California Apparel News

Held Feb. 14–16 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Project provided a look at new and upcoming trends for men’s and women’s apparel, footwear and accessories.

On the men’s side, Trinidad Garcia III of the L.A.-based Trinidad3 Jeans was at Project showcasing denim, chinos, shirts and jackets. A few years ago, Garcia, a U.S. Marine Corp. veteran, met another veteran who had become an amputee after serving. Garcia was inspired to create a pair of adaptive jeans that can fit amputees.

“I met him at Operation Jump 22 in Oceanside through Merging Vets and Players. He expressed interest in wanting to wear jeans, but he couldn’t because he has a high prosthetic,” Garcia said. “We invited him to the factory and developed a jean that worked for him.”

Garcia also showed the engineer jean, which is inspired by army fatigues and features the functionality of cargo pants with an extra pocket at the thigh that perfectly fits a cell phone. Trinidad3 also brought the first sample of a new women’s collection to the event and is developing jeans for the brand’s first female amputee.

For women, RANDL was showcasing at Project for the first time, premiering sleepwear products and pillowcases made from 100 percent washable silk. Said Richard Harding, owner of RANDL, “Washable silk is amazing because you can wash and dry it without it losing its form. I don’t know any woman who wants to take her sleepwear to the dry cleaners.”

Sandrine Rose premiered its upcoming Fall collection with licensed graphic tees featuring artists including Janis Joplin, Whitney Houston, The Grateful Dead and AC/DC printed on vintage fabric. West Coast sales manager Katie Meis also mentioned that the brand’s jumpsuits were the most popular item at the show.

“Our jumpsuits have a drop crotch, and I can’t tell you how many of these I’ve sold this past week,” Meis said. “We’re also doing well with our straight-leg denim, and we have this trouser denim that has an ’80s feel and can be buttoned at the bottom to provide a more tapered look.”

Monique Jure was purchasing for the Hanalei Surf Company, which operates multiple doors including Billabong and Rip Curl stores in Hanalei, a small town on the island of Kaui.

“We’re looking for new lines that no one else has. We’re looking to stay on top of trends. It’s a small island so a lot of brands overlap, but we’re looking to stand out a bit,” Jure said. “Being on the islands, we’re a little behind cutting-edge trends, but we’ve found some awesome stuff and got to connect with brands we already do business with.”