California Apparel News

Streetwear designer Karl Kani is coming home, so to speak. The Brooklyn native, who has been based in Los Angeles since the 1990s, recently launched an American-made capsule collection for men and women.

“Everything is made in the USA, the same way we started back in the early ’90s when everything was made here,” Kani said.

Originally launched in 1993, the Karl Kani brand started as a U.S.-made brand, but as the company grew, production shifted overseas. For the new line, the designer sourced everything with local contractors—including a few who produced for Kani back in the ’90s.

“A lot of factories that we did business with back in the day—whether it’s the original owners or they passed it down to their family members—still exist,” Kani said. “They were very supportive because they knew the success that we had before.”

The new capsule collection, which recently bowed at Wildstyle on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue, features some of the signature pieces Karl Kani was always known for but reinterpreted for a modern customer.

“We brought back some of the vintage pieces that Karl Kani was known for, [like] the traditional two-piece sweatsuits, and we altered the fit to fit today’s marketplace,” Kani said. “Our goal from the beginning [was], if we’re going to do a sweatsuit, we’re going to do more of a luxury item.”

Pieces are made with high-end fabrications and feature special details such as Italian Riri zippers and gold-plated metal trim.

“It’s high-end, special [and] very exclusive,” Kani said.

Wholesale price points will run about $65 for bottoms and $80 for tops. Kani said he worked to keep prices moderate to make the line accessible.

“We don’t want to be too priced out of the market,” he said. “But what we find is domestic production prices are not much more than importing nowadays. It’s not that far off. [But with domestic production,] we don’t have to worry about the big minimums. We can turn goods in 45 days, which a lot of people can’t do if they’re importing. There are a lot of advantages to making [product] in the USA.”

The new Karl Kani line will officially bow at the Las Vegas trade shows in February. But for the retail launch, the line will sell in just a handful of better boutiques in key markets for now. In Los Angeles, the line will be carried exclusively at Wildstyle for the first few months, Kani said.

“For us as a brand to launch at a store like Wildstyle, they only carry the top, high-end designers,” Kani said. “For the store owner to understand the [brand’s] history and what we meant to the marketplace—and where Karl Kani is going—means a lot for us.”

Tom Hirota, owner of Wildstyle, praised the brand for its classic style and its roots in hip-hop culture.

“Karl kept the classic baggy look of his menswear and innovated the women’s line, which includes sports bras, leggings and jersey crop tops to expand the market,” Hirota said.

The Karl Kani collection is a good fit at Wildstyle, which carries high-end street fashion brands from mainly Europe and Japan, Hirota said.

“Karl Kani is an American legendary hip-hop brand that has influenced a lot of people who love fashion and American hip-hop culture,” he said. “I feel I can hear the music from just looking at his clothing.”

The brand’s made-in-America ethos is also part of the appeal for customers.

“America is where the hip-hop culture was created, and Karl Kani is a legendary hip-hop brand that was born in the United States,” Hirota said. “Nowadays, a lot of brands are manufactured in China or some other places like Vietnam. Made in USA not only ensures the quality of the clothes but also gives customers the sense they were made in the hometown of hip-hop.”

For sales information, call (917) 553-0298 or visit www.karlkani.com.