Retrograde
For John Bernard, co-designer and president of 26 Red, the best place to be early on a Saturday morning is a swap meet.
That’s where he goes to add to his collection of old gas cans and station signs, blown-glass bottles and, especially, used clothing. He wanders the rows of vendors for ‘70s-era sweaters with horizontal stripes, velour pullovers and polyester pants.
“Vintage cruising†ultimately feeds the insatiable demand for retro-inspired fashions among Southern California’s young surf-skate-street crowd. Their attachment to clothes their parents now find repugnant keeps dozens of designers like Bernard on the prowl.
He typically hits the meets at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena and the Long Beach Veterans Memorial Stadium. Unlike the regulars seeking used clothes and knickknacks to cultivate an alternative style for their wardrobe or homes, Bernard has parlayed his love of old things into a small clothing and accessories empire.
“I look at what other people are wearing, and I buy clothes that we convert into our line,†he says.
Many of the styles in 26 Red’s spring collection look like direct descendants of the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s, but with a ‘90s twist. Bernard pulls out a V-neck sweater in royal blue with horizontal stripes in olive, lime, cream, yellow and other earth tones. “This is straight out of the ‘70s. We just changed the colors,†he says.
For fall, 26 Red created a group of “Downhill Racer†ski sweaters, with stripes across the middle. They sold out so quickly that the Irvine company did similar short-sleeved striped knit tops for summer.
Polyester shirts in shiny geometric prints, bowling shirts, yarn-dyed velour, striped pullovers and boucle knit shirts with horizontal stripes also owe their kitschy style to swap meet originals.
A pair of ‘70s-era tennis shoes discovered in a thrift store were reinvented in hot hues of the ‘90s like egg-yolk yellow with black stripes or a light blue and rust combo for the footwear line, 26 Redtred.
“Everything is about taking yesterday’s looks into today,†Bernard says. There’s enough material for a junior line, 26 Redsugar, and a group of watches, 26 Redtic, as well. (All the lines are licensees that fall under Bernard’s umbrella company, Spot International, which projects sales of $32 million for ’96.)
The name 26 Red came from a racehorse.
“I was driving down the street and the results from a horse race [at Santa Anita] came in on the radio. I heard 26 Red, and I liked it. It stuck in my mind.â€
While many fashion watchers believe the retro craze is over, Bernard, 34, expects to set his alarm on Saturday mornings for years to come. “Retro will always be there. It might have to be interpreted differently. We might do retro stylings and do them in super shiny fabrics,†he says. He shows off 26 Red wallets with holographic prints as one example of futuristic fashion.
“We’re three years from the year 2,000, and we have to start thinking space age,†he says.
