Clothing

Fashion Island has announced the arrival of two retailers set to open in late spring, according to a news release. Los Angeles-based clothing retailer M. Fredric and Beverly Hills-based macarons shop 'lette — both new to Orange County — will open in the Newport Beach shopping center. M. Fredric, which offers casual apparel for men, women and children, will open in a 4,400-square-foot space by the Iris Fountain. The French-style macaron store, 'lette, will open in a space near Nordstrom.

GREER WILDER Lululemon athletica, a yoga-inspired athletic clothing retailer, just opened at Fashion Island. It's across from Bloomingdale's. The Vancouver-based company specializes in comfortable and athletic lifestyle clothing. Choose from pants and tops, as well as casual wear and accessories. The designs feature technically advanced fabrics designed to fit all body types. Lulemon create designs specific for the needs of yoga instructors and athletes.

GREER WYLDER You can throw a girls'-night-out party at the White House/Black Market boutique at Corona del Mar Plaza. The store offers shopping parties for up to 10 of your friends. Associates act as personal stylists, while guests try on stylish clothing and accessories. Guests will receive 10% off purchases made during the party, and the hostess receives an additional $25 gift certificate. Or the group can donate its 10% discount to its favorite charity.

Orange Coast College's fashion department is offering a clothing construction class this fall. The three-unit course, Fashion 100, will be offered in two, 16-week sections. Both begin the week of Aug. 28. During the semester, students will be taught 50 basic techniques for constructing clothing, and will be assigned two sewing projects. Registration is taking place by appointment at OCC's Admissions Office. Office hours are 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Friday.

The iconic punk rock band the Ramones is the inspiration behind an art show and concert at Fashion Island next week. The exhibition will showcase Ramones artwork and memorabilia from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Nov. 8 at the clothing boutique American Rag Cie at Fashion Island. Visitors can munch on french fries and sip champagne courtesy of Café Beau Soleil at the event. The Hamones, a Ramones cover band, will provide musical entertainment. The event will launch a new Ramones-themed clothing line by Costa Mesa-based clothing company Hurley.

The Pinch, a Costa Mesa clothing boutique and art gallery, will host Kingsley Aarons of Kingsley clothing on Saturday for an art show and children's fashion event featuring disc jockey Mark Moreno. Employing art- and rock-inspired graphics, Kingsley seeks to offer contemporary clothing for children that is "fun, stylish and outspoken." Some of the brand's famous clients include Johnny Depp, Gwen Stefani and Sharon Osbourne — and Shiloh Jolie-Pitt sported one of the company's T-shirts for her first photo shoot in People magazine.

Atwater is about as down-home as any clothing manufacturer can get. The Costa Mesa-based company has a staff of three employees who design, cut and dye the clothes themselves. Still, Atwater products have found their way to Nordstrom, Sun Diego and more than 100 other stores nationwide — and for one month now, they’ll have an entire store to themselves. Or half a store, anyway. Generic Youth, a Westside boutique down the block from Atwater’s headquarters, recently announced a new program in which small clothing manufacturers can move into a space next to its property for a month at a time.

Lindsey Packer can speak from experience about the durability of vegan clothes. A glass case at the back of Humanitaire, her store at the Camp at 2937 Bristol St. in Costa Mesa, contains a pair of vegan boots that Packer has walked in all over the world — and which barely look used. In addition to shoes, the store offers shirts, belts and other clothing items, all made without a single animal product. Let’s say I’m a guy who wears leather all the time and has never heard of vegan clothing.

Derek Jaeger doesn't design clothing for shrinking violets. The name of his retail company — Pimpit Empire — is up-front enough, and the logos on his products include pistols, brass knuckles, grenades and other hair-raising images. It's urban clothing to the core, but Jaeger, who operates his company on the Westside, doesn't see it as spreading a negative message. He's into boosting self-esteem, not encouraging violence, and he even interprets his company's name differently than some people would.

With back-to-school shopping quickly arriving, we thought we should find out about the kid essentials for the new season. This week, we are checking in with Kimberly Rief, owner of the children’s boutique the Flying Pram at 1576 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa.   What are some must-have items for back to school? Tea Collection clothing is definitely a must-have for back to school. It is a causal, well-made line inspired by global fashion. Moms love it because it washes so well, and many pieces can be mixed and matched.

