Part of looking and feeling great is being able to express yourself through your personal style no matter what size you wear. Fortunately, Los Angeles is not only home to the biggest apparel manufacturing hub in the United States, but it’s also where some of the coolest fashion startups are hailing from these days. Without the pressure, expense and competitiveness of working in New York, these local businesses are designing on their own terms and often prioritizing ethical, local production and a sustainable personal lifestyle. Check them out below and support a local business if you can.
EVERYBODY.WORLD makes and sells thoughtful goods. Inspired by reality, people, cultures, science, history, and life. They approach design and manufacturing as a new frontier–conscious of Workers, Ecology and Ideas. To them, that means leading with creativity and ensuring our production is always ethical and as earth-friendly as possible.
JESSE KAMM is most well known for her line of casual pants but the collection on the website of casual, easy to wear clothing is great for LA or world travel. Her philosophy is “I choose to live simply so that I can travel, and spend as much time in the sea as possible. We all choose how to allocate our resources, and I choose to save mine for leisure, because that is what makes me happy. My life is luxurious, but not in the way most people see luxury. It is luxurious because I have freedom, and for me, freedom is wealth.”
CALLE DEL MAR The Calle Del Mar line was founded in May 2014 by California native & New York Trained designer Aza Ziegler. CDM draws influences from 60’s & 70’s surf/skate culture and vintage USA made athletic wear. After receiving her BFA in Fashion Design at Pratt Institute Ziegler gained attention for her effortless silhouettes, contagious use of color. In 2015 Ziegler received a “Young Entrepreneur Award” from the Brooklyn Fashion & Design Accelerator and the city of New York for her positive impact on the Industry. The products are produced in women owned factories, entirely in the United States. CDM strives to keep the working conditions of their sewers safe, fun & happy!
RAQUEL ALLEGRA Born in Berkeley, CA to artisan parents, Raquel Allegra’s formative years encouraged a creative process of instinct, experiment and play. Raquel’s design career grew naturally with the origination of a shredding technique synonymous with the namesake label. Full length webbed cocoon shapes evolved out of laborious experiments with oversized vintage tee’s recycled from the Los Angeles County Prison System, and informed a new informal beauty within the industry. 2009 marked a maturation for the brand as the collection expanded from Raquel’s trademark shredded tees to include richly textured pieces in deerskin, linen, cashmere, and French lace. She continues to be inspired by strong women of all ages and different walks of life.
CALDER BLAKE Calder Blake is a line made up of pieces centered around designer Amanda Blake’s idea of creating beautiful, simple things–made to last. Inspired by designers and artists such as Nakashima and Arp who studied the spirit of a material and designed with this in mind. These artists used natural mundane materials such as wood, steel, clay and transformed the into pieces that have lived with us through the years. Calder Blake is built upon this ethos and is a line of beautiful understated clothing crafted from simple cotton jersey that will live in your closet for years to come. As Nakashima chose his wood wisely in crafting his furniture, so has Amanda in choosing the finest cotton jersey that is made in the United States. Calder Blake is accented by other natural fabrics that create a quiet, balanced and classic line made in California.
LILY ASHWELL Lily launched her eponymous clothing line in 2012 with a small collection of vintage inspired dresses + workwear. Aiming to create a collection of wardrobe staples made with integrity, balancing delicate vintage nostalgia with modern + wearable shapes. This original ethos continues to be the core of her design process.
