California Apparel News

Designer Daniel Antonio is breathing new life into his Dirtymilk label, which is being resurrected after being dormant for several years.

The Los Angeles label, for women who like an edge to their clothing, will release its fourth graphic-driven collection this month bearing slogans including “Growing N Glowing!” and “Besitos No Stressitos!” on its T-shirts and hoodies.

Antonio started the label in 2006 when streetwear was becoming very popular and influential in men’s fashion, but there were no streetwear or sportswear lines for women that offered that same kind of edginess.

So Antonio started Dirtymilk to fill a niche, placing it into leading boutiques such as Fred Segal. But his emerging line was a victim of the Great Recession that took hold of the country in 2008.

He rode through the recession by helping to manage production and design for Reset Content, which runs a division making T-shirts, sweats and jackets for film crews and studios. He is still there.

But he also wanted to revive his label, financing a comeback for Dirtymilk in 2017. “The love of this business and the love of creation is my forte,” Antonio said, who explained that the brand’s name is a humorous description of the creative process. It’s pouring information, or dirt, on the milk, or the blank canvas, of a garment.

Along with an edge, Antonio hoped that his T-shirts and hoodies would have a greater fit and sense of comfort than other labels. So he uses a poly-viscose fabric for his shirts. “It’s like having butter on your skin.” Antonio said. “It’s imperative you feel that you can sleep in our shirts.”

Also important is a comfortable fit. To do that, Dirtymilk gives plenty of room around the armholes and shoulders of each piece.

Silhouettes in the collection include crew-neck tees and hoodies cropped around the midriff. The hoodies have an open panel around the elbow, which gives the garment a unique style.

Once sold, the T-shirts and hoodies are put into gold-metallic-colored bags intended as a statement of support. “It throws people off sometimes,” Antonio said. “But it’s a mirror of gold. It says that you’re going to shine. Let your light shine.”

With eyes on wholesaling the label, the designer in early February exhibited at a downtown Las Vegas pop-up market called Commotion that was produced with the help of Zappos.com.

At Commotion, Antonio introduced a piece called the Dirtyponcho, which was a heather-gray fleece poncho that sold out in its first run.

Dirtymilk is made in Los Angeles. Retail price points range from $38 for T-shirts to $110 for hoodies. The garments are sold online at www.dirtymilk.com.