Odyn Vovk: Made in L.A.
Austin Sherbanenko, the founder and designer of Odyn Vovk, a collection of high-end menswear and unisex garments produced in Los Angeles, doesn’t mind holding his contractors’ hand. In fact, he prefers it.
quot;We get calls all the time from our contractors and factories saying, ’This hem is wrong’ or ’These sleeves are too long’ or ’These pants don’t fit right,’quot; he said. quot;I love that because it means we work closely with them to make sure they understand what we want—that the hem isn’t wrong, that that’s how we want those pants to fit.quot; If Sherbanenko produced overseas, he wouldn’t be able to have that sort of hands-on direction and dialogue, he said. quot;We don’t do tech packs. That’s not how we want to make clothes.quot;
The brand, which shows in Paris and New York and maintains a design studio and in-house showroom in Los Angeles, doesn’t produce the classic, sunny separates one might expect from a California label. Raw edges, asymmetrical hems, skirted pants, oversize hoods and complicated silhouettes make the brand a favorite among retailers with an avant-garde slant and an unusual project for garment contractors in Los Angeles.
Sherbanenko and Christina Vagi, the brand’s liaison, visit their various Los Angeles contractors on a near-daily basis during production cycles. quot;It is very important to us to have good communication and hands-on quality control,quot; Vagi said. Two in-house employees produce Odyn Vovk’s leather-jacket program, some wool outerwear and portions of its cut-and-sew offerings.
Despite the brand’s unique approach to design, finding capable contractors in Los Angeles didn’t prove to be a challenge. quot;There is a lot of talent in L.A., and Austin sees it in people and allows them to shine instead of making them a number in a factory,quot; Vagi said. quot;Good design and good quality can be anywhere. Our in-house sewers do immaculate work.quot;
Still, the quot;Made in Los Angelesquot; label surprises many. quot;People really have a hard time wrapping their head around the idea that [we produce in Los Angeles],quot; Vagi said. quot;If the designer is good [and the garments are of] good quality, people tend to think they must be produced in New York or Paris because, for most, they think that is the fashion mecca.quot;
For Sherbanenko, who sells his brand to Blackbird in Seattle; Eva Gentry in Brooklyn, N.Y.; and Barneys New York in Japan, producing in Los Angeles is also a point of pride. quot;We like to know who we pay; we like to know where we get Odyn Vovk made. It’s a nice feeling,quot; he said. And stores appreciate that the brand is made domestically—especially Japanese retailers, who look for a quot;Made in the USAquot; label. quot;Whatever association there is with that label—whether it is about quality or workmanship or even a lack of association with China—it is a positive, and we’ll take it,quot; Vagi said. —Erin Barajas
