Mike & Chris Launch Knits
The husband-and-wife team of Mike Gonzalez and Christine Park-Gonzalez debuted a collection of high-end knits for their Mike & Chris line for Fall 2007. Knits aren’t an entirely new focus of the Los Angeles–based contemporary brand. The duo debuted a series of knit jersey dresses for Spring 2007 and bowed the brand with fashion-forward fleece hoodies in 2005. However, the high-end category, with eight silhouettes and new, luxurious fabrications, is a departure for Mike & Chris.
“We’ve never done anything quite like this. The closest we’ve come is one style that we’ve carried over from fleece into the new knits but done in a heavier fabrication of alpaca yarn,” Gonzalez explained. With four styles in a lightweight viscose yarn and four in the heavier alpaca yarn, Gonzalez said the new collection is a natural progression for the brand. “We try to do something new every season. Knits made sense for us moving forward.”
Retailers seem to be responding to Mike & Chris’ knits. A slouchy, ruched cardigan in the thin viscose and an alpaca empirewaist sweater with a doubled-over bubble hem are the most sought-after styles. “We’re sticking to subdued, muted colors—it makes the pieces immensely more wearable,” Gonzalez said. Wholesale price points for the knits range from $75 to upwards of $250.
Fall 2007 saw more additions to Mike & Chris’ repertoire. Leggings, bottoms and leather pants made their debut, and leather knickers are in the works for Holiday 2007. “The leather pants were a tricky sell because it takes a very specific person to want to wear them,” Gonzalez said. Holiday will also see the debut of Mike & Chris’ first foray into footwear. Launching with three styles of women’s leather shoes, the collection will have a “cobbler feel,” according to the designer. “They won’t be too refined—as if they came out of a machine. They’re more substantial.”
With all these new categories, the goal is to eventually offer a full Mike & Chris collection. “It would be cool to have the whole look, but we want to make sure every category makes sense for us,” Gonzalez said. The only category that gives him pause is denim, Gonzalez said. “That’s the only thing we’ll probably never do. It’s its own animal, and there are already so many people doing it well,” he said. For more information, call (213) 614-9292. —Erin Barajas
