Yves Castaldi: New Looks for a Denim Pioneer
Yves Castaldi designed some of the most memorable looks for fashion denim brands such as Buffalo and Tag Plus. But Castaldi said that he will be seeking new inspiration for his upcoming selfnamed label. “Denim designing is dead,” said the 55-year-old French-born designer.
And yet, the Yves Castaldi brand will debut amid many of the best-known premium-denim brands exhibiting at the Project Global Trade Show, to be held Aug. 27–30 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Castaldi said he hopes that his line will find new possibilities in the burgeoning world of premium fashion. The Castaldi label draws inspiration both from the style of premium denim and from high fashion. It features 25 looks for women and 15 for men. There are 12 different styles for each look.
Pants feature a clean, almost minimalist look, and many use materials such as Italian wool and linens. The Los Angeles–based line includes denim styles made from premium Japanese and Italian fabric.
Castaldi’s denim pants retail for $250 at the Yves Castaldi boutique, which opened July 13 at 8250 Melrose Ave. It is located across the street from the exclusive Paul Smith boutique and a few blocks away from Ron Herman at Fred Segal Melrose, a pioneer of Los Angeles’ specialty-shop scene.
While Castaldi’s new line eschews some denim looks of the past few years, such as distressed and ripped jeans, some denim styles will feature the tailoring that has made jeans a favorite for the past 50 years. There’s a yoke located above the seat, five pockets and a low rise in the front in some of the pieces.
Other looks include tuxedo jackets for men and women and black crochet dresses made with bamboo yarn. Wholesale price points will range from $100 to $250. The line also will offer accessories such as belts, wallets, jewelry, and black and red patent-leather traveling bags.
Castaldi forecasted the line could earn more than $15 million in sales for its first year of business. He said the future might bring the debut of other Yves Castaldi boutiques.
For more information about the Yves Castaldi line, contact Jennifer Lu at jennifer@yvescastaldi.com or (323) 651 1480.
—Andrew Asch
