71 Stanton: Luxury Line's Gritty Inspiration
Los Angeles–based womenswear label 71 Stanton, which is just emerging on the scene, has its name rooted in the immigrant story of its designer, Ellis Yu.
The name comes from the year Yu was born and from the town of Stanton, Calif., the scrappy Orange County burg where she made her first home in California when she emigrated from South Korea in 1994.
“I want to always remember where the inspiration for my designs came from,” Yu said of the reason for her label’s name. Yu had no formal fashion-school education but learned the art and business of the apparel industry from her various jobs at fashion manufacturers, where she worked in pattern making and production.
Her new line has been picked up by the stylish fashion boutiques Ron Herman and Satine for its debut season of pre-Fall 2011.
71 Stanton’s looks are dominated by soft jersey and silk chiffon, which is not exactly the blue-collar look associated with Stanton. However, the label’s style works well for California, said Jeannie Lee, the owner of Satine, which is located in Los Angeles’ stylish West Third Street neighborhood.
“It can be casual. It can be dressy,” Lee said. “It’s a balance of what girls in Los Angeles like to wear. The sensibility is very clean.”
71 Stanton’s signature pieces include a tank maxidress, which is an ankle-length dress that features chiffon panels on the side of the garment. Another dress is a panel-striped tuxedo dress, which features a short-sleeve top and white chiffon and chartreuse stripes.
Wholesale price points range from $32 for a jersey/chiffon T-shirt to $108 for an embroidered chiffon dress.
While Yu moved to the United States with the goal of becoming a fashion designer, she hasn’t charted what happens next for her line. “I haven’t thought far into the future,” she said. “I just know that I want to grow the brand organically and not overnight. I don’t want it to be one of these lines that blows up and phases out in a year.”
For more information, contact the Marked Showroom at (213) 622-9760 or visit the company's website. —Andrew Asch
