Premium Jeans for Less Green
Artisanal jeans are super cool, but they are also super expensive.
“Not everyone is a denim connoisseur or wants to drop $250-plus on a pair of selvage,” said Luis Gonzales, co-founder of Special Fabrication, a new Los Angeles–based line of affordable premium jeans for men.
Launching for Spring 2009, Special Fabrication focuses on creating denim with “great fits, unique details, understated style and a really competitive price,” Gonzales said. “It’s really a backlash against both the over-inflated prices of premium denim and the over-designed, over-embellished and tasteless looks that have unfortunately dominated the premium-denim world for too long.”
Gonzales, a fit model and fixture of the Los Angeles denim scene, and his business partner, a premium-denim designer who remains nameless, imagined Special Fabrication as a succinct, focused alternative to the pricier brands.
To launch, the collection consists of three fits—a relaxed straight leg, a fashion slim fit and a classic straight leg—in raw, rinsed and washed denim. “Our key basic fabric is dark, masculine left-hand twill with a subtle slub,” Gonzales said. “It’s like an updated look of classic Wrangler or Lee jeans. We think men’s denim should be tough and take a beating, true to its workwear origins.”
A hickory stripe waistband liner and pocketing, back-pocket darts, and subtle thread and hardware details satisfy denim geeks. A wholesale price range of $52 to $56 satisfies the denim geek on a budget.
Using their sourcing knowledge and factory connections, Gonzales and his partner created a business plan that marries quality denim with affordable execution. “There is a misconception that quality denim has to be made in the U.S.A., Japan or Italy,” Gonzales said. “Having worked in denim for a long time, we have seen [American], Japanese and European mills make amazing strides in translating their higher-priced fabrics to more-competitive products made in Mexico and China.”
Targeted at the boutique market, Special Fabrication has already been well-received by some of Japan’s bellwether retailers. Beams International Gallery sells the brand, and Gonzales said he hopes like-minded boutiques in the United States will follow their lead. “Denim should be simple, affordable, timeless, versatile—the favorite piece you keep coming back to,” he said.
For more information, call Standard Showroom at (213) 622-6121.
