This fashionable new line blends old Hollywood glamour with a contemporary twist.
It seems like everyone and their dog is coming out with a clothing line these days, making it harder and harder to find that diamond in the rough -- especially in L.A., where it's commonly thought the West Coast's contributions to the fashion world are negligible at best. But said naysayers probably haven't come across three-L.A. yet.
Kristin Knauff, the head designer behind three-L.A.'s chic frocks, started her career in San Francisco doing the stylist thing before transitioning to the retail thing, focusing on management and buying. But long before that, Knauff became well versed in the thrift store game -- so much so that the buyers at the store came to know her by name.
"That's pretty much when I knew I had a good eye and that I wanted to open a store and buy for the ladies on a regular basis," Knauff says of the launch of Apartment Three. But it was her experiences in the store that led to the creation of her brand spankin' new line.
"Our customer is based on the ladies who shop at the store," she says. "They look for clothing that is different and well made. They all have their own unique sense of style. She likes to have key classic pieces in her wardrobe that she can wear forever as well as trendy pieces she can add on that can create an entire look. She mixes vintage with new and never buys an entire look off the mannequin."
It would be hard to think of three-L.A.'s designs as being the type of cookie cutter clothing you see on mannequins. Some of the more memorable pieces of the spring line include the ascot dress, of which the ascot is mobile, giving the wearer a multitude of options depending on their mood -- a detail Knauff predicts will make it the stand-out of the line. The button-up high-waisted skirt is double layered, giving a unique twist to a classic look. The perfect denim tee isn't something you'd think you'd need, until you see it in action and realize your wardrobe isn't complete without it. And that's just scratching the surface. Look a little closer, and you'll realize how much effort went into each garment.
Says Knauff, "The biggest challenge in creating the line was getting the fit down. Sometimes when you want to use a particular fabric it doesn't work at all with the design so you have to try several different things to make sure the fabric, design and fit all work well together."
It's clear that Knauff intended to create a line that -- while springy -- transitioned through seasons, which matches her philosophy of layering clothing in spring to help bridge the gap between warmer days and cool nights. "My spring style is a mix of high-waisted jeans and skirts, tops that are easily layered and light weight, button up jackets that I can wear when it gets colder at night and cute vintage dresses," she says. "What I wear (especially during the day) has to be equal in style and comfort. It doesn't look good if you have on a fabulous outfit or a pair of shoes that you can barely walk in. We've all experienced that before and it's not cute."
But now you know what is -- three-L.A.
For more information on three-L.A., visit them online at http://www.three-la.com or at the apartment 3 boutique, located at 813 N. La Brea Ave.
