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. 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.