Kill City Launches Women's
Kill City, the 2-year-old punk-inspired line from Los Angelesmanufacturer Original Cult, is letting girls in on the action come Spring 2008. Debuting with a capsule collection of minimalist knit dresses, oversize T-shirt dresses, skinny denim, hooded jersey tops and bat-wing blouses, the new Kill City women’s line has a similar aesthetic to its punk-chic counterpart and takes inspiration in equal parts from the gritty music scene and modern European designers.
“It’s a contemporary line and a natural evolution of Kill City. We offer women’s [apparel] in our Lip Service line, but that’s a very niche customer,” said Paul Roughley, Kill City’s head of design. “The response to the novelty of our men’s line, especially the jeans, has been great, and accounts have been requesting women’s since the beginning.”
Kill City enters the bustling contemporary market with an angle it hopes retailers and shoppers will respond to. “There are plenty of brands that cater to really feminine girls. Kill City is for that indie girl that likes to hang with the guys. It has a sexy attitude, but it has a masculine point of view. We’re not dressing groupies; we’re dressing the lead singer,” Roughley said.
To that end, Kill City limits its color range to black and shades of gray, with a few pops of color thrown in, such as fluorescent pink high-waist “Junkie” jeans. Silhouettes are tailored or draped, with austere details. No frills or flowers here. Spiders embroidered in silver thread are sprinkled on shoulders, and graphics in metallic foil feature tiny daggers. One black knit dress has a softly gathered waist and armholes lined in zippers. Wholesale prices for the line are $27 to $46 for denim, $14 to $25 for T-shirts and knit tops, $28 for vests, and $26 to $36 for knit dresses and T-shirt dresses.
“We’re shooting for a look that lands somewhere between designer and streetwear. It is contemporary fashion with an edge,” said Drew Bernstein, founder of Original Cult and Kill City. The line hopes to sell to specialty boutiques and better department stores, including Nordstrom, Macy’s, Urban Outfitters and Active Ride andmall-based stores such as MetroPark. Already, Bernstein is planning on expanding Kill City’s women’s offerings and hiring a designer to focus exclusively on the line. “There is just so much more you can do with the women’s market. It is very exciting,” Bernstein said.
For more information, visit the Proper Fools showroom at the Cooper Design Space, located in suite 520 at 860 Los Angeles St., or call (213) 689-7730. —Erin Barajas
