YAYA

YA-YA is one of the hot design companies to come out of the Los Angeles fashion scene.  Although the company's been around for a while (since 1997, making it practically ancient for a hipster clothing company), the fashion sensibility is essentially young. YA-YA's founder, Yael Aflalo, has yet to reach the age of thirty herself, and she employs a group of designers and craftspeople just as young as she is. 

You can get a feel for the youthful edge of YA-YA's designs by reviewing the list of emotions they're created to express:  unrest, happiness, dysfunction, and lust.  Not surprisingly, the company comes out with some very sexy designs for young women living a trendy urban lifestyle.  Also not surprisingly, Aflalo got her big break from Fred Segal's trendsetting buyer Jon Eshaya, who so often has his fingers on the pulse of what the young and hip in LA want to wear. 

The company cares about more than the hip quotient in its clothes, though--it pays attention to quality, too.  According to the company itself, YA-YA likes luxury fabrics like silks, cashmeres, corduroy, and even canvas.  Designs concentrate on wearability and flattering cuts.  Hot items from YA-YA have included foldover pants, sumptuous sweaters, studded tanks , and halter dresses. 

Offline, YA-YA clothing is generally carried by select boutiques and sometimes department stores. Although cutting edge and youthful, YA-YA's designs are not inappropriate for a day at work.  In fact, the company prefers to bring an air of sophistication to its clothing by not overdoing the bling factor.