The mannequin in the pale gold and embroidered silk gown stands in a corner of the gallery. Her head-to-toe ensemble of the same color is highlighted by identical fruit patterns woven into her gown's delicate fabric. She also wears a cotton and taffeta French hat while toting a parasol. The display is supposed to evoke a female passenger in First Class on her way to tea aboard the R.M.S. Titanic. The gown, circa 1916, is an original outfit. The real-life woman who designed it was known as Lucile, Lady Duff Gordon.

Fashion Island has announced the arrival of two retailers set to open in late spring, according to a news release. Los Angeles-based clothing retailer M. Fredric and Beverly Hills-based macarons shop 'lette — both new to Orange County — will open in the Newport Beach shopping center. M. Fredric, which offers casual apparel for men, women and children, will open in a 4,400-square-foot space by the Iris Fountain. The French-style macaron store, 'lette, will open in a space near Nordstrom.

Cotton on Kids landed in Irvine last week, marking its first U.S. appearance from Australia. The children's apparel line, an offshoot of parent company Cotton On, rolled out its first three U.S. locations in Irvine, Brea and Torrance this month. "We are excited to open our doors to the U.S.A., and after seeing the reaction to the parent brand Cotton On, we believe the U.S.A. market is ready for Cotton on Kids," company spokeswoman Marine Cole wrote in an email. "We feel like the Cotton on Kids brand works everywhere as it is the perfect combination of fashion and affordability.

COSTA MESA - Carter's will open its first location in the city by the end of this month, a spokeswoman for the children's clothier said. The 4,100-square-foot retail space will open in the Costa Mesa Courtyards shopping center, across from Triangle Square, with a mix of clothing, sleepwear and accessories suitable for infants and children up to size 6X for girls and 7 for boys. The clothing is bright, fun, colorful and designed to engage children, said Carter's spokeswoman Miriam Pechar.

Newport-Mesa Unified school board Trustee Katrina Foley is hosting her third annual Christmas food and clothing drive next month. The holiday soiree and benefit will be from 7 to 9 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Mesa Restaurant, 725 Baker St., inside The Camp in Costa Mesa. Cocktail attire is recommended. Guests can bring canned food and coats for the Second Harvest Food Bank and various community groups, including the Boys & Girls Club. Tickets are $25 a person, with larger sponsorships available for between $249 and $1,500.

Kim Forsyth's new retail store, Plato's Closet, has been semi-open for about a month. But it hasn't been selling clothes to customers. Rather, the store keeps busy buying old clothes from customers. Customers have had a hard time not being able to buy any of the neatly organized, colorful garments, shoes and accessories — all with price tags averaging $10, Forsyth said. Girls have tried by asking to put items on hold, or even begging and pleading. When all that didn't work, the girls still wouldn't give up. "I have girls hiding stuff in the winters' department because they want to come back for the grand opening and buy it," Forsyth said.

To many newly single women, cleaning out the closet can be just as cathartic as sitting on a therapist's couch. The Divorcée Sale, which runs Friday through Sunday at the Resort at Pelican Hill, is a way for women to shed pieces of their past for a good cause. Jill Alexander, founder of The Divorcée Sale , wanted to find a way to combine her love for fashion and philanthropy with a point of transformation in many women's lives: divorce. "I've never even been married," Alexander said with a laugh.

COSTA MESA — The clothing and accessories store that made girls hip, chic and forever young at affordable prices will open Saturday at South Coast Plaza. The 43,000-square-foot, two-story Forever 21 takes up a large part of Sears' location at the center. Sears Holdings and the retailer with a cult-like following of young shoppers reached an agreement late last year that allowed Forever21 to open within Sears, while also keeping both competitive. The new Forever 21 adds to the experience and diverse retailers — from young and hip to high-end couture — offered to shoppers at South Coast Plaza, said the center's executive director of marketing, Debra Gunn Downing.

COSTA MESA — You wouldn't know it immediately, but men's apparel company co-owner Ric Cartwright incorporates metal, water, wood, fire and earth into his soft cotton shirts and hats. That's because FVSTR — pronounced "five star"— pulls from the five elements, which when combined represent a philosophy of balance. "I think that clothing should tell a story," said Cartwright, chief executive of FVSTR. "It can be a conversation starter, and it can tell you a lot about the person who is wearing it. " The Costa Mesa-based company was launched about four years ago when Cartwright noticed a negative trend emerging in mixed martial arts, or MMA. "I've always had this creative edge," Cartwright said.