By Joseph Pastrana
The way to the future of branded merchandising is through Doheny Drive, a new Los Angeles-based apparel design and manufacturing company that checks all the boxes of what anyone and everyone needs to provide ancillary merch for their imaging and promotional needs. Its vertically integrated white label operations provide quality knit garments to a range of business entities and marketing activations – from fashion labels, concert tours, conventions and special events to hotels, museums, universities, restaurants, clubs and more.
“We’re excited to bring this next level wholesale production of merchandising and promotional apparel with a commercial appeal to modern consumers,” says Doheny Drive CEO Henry Viens. A significant aspect of their line is the ethically responsible and sustainable production capabilities that deliver a wide range of knits across multiple market categories.
The market demand for eco-friendly fabrics and sustainability has only been exponentially growing since the increased awareness of global warming and the importance of environmental responsibility in consumption. The Organic Trade Association reports that organic cotton production increased by approximately 10% while the knitted fabric market was valued at close to $56B during the pre-Covid lockdown. Research valued the Global Eco Fibers Market at $50.8B in 2021 and is projected to reach $81.1B by 2028. Market research in the meantime estimates that the womenswear segment should gain $162B of global annual sales by 2025. The growth in the apparel manufacturing market is coming from young consumers and this is where Doheny Drive is finding peak demand.
Activities by concert tours and popular music artists and events have been particularly increasing. Viens agreed, “We created the VIP merchandise for Swedish House Mafia. And we realized that companies have this excellent opportunity to extend their branding message with items that stand apart from the average merch you can find anywhere.” On the design front, their West Coast base also influences the laid-back aesthetic of its items which are named after LA landmarks: Bel Air hoodies, Topanga Ts, Sunset racer tanks and more.
Growth in the sector of wholesale private garment label production has been fueled by the need of many companies and organizations that don’t have the time or investment capital to set up their own manufacturing and labor force. And fewer still are those that have any idea how much product development can take in terms of time and financial resources. But all of them know that even with the advantage of having an already established image, more can be achieved by extending that built-in recognition with items fans and consumers take home with them and wear out in public for months and years to come. The question is how to find the right company to produce the kind of items that can represent the brand with quality, dependability of on-time delivery and cost-efficiency to produce healthy profits. Doheny Drive has found the way.
The most common route taken by many companies is off-shore production because, on the surface, labor costs are attractive. But these are usually accompanied by unreliable deliveries, different legalities in different nations, uneven quality and even miscommunication due to possible language barriers. By manufacturing in Los Angeles, Doheny Drive avoids all those issues. And with its vertically integrated manufacturing, it can provide consistent quality assurance at all levels of the design and production cycle.
Another key advantage is Doheny Drive’s management by outstanding professionals who have all had extensive industry experience across various fields. CEO Henry Viens has been responsible for launching a leisurewear collection using premium domestic fabrication. He earned his bona fides during his tenure at Bolthouse Productions under mentor Brent Bolthouse and at William Morris Endeavor/IMG music division. His extensive experience encompasses fashion, entertainment and art, as well as working with major talents and brands like Levi’s and Lollapalooza. Head of Textiles and Engineering, Liza Perez is responsible for staying ahead of current advancements in domestic and international raw materials and textiles, and for overseeing partnerships with mills and the production process. Brand and Product Manager Othman Omar is a co-founder, who dedicates over a decade of his previous work to Doheny Drive by successfully developing e-commerce, brand marketing and product development for clients.
In terms of sustainability, Doheny Drive uses raw materials sourced from leading U.S. cotton suppliers that conform to strict standards of fair trade, environmentally-friendly practices and energy efficiency. No-waste knitting methods efficiently produce material of various weights including fleece, custom ribs, jerseys, French Terry and more.
The company offers its partner brands a wide array of the very latest styles in custom-developed colors according to official Pantone codes and not open-market fabrications. Each style is also available in Prepared for Dyeing (PFD) blanks that are organically processed using recycled water at the best dye houses. Its in-house capabilities can execute elaborate embroidery and screen, digital or direct-to-fabric printing. Each item from Doheny Drive undergoes rigorous testing for an excellent fit, pre-shrinkage, resistance and merchandise consistency to ensure the finest standards of quality and durability.
“The world is changing and working with brands that understand that and know what their consumers are looking for is something we’re passionate about,” added Viens. With sustainable practices, advanced production capabilities, dynamic designs and cost-effective pricing, it looks like all roads lead to Doheny Drive.
