ENTREPRENEURS
For a second there , it seemed as though the pandemic ’ s grip on business was choking fashion into a sweatpants-clad coma . In 2020 , many forecasters predicted a stalling of style , a demise brought on by the universal embrace of athleisure . But like many mindsets that shifted during COVID-19 , fashion too was just repositioning itself . Americans still ordered a lot of new clothing while wearing sweatpants , and according to data insights firm NDP , the U . S . apparel industry has gained momentum over the last year . In 2021 , the industry brought in “$ 246.2 billion in revenue … an increase of more than $ 61 billion versus 2020 , and the highest dollar volume generated in more than 10 years .”
So the fashion industry is growing , but in what direction ? The answer is murky , and not only because of the uncertainty stirred up by COVID-19 . The spectrum of styles is expanding in disparate directions . Just as the superabundance of niche streaming services obliterated our once-shared foundation of network television , the hyperspeed of digital trends has transported us to a universe of possibilities .
This broadening taste is apparent on a regional level too . Ask the Capital Region ’ s fashion community their opinions of the area ’ s style and you ’ ll get a wide cross-section of answers — “ casual ,” “ hipster ,” “ eclectic ” and “ changing .”
“ I don ’ t think it ’ d be fair or accurate to say Sacramento has one specific style or vibe ,” says Lacadia Johnson , owner of Cuffs , the 18-year-old boutique in Midtown Sacramento . “ In fact I ’ d say it ’ s more eclectic or varied in that way than a lot of other cities . A signature style , if we ever land on one , is most certainly still in the making .”
Retailers embrace the hyperlocal — and the internet
Johnson remembers when Sacramento was woefully behind the times . When she first opened Cuffs , a retail store selling trendy women ’ s clothing in 2004 , e-commerce wasn ’ t yet pervasive and social media wasn ’ t the envy machine and marketing behemoth it is today . ( Instagram and the style-centric social platform Lookbook . nu , where bloggers would post photos of their outfits , wouldn ’ t start influencing consumer habits until around 2010 ). Trends would eventually trickle down once they ’ d been mass-manufactured through commercial retail and pop culture .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ d be fair or accurate to say Sacramento has one specific style or vibe . … A signature style , if we ever land on one , is most certainly still in the making .”
LACADIA JOHNSON owner , Cuffs
Now , Sacramento style moves at a hastened clip . Johnson reflects on the change she ’ s seen since those early Cuffs days : “ I ’ d say a lot of style genres that I used to see when buying in L . A . or visiting other big cities were slow to come to Sacramento but are pretty prevalent now . It ’ s fun to see more experimental style developing here .”
Situated on Midtown ’ s J Street , Cuffs originally drew clientele via foot traffic , but Johnson currently counts Instagram as “ the principle driver for online business .” Web sales became a significant contributor to Cuffs ’ success in recent years , especially since the pandemic . Johnson takes pride in being one of the block ’ s “ long-standing mainstays ” and hopes the neighborhood will return to its pre-2020 stride . “ Pre-pandemic , the block was filled with small businesses … and it ’ s thankfully , slowly but surely , getting back to that level of saturation ,” she says . In spring , Johnson moved Cuffs to a more visible storefront on J Street that shows off the store ’ s merchandise .
Johnson ’ s longevity is based partly on her own style instincts ; her strategy has always been to model Cuffs ’ target customer after herself . “ When I was in my 20s and bar hopping , my collection reflected that . As I ’ ve matured , so has the collection , and so have my customers … which is nice because honestly , everyone has a little more buying power in their 30s and 40s .”
Cuffs ’ boho aesthetic has held up for nearly two decades , but streetwear has maintained an even longer hold on the Capital Region . One of Sacramento ’ s oldest streetwear brands , Getta Clue , celebrates its 30th anniversary this July . Its designs include T-shirts and hats with hometown-centric messages like “ Sac Skate ” and “ Sacramento Versus Everybody .” Now headquartered at Arden Fair Mall after moving their boutique from Downtown Commons last month , owners Justin Bilbao and Scott Gilbert opened their store first on Broadway in 1992 “ before it was even called streetwear .” Sacramento ’ s streetwear scene has expanded since then and now includes brands like All Good , Official and Lurk Hard .
Bilbao describes the classification as a confluence of music ( emceeing and DJing ), art , fashion , skate culture and graffiti . “ We were kind of part of the graffiti scene in the very early years ,” says Bilboa . “ A lot of those people were our customers , and a lot of the brands that originated came from that culture .”
This symbiosis is the crux of their success . They collaborate with local artists on clothing designs , share their work on the walls of the store , and host
88 comstocksmag . com | July 2022