Irene Kasmer to Launch Retro Line
Veteran fashion designer Irene Kasmer of Los Angeles is launching a new collection of vintage-style womenswear under the Irene Kasmer Retro label beginning next fall. In addition, Kasmer plans to license a line of accessories—including footwear, handbags and hats—to various companies.
The designer will bring back signature styles such as her hip-hugger pants from 1957 and five-way blouse from 1967 as well as beach and Hawaiian-themed outfits.
Kasmer became known for these styles while producing her own label from the 1950s to 1990s. In recent years, she has been consulting and free-lancing as well as trying to get a fashion museum built in Los Angeles to house her enormous collection of vintage fashions. She will donate 10 percent of the proceeds from her latest collection to fund the Museum of Fashion Designers & Creators.
Kasmer said she will limit the production volume and distribution of her retro collection. She plans on having the collection ready in time for the next Los Angeles Fashion Week, which will run from Oct. 31 to Nov. 4. Her daughter, Lauren M. Kasmer, will serve as co-designer for the venture.
“We’ll be offering original prints,” Kasmer said. “We hope to attract the original hip-generation customer and their offspring.”
For more information on the collection or the museum, call (310) 395-5925.
—Robert McAllister
