Cristi Conaway Los Angeles
It all started with a knit scarf. Cristi Conaway spent years slugging it out as a young actress in Hollywood, knitting scarves behind the camera for her girlfriends, before she was discovered for her design talent and parlayed her knack for knit pieces into a fulltime gig.
“I was shopping at Ron Herman–Fred Segal Melrose [in Los Angeles], when a women’s buyer noticed my scarf and offered to sell some of my pieces,” Conaway said. “They sold out immediately.”
Conaway launched her eponymous cashmere and wool collection two years ago. The line, now manufactured in China, has grown to include 40 pieces. For Fall 2004, Conaway added bright and sexy knit tops, including front-tie sweaters, open-neck ponchos, openweave chunky wool sweaters, cable vests with contrast stitching, and long-sleeved shirts with metallic detailing.
The line offers a mix of basic and fashion-forward sweaters. “Retailers like it because it’s luxurious and simple, but customers like it because they can dress it up and still look sophisticated,” Conaway said.
Wholesale price points range from $60 to $250. The line is carried at Ron Herman–Fred Segal Melrose and at Scoop and Bergdorf Goodman in New York. Fall 2004 deliveries will run from July 30 through Oct. 30.
Conaway is planning to add silk chiffon dresses and tunics and cotton pantsuits to the line. The designer is also preparing to launch a men’s cashmere sweater line called Cristi Conaway M.
Call (310) 854-0700, or visit www.cristiconaway.com for more information. —Claudia Figueroa
