California Apparel News

Kevin Willis manufactures his Willis & Walker suits and sportswear in the United States and overseas, but for the big-and-tall collection’s premium denim, the pro athlete turned fashion designer headed for Los Angeles.

“Being in the denim business, you have to be able to have control and make sure that your patterns are right and your washes are right,” he said.

“When you go into production, you want to make sure that you’re getting the best denim and best quality. You want to be able to look at it and put the denim on the table and roll it out and make sure there are no flaws. A lot of the time, if you’re not there, the cutter will try to cut around that flaw.”

Having the production done in Los Angeles also allows Willis to more easily prevent any delays and fly in from Atlanta, where he is based, if there are any problems.

“When it’s done in L.A., I can stay ahead of the curve. I can start production on Thursday and be there on Friday, and if I’m there and they haven’t started, it doesn’t look good for them.”

Five years ago, Willis made the switch from vertical manufacturing to using four different factories in Los Angeles for sewing, fabrics, patternmaking and washes.

“It’s a little bit more legwork on my end, but I like it like that because I can oversee it better,” he said.

That extra effort is worth it for Willis, who said premium-denim is a big seller for his collection, which is designed for big-and-tall men. And having jeans that truly fit like a pair of jeans is crucial, he said.

“Denim is huge for us—if you’re tall, you can’t get custom jeans made without them looking like a pair of slacks,” Willis said.

Underserved market

As a 7-foot former NBA center, Willis had always struggled to find clothes that would fit his tall frame, which is part of what drew him to the apparel industry.

“One of the fastest-growing segments is big and tall, but it’s not addressed,” Willis said. Clothes, beds, couches, cars and airplane seats are just some of the things that aren’t tailored to fit people six-foot-three and over, he explained. “Tall becomes a challenge at a certain point because you can’t find what you need. If you wear a size-14 shoe, God help you, because a lot of stores don’t carry a size 14. … I’m trying to give that guy a suit that he can buy off the rack.”

Looking to be a trailblazer on and off the court, Willis first decided to launch his own line for “athletically built men” with his former Michigan State University teammate Ralph Walker in 1988. For 20 years, while Willis was still playing in the NBA, the pair made leather jackets, suits and premium jeans designed for tall men. After Walker moved on from the Willis & Walker venture three years ago, Willis began discussions with Marcraft Apparel Group about creating a partnership to redevelop the line.

The new Willis & Walker collection of luxury suits and sportswear for men of “extended length” officially launched at MRket in Las Vegas in February after making its debut at New York Fashion Week last fall.

Willis’ goal was to introduce a line for the taller man that offered “form, fit and fashion” in a selection of fabrics, colors and styles that expanded beyond the ill-fitting, brown, blue and black “boxy” suits traditionally associated with big and tall, he said.

The Willis & Walker Spring/Summer 2012 collection takes inspiration from the ’70s and ’80s and incorporates a variety of bold selections, including slim, tapered suits in stripes, plaids, solids and tropical-weight wool and cashmere; tuxedos in ivory, charcoal and black; soulful washed-leather coats; and tailored velvet jackets with piping on the edges.

“The suits have been really hot,” he said. “When you get a guy that’s tall and he puts this jacket on and it fits him, they’re like ‘wow.’ The shoulders are proper; the waist and sides cut in just enough to give you that silhouette you want to see.”

In addition to the Los Angeles–made denim, some of Willis & Walker’s sweaters and outerwear are made in Los Angeles, with the rest made in Turkey and Italy. The collection’s suits are made in Mexico.

Willis said the response to the collection has been “overwhelming” and that it has already proven popular with professional athletes. Charles Barkley, Yao Ming, Chris Webber, Tracy McGrady and Michael Jordan are just some of the big names who have been buying the clothes.

“I’m on the right path,” he said. “It’s important to look and feel attractive because you’re already feeling self-conscious that you’re towering above everyone, but it just shoots a man’s self-confidence off the shelf when you look good and people see you and say, ‘The hang on that is absolutely beautiful.’”

Background in fashion

Unlike many professional athletes, who wind up simply lending their name to a line, Willis studied fashion and textiles at Michigan State as an undergrad and continued to pursue internships in the fashion industry while playing in the NBA.

During the off-season, Willis would complete internships at companies such as the Doneger Group and Perry Ellis and tour sewing factories in New York and New Jersey to find out more about apparel production.

This hands-on experience provided him with valuable insights into the business.

“If you don’t have the passion, you will not survive,” he said. “You also need experience and knowledge of the business. A lot of guys invest money and time, but it just becomes a headache if you don’t have the passion. Don’t chase the dollar; you can’t do it to chase the money.”

Willis said he has plans to eventually sell merchandise through his website, but for now he is focused on his 3,400-square-foot flagship store in Atlanta’s Buckhead district and selling wholesale through his New York showroom.

Although Willis plans to expand the line into an entire lifestyle collection that could include fragrances, footwear and home goods, for now, he’s focusing on apparel and accessories. Retail prices range from $180 to $225 for shirts to $225 for premium denim and $950 to $1,450 for suits.

At MRket, the brand’s sophisticated suits and luxury sportswear landed stores such as Rochester Big and Tall and Torre Big and Tall in Philadelphia in addition to garnering interest from specialty boutiques