We met, as so many do, on Twitter. The conversation was brief, the clothing bright and envisioned by Georg Roth, a German designer selling his consumer-inspired menswear at GARYS in Fashion Island, Newport Beach.
Roth began his design career at age 16, working for a neckwear company in Germany. Years later he’s at the helm of his own eponymous brand and listening to the customer with every cut, stitch and fold. He jet sets across the country, visiting stores in Chicago, Seattle, LA, then observes exactly how his clothing plays out in real life.
“When you travel around, you meet your customers, you hear about the problems, about the positive and about the negatives,” he says. “That’s where really the inspiration comes from with new ideas because the consumers actually give me new ideas.”
There’s also inspiration to be gleaned from the German car industry, long lauded for producing some of the world’s most competitive and innovative automobiles. It’s the German automaker’s attention to detail and the excitement of a brand-new car that Roth translates into his own language spoken by way of the needle and thread. His designs are crisp, clean, boldly colored, sexy and precise.
As for that whole innovation part, Roth has embraced social media as a direct conduit to create honest conversations about his pieces. And these conversations aren’t only sincere but also impactful; a video recently made by Roth and his team about how to properly roll up a shirt sleeve in three easy steps currently sits at 483,700 views.
“[Social media] gives me the chance to interact with the customers,” Roth explains. “You can have a dialogue with them and you can invite them to trunk shows and you can express yourself.”
It’s a concept that directly adds to the nimbleness of the Georg Roth LA brand and its ability to adjust as consumer predilections dictate. And it’s exactly why these words are being written now. Our connection may have been forged across the glossy expanse of a laptop—we met on Twitter, remember?—but our fondness for this Southern California brand is all real.
Find George Roth LA at GARYS: 401 Newport Center Dr #923, Newport Beach, CA 92660
