Tuesday, November 11, 2008

JWLA ~ Creative and care-free!




We are jump-starting a series of mini-essays on our blog about the designers Ella's carries. It begins with California favorite JWLA, a division of Johnny Was that was an "experiment" in 2004 - to create fun, casual T-shirts accented by stunning embroidery. Victor Tanisaka and Biya Rumar both designed this delightful line of tees, chiffon blouses, knit tunics and hoodie dresses, believing that, at the time, the market was craving "newness". Tanisaka graduated from the Fashion Industry of Design and Merchandising in 1988; 20 years later, JWLA is his favorite creation. Fiercely successful and sold world-wide to the finest stores and boutiques, including Fred Segal in Los Angeles and the Galleries Lafayette in Paris, Tanisaka has said that while the line is funky, fun and chic, it is worn by women of all ages and seen on celebrities such as Janet Jackson. Interlaced and linking the eight divisions of Johnny Was are free spirited, eye-catching embroidered details of birds and flowers, particularly shining in the hoodie dresses we carry here at Ella's Boutique. Each piece by JWLA is a work of art, the tenets of which are versatility, beauty in the details, and comfort!



The Imperial Rose Tunic-Dress by JWLA stands out in our store with its gold embroidered cranes that wind up the skirt and adorn the back, accenting a warm blue and the fuschia roses that decorate the bust and hood. What we love about this dress is the flattering empire waist, the hoodie, and how undeniably cozy it is!