ONES TO WATCH: OLD FAME CLOTHING

With a background working in tattoo shops, Old Fame designer Steven Esterley was originally brought on to produce exclusive designs for graphic t-shirts for the brand. Since then, he has taken over the business and has moved the creative direction to include custom prints and minimalistic designs from categories spanning sport shirts to caps.

“I draw all of my prints for my designs, but I also look to vintage pieces for inspiration,” says Esterley. “For spring/summer I used money that I had collected from all over the world as inspiration. I then drew on top of the money and rendered the print black and grey. You can see the print on the rayon Hawaiian shirt.”

Not only does Esterley produce great prints, he also works with knits, wovens, accessories and leather all of which are available at a competitive price. “All of my production, except the leathers, is done here in California,” says Esterley. “It’s awesome that I can support Made in LA manufacturing and still be able to produce and sell at a great price point.”

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A great price point indeed, at a retail of $400, this fall will see the introduction of Esterley’s new biker jacket in a hand-painted crackle wash as well as a leather parka with faux shearling for $450. Additional items include a range of knits for approximately $90 and basic tees for $66 retail, which for Made in LA is an unbeatable price.

Retailers are definitely catching on to Esterley’s offerings. Old Fame can now be found at such retailers as The Lobby in Santa Ana, CA; No Season in Los Angeles; Mildblend in Chicago; and Zebra Club in Seattle – with plans to expand into more specialty stores and perhaps a few department stores.

So what’s next for the brand? Surfboards! “Quite a few people in my family are professional surfers,” says Esterley. “By no means is Old Fame a surf brand, but it is a Southern California brand, and I feel a connection to the surfing community. So, I’m collaborating with Album Surfboards to make a stand-out board that I will have for sale online and hopefully in some of the shops I sell as well.”