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| BIOGRAPHY |
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James Perse was born in Los Angeles, California in 1972. James' childhood was split
between the beach, the hockey rink and the floor of his father's innovative Los Angeles
boutique, Maxfield. With Maxfield at the forefront of putting Los Angeles on the fashion
map, James received an incidental education on cutting edge fashion from Europe and
Asia, on modern architecture, furniture design and on the elegant and the clean-line.
Ironically, sports led James to his first foray into fashion. Obsessed with baseball caps,
he could never find one that was well designed - with quality construction, shape, fabric
and coloring. In 1991, James set out to make the ideal cap for Maxfield and it was not
long before customers became clients - film directors ordered hats for their cast and
crew and record labels bought them for tours.
In 1994 he launched a t-shirt line that rapidly gained loyal fans looking for a seamless
blend of luxe and casual. In 1996, James founded his first namesake collection of
women's knits, which soon developed into two distinctly wearable collections;
Standard James Perse for high-quality basics and James Perse Los Angeles
ready-to-wear items, including jackets, sweaters, pants and dresses. In 1998, the brand
launched an equally outlined men's collection and later, a line for babies and children.
His passion for minimalist architecture influenced by warm west-coast indoor outdoor living
and the casual clothing that's inspired by it,
ultimately resulted in James' personal design philosophy and aesthetic - low maintenance high
fashion - emphasizing elegance and comfort, pairing sophistication with simplicity. James has
applied this visionary approach in every step of defining and developing the brand.
In 2003, James Perse opened its first retail store. The retail environment acts as a medium
for conveying the company's culture, ideas and values. Today, James Perse is a global brand,
operating 12 company-owned stores, with six located in his native California and others in
New York, Colorado and Las Vegas. James Perse is also available at top specialty retailers such
as Barneys New York, Nordstrom and Saks Fifth Avenue and is sold internationally. James Perse
launched its online shopping site in 2007 reaching a broader audience. Currently,
a boutique hotel that captures the James Perse lifestyle is in development.
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