California Apparel News

When Manuka Clarke purchased Farr West in January, she wanted to reinvigorate the company’s classic designs while keeping all production in the United States at the highest quality with ethically sound standards.

Founded by the Farr family, the lingerie brand has been produced in California since its launch in 1968.

“Farr West started and grew at a time when American manufacturing was thriving,” Clarke said. “This company has slowly watched the decline and extinction of so many American producers. I continue to source from the States as a matter of principle because American craftsmanship is important to support to keep this country stable.”

New Zealand–born Clarke was raised in Los Angeles and London. She studied costume design in the San Francisco Bay area and had always admired Farr West from a distance while professionally designing lingerie and undergarments for her own line. In 2012, she collaborated with Farr West to design the Sophia and Lace Sensation lines for the company. When the Farr family members decided to retire from the business, they signed the company over to the care and direction of Clarke.

“As a longtime admirer of Farr West and its legacy, I’m committed to keeping its integrity intact, its made-in-America philosophy and—most importantly—its unparalleled devotion to quality,” Clarke said.

Beginning in February 2014, all lace for Farr West is now sourced from New York–based Klauber Lace Inc., one of the last American family-owned lace mills. The lace is then dyed in Los Angeles at Brothers Dye House. All cutting, sewing and manufacturing is done in a facility in Watsonville, Calif., which only produces for Farr West and is owned and operated by one of the original Farr West sewers from 1968.

The Farr West corporate office recently relocated from Santa Cruz, Calif., to Los Angeles.

Farr West is currently in more than 250 specialty boutiques across the United States, with plans to expand to the European market in 2015. Wholesale prices range roughly from $15 to $50.

Since acquiring the brand, Clarke has also started designing slips for HBO’s “Boardwalk Empire,” which she plans to add to Farr West’s offerings by the end of the year. Clarke plans to incorporate shape wear into the company’s offerings. She also is starting to use ecologically friendly textiles, such as bamboo and Modal, which are all sourced domestically.

“Farr West is immensely proud to be an American company whose lines are designed and made in the USA,” Clarke said.

For more information, visit www.farrwest.com.