Merging both style and comfort, emerging fashion brand Talia Hancock offers unique designs with a soft feel.
Designed and founded by Talia Hancock, an Orange County local, the brand combines a Peruvian tradition with Southern California comfort and edge.
“My passion was to own a business, so to design and manufacture clothing is the perfect marriage of business and creativity for me,” Hancock says. “I get the best of both worlds: the structure of the corporate side of Talia Hancock (TH) and the creative aspect of designing collections to suit the broad demographic I feel the line reaches.”
Hancock walked the marts in downtown Los Angeles for months with samples in garment bags and a homemade book of pictures of herself in the line’s first 13 styles before getting any recognition.
“After closed doors, rejection and admittedly some jeers, a showroom took a chance on us,” Hancock says. “We debuted our first collection of the TH Basics, which is now the very core of our business.”
Every item TH produces involves an element of Peruvian pima cotton, prized for its soft and brilliant luster and durability.
“We find creative ways to add pima in styles made of other textiles,” Hancock says. “I focus the designs around classic styles with a twist, like snaps on our Thessita tee that makes it customizable, and the Alessandra top with a neckline that can be worn in various ways.”
The TH spring/summer 2014 line adds new styles, colors and patterns.
“We are introducing Fresa, a new color that is a beautiful watermelon pink,” Hancock says. “We have added more dresses and feminine silhouettes as well as more convertible pieces like the Michele snap-off pant and Micaela jacket with zip-off sleeves. This season also brought the debut of our venture into leather with Rochi shorts.”
Hancock’s favorite piece is from the TH basic line: the Camille leggings, Rana mini dress and Luciana wrap. Hancock says she finds that she wears one of those pieces in some kind of combination every day.
“The leggings are so comfortable with a zipper at the ankle and never stretch or fade out,” Hancock says. “The Luciana wrap can be worn over any TH piece and everything else in your closet, it’s just a really easy piece to wear. The Rana mini dress can be worn alone, as an under-pinning or as a tank — it will be awesome under dresses this fall and winter.”
Hancock says TH offers a versatile and often convertible and customizable product of the highest quality at an affordable price.
“We are priced up to 40% less than our competitors in the industry while maintaining strict quality standards in both fabrics and construction,” Hancock says. “Pima cotton is a truly beautiful textile that is sustainably harvested, naturally hypoallergenic and resistant against pilling.”
They are constantly looking for ways to improve what they feel are even their most perfected designs and strive to be better with every new collection, she says. But there have certainly been roadblocks.
“I can’t think of a challenge we have not faced,” Hancock says. “Our first collection drowned in a typhoon in the port of Shanghai and had to be completely remade from scratch. I think every small business has its challenges and we have been blessed to make it through every one with a better understanding of the industry.”
