Detailed jeans and a fine street edge sum up Mossimo’s appeal
Edwin P. Sallan, Noel Pabalete (photos)
With almost 50 stores nationwide, including a newly-opened one in TriNoMa, Mossimo’s presence in the Philippines is particularly strong in the streetwear market.
And while this US brand inspired by the casual beach lifestyle of founder Mossimo Giannulli’s native Southern California has evolved into a full lifestyle line, including underwear, eyewear, perfumes and children’s wear, the emphasis remains on jeans in general and enhancing them with metal in particular.
"We’re a pioneer in this kind of studs-in-jeans line," says Alex Bautista, division manager for retail for Promark Industries, the local distributor. "This use of rhinestones, the application of metal to our clothes, especially our jeans, is really big with our 16- to 25-year-old target market."
"Edgy but wearable" is how Alex defines Mossimo street fashion. "They’re wearable, comfortable and not just casual but truly smart casual. And we’re affordable but not cheap," he stresses.
Aside from metal, Mossimo is also big on prints and its latest collection is not much of a radical departure from what has turned out to be a winning formula over the years, featuring bold patterns and a color palette of natural hues and bright colors. Among the collection’s highlights are dark stretch skinny jeans, the combination leather and stitch jeans, the sleeveless hooded shirt with either overlap effect, blanket stitches effect or with print, the adjustable loop jeans and hooded jacket with print and raw edge detail and long-sleeved polo shirts with print and embro stitches.
The new collection is well highlighted in Mossimo’s new TriNoMa store which offers a new kind of Mossimo shopping experience. "It features a very upscale look," Alex beams. "It uses a lot of mirrors and wall panels to illuminate and create space, allowing customers to comfortably move around and get a better feel of their merchandise."
There’s a more emphasized jean wall to present Mossimo denim bottoms in a different light. Instead of the usual poster murals, there are actual mannequins that provide a slightly retro feel that’s truly refreshing. Walk-in closets, with ample hand rods and more space are the trademarks of the new Mossimo fitting rooms.
And then there’s Mossimo Rhythms, Mossimo’s own radio station that plays anything from hip hop to R & B to house and chillout music to get and keep you in that Mossimo shopping mood and groove.
And the brand is far from calling it a year yet, Alex says around three to four more stores are set to open before the year ends, a re-launch of its equally formidable children’s line is in the offing this November and preparations are already underway for a year-long celebration of its tenth year in the country the highlight of which would be a "bigger and better" Mossimo Bikini Summit next summer.
With endorsers that now include ETC host Sam Oh, up-and-coming singer-songwriter Miguel Escueta and alternative rockers Rocksteddy, the brand has, indeed, come into its own as it deftly strikes the delicate balance between seasonal trends and wardrobe basics.
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