green work just fine,” Drake said. Graphics range from splattered newsprint to antique dueling pistols. For Fall 2007, men will see wovens and outerwear from Pathway.

The women’s line—which includes dresses, tunics and hoodies—made its debut at Top Shop in London in March. “There is a lot of tea-staining and unique washes,” said Brett Rubin, the brand’s codesigner and jack of all trades. Now sold at retailers such as M. Fredric and Fred Segal, the women’s line will soon include wovens.

For both collections, the graphics (“aggressively cynical” for guys and “artsy” for girls) and expertly distressed fabrics are the focus. Retail prices for the line range from $30 for a basic T-shirt up to $140 for a hoodie. Pathway, as a partner in Los Angeles manufacturer Caresse, has access to a local factory staffed with 100 employees who make the designers’ ideas reality and allow for quick turnaround on orders.

This fall, Pathway scored a coup when it struck a deal with legendary skate brand Powell Peralta. For the first time in 25 years, Powell Peralta signed a sixmonth licensing agreement for six of its most recognized trademark images. Pathway used the classic images on a limited-edition collection of men’s T-shirts, thermals and hoodies that began selling Fall 2006 exclusively at the Rail division of Nordstrom.

Launched in 1981 by original DogTown Z Boy skater Stacey Peralta and business partner George Powell, Powell Peralta was known for its use of taboo imagery (skulls, swords and dragons) on everything from T-shirts to skateboards.

“This is the project that I am most proud of,” Drake said. “I used to skate when I was younger and am a huge fan of Powell Peralta as a company. They were one of the first to put taboo images in the mainstream.”

Now armed with Powell Peralta’s famed “Ripper,” “Skull & Snake,” “Dragon,” “Oval Dragon,” “Elephant” and “Sworded Skull” images, Pathway hopes to sell 40 styles totaling 60,000 pieces to nostalgic old skaters and teenagers discovering the line.

“A lot of guys in their 40s who love these images shop at Nordstrom already, and the images are so great on their own that kids who don’t have a clue about the brand will still love the product,” Drake said.

Hang tags on each limitededition piece, which retail from $40 to $120, explain the graphic and the history of the Powell Peralta brand. To help spread the word, Pathway sponsored three in-store signings— usually something reserved for core shops—with legendary Powell Peralta skaters Mike McGill, Steve Caballero and Mike Vallely.

Stuuml;ssy Launches Premium Line

Skate-and-surf brand Stuuml;ssy is getting fancy for Spring/Summer 2007 with the debut of Stuuml;ssy Deluxe, a collection of “premium, unadorned streetwear” for men in classic Stuuml;ssy silhouettes, including the brand’s coach’s jackets and walking shorts. Deluxe will feature short-sleeved button downs, twill bottoms, and jackets with high-end design details and fabrics such as Japanese twill and fine cottons. Targeted at specialty retailers, the Deluxe collection runs $90 for wovens, $75 for shorts, $85 for pants and $125 to $165 for jackets.