Hellz Bellz: Raw, Loud and in Your Face
Hellz Bellz went from a spare-time hobby for Lanie Alabanza-Barcena to demanding every inch of her space. Alabanza-Barcena and her husband, Bam Barcena, felt the growth of the line immediately in their New York apartment, which was doubling as the shipping center for more than 3,500 units of graphic T-shirts.
“It got out of hand to the point where we could barely walk through our apartment,” said Alabanza- Barcena, who was also working as an art director for Rocawear at the time. “That’s how we ended up getting a bigger warehouse, and that was in L.A.” she said.
Alabanza-Barcena started Hellz Bellz in 2005 as a cotton T-shirt line splattered with graphics such as a trompe l’oeil print of a bandana tied around the neck. A San Diego native, Alabanza- Barcena moved to New York in 2004 with her husband, who was a senior designer at Ecko Unlimited and design director for Akademiks.
In September, the two opened new ample warehouse space in El Monte, Calif., and expanded Hellz Bellz into a cut-and-sew line for Fall 2007.
Each season, a different dose of niche culture clubs inspires Hellz Bellz graphics and fashion designs. This Holiday it was 1960s and 1970s sexploitation films and the British punk and mod scene. For Spring 2008, “revolution for the hell of it” and youth angst serve as inspiration. A classic masculine motorcycle jacket is made feminine when rendered in an Arabic scarf fabric with fringed edges and extrapocket detailing.
“I wanted to create a brand that catered to the girls who weren’t so into the cutesy flowers, hearts and unicorns graphics. I wanted more edgy, in-your-face graphics for the tough girls, but still sexy,” Alabanza-Barcena said.
Hellz Bellz is sold at boutiques such as In4mation in Honolulu; Commonwealth in Norfolk, Va.; 5 & A Dime in San Diego; and Black Market in Santa Monica, Calif.
Wholesale price points range from $20 for cotton T-shirts to $61 for an embellished cotton fleece hoodie and from $65 to $75 for satin track jackets and nylon windbreakers.
For more information, contact The Museum Group Showroom at (212) 575-2373, Ext. 10, or visit www.hellz-bellz.com. —Rhea Cortado
