Elaine Kim

Elaine Kim is an American fashion designer born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1962 and raised in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Her career developed within the Los Angeles and New York fashion retail scenes, where she combined boutique curation, independent label development, and store-based retailing. She first became known through Ecru, a Los Angeles boutique she opened and operated with Ken Fasola in 1986. The store initially occupied a location on Melrose Avenue and later moved to Marina del Rey. Ecru presented collections by European designers including John Galliano, Dolce & Gabbana, CoSTUME NATIONAL, and Ann Demeulemeester. Its highly designed premises, created by architects Michele Saee and Richard Lundquist under Fasola's direction, received architectural recognition and contributed to Melrose Avenue's emergence as a fashionable retail destination. In 1992, Kim created Product, a womenswear label centered on streamlined wardrobe essentials. Its range included jersey slip dresses, stretch pants, and other fitted, minimal garments. Product was sold through Barneys New York, Kim's own retail operation, and other fashion channels. The label gained visibility through wearers such as Madonna and Kate Moss, helping establish Kim as a designer with influence beyond the Los Angeles boutique market. A lower-priced or diffusion line, By-Product, followed in 1994. Kim also developed Product as a physical retail concept. The first Product store opened on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1991. After operations shifted toward New York, she opened a flagship on Mercer Street in SoHo in 1996, followed by locations in NoLita on Mott Street and on Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills. By 1998, the Product business was reported to have three flagship stores on both coasts. The combination of a recognizable label, essential-focused clothing, and branded stores gave Product a broader identity than a conventional independent fashion line. Product was sold to Australian investors in 2000. After an eight-year absence from the market, Kim returned with an eponymous designer label in March 2008. The collection was described in contemporary trade coverage as smart and streamlined, positioning the new line around refined, modern womenswear rather than a mass-market fast-fashion model. Women's Wear Daily featured Kim and the collection on its July 23, 2008 cover. Publicly documented information about the later commercial development, ownership, distribution, and current operating status of the Elaine Kim label is limited. Accordingly, the brand's present business scale, retail footprint, and corporate structure remain unconfirmed.

Elaine Kim was born in Seoul, South Korea, in 1962 and grew up in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Her early professional identity was shaped by the independent fashion and retail environment of Los Angeles. In 1986, she began operating Ecru with Ken Fasola, the store's original owner and her business partner. Ecru first traded on Melrose Avenue and later moved to Marina del Rey. Rather than focusing on a single in-house label, the boutique introduced customers to European designers such as John Galliano, Dolce & Gabbana, CoSTUME NATIONAL, and Ann Demeulemeester. Ecru's architectural presentation was an important part of its identity. Michele Saee and Richard Lundquist designed the store's modern exterior and interior under Fasola's direction. The premises received several architectural accreditations and became associated with the transformation of Melrose Avenue into a trend-conscious shopping district. This experience gave Kim exposure to international designer merchandise, specialist retail, and the relationship between fashion, store design, and cultural positioning. Kim moved into label creation with Product, a womenswear line founded in 1992. Product concentrated on essential garments, including jersey slip dresses and stretch pants, using a clean and body-conscious approach. The line was distributed through Barneys New York and Kim's own retail network. Its visibility increased when Madonna and Kate Moss were reported to have worn Product designs. In 1994, Kim expanded the business with By-Product, a diffusion line intended to broaden the label's reach. Retail was central to Product's development. Kim opened the first Product store on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles in 1991. Following a move of operations to New York, she established a Mercer Street flagship in SoHo in 1996. Additional stores followed on Mott Street in NoLita and on Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills. By 1998, Product was reported to have three flagship stores across the two coasts. The stores allowed Product to function as a complete brand environment rather than simply a wholesale clothing label. In 2000, Product was sold to Australian investors. Kim then spent approximately eight years away from the market before returning in March 2008 with an eponymous designer collection. The new label was characterized by a smart, streamlined design direction and received trade attention, including a Women's Wear Daily cover dated July 23, 2008. Available reference material does not establish the later ownership, distribution, scale, or current status of the eponymous label. The documented history therefore ends with the 2008 relaunch and leaves the brand's present commercial position unconfirmed.

1. 2008Eponymous label launches

   Kim returns to the market with a namesake designer label in March, followed by trade-press coverage in Women's Wear Daily.

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2. 2000Product is sold to Australian investors

   The Product label changes ownership after its expansion into a multi-store business.

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3. 1996Product expands to New York

   After moving operations to New York, Kim opens a Product flagship on Mercer Street in SoHo, followed by additional New York and Los Angeles stores.

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4. 1994By-Product diffusion line launches

   Kim introduces By-Product as a diffusion line related to the Product label.

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5. 1992Product womenswear label is created

   Kim launches Product, a womenswear label focused on essentials such as jersey slip dresses and stretch pants.

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6. 1991First Product store opens

   Kim opens the first Product store on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles.

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7. 1986Ecru opens in Los Angeles

   Elaine Kim begins operating the Ecru boutique with Ken Fasola, initially on Melrose Avenue and later in Marina del Rey.

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Independent, streamlined contemporary womenswear with roots in Los Angeles boutique culture and designer-led specialty retail.

• ProductWomen's ready-to-wear1992

  Product was Elaine Kim's principal womenswear label, introduced in 1992. It focused on pared-back wardrobe essentials, including jersey slip dresses, stretch pants, and other streamlined garments. The line was sold through Barneys New York, Product's own stores, and associated retail channels. Its profile was strengthened by reported wearers including Madonna and Kate Moss. Product developed beyond a clothing line through dedicated stores in Los Angeles and New York before being sold to Australian investors in 2000.

• By-ProductDiffusion womenswear1994

  By-Product was introduced in 1994 as a diffusion line connected to Product. The available reference material identifies its role as a secondary line but does not provide detailed information about its assortment, pricing, distribution, or subsequent development.

• Elaine KimDesigner womenswear2008

  Kim's eponymous label launched in March 2008 after an eight-year absence from the market. Contemporary trade coverage characterized the collection as smart and streamlined. Further information about its product range, distribution, ownership, and continuation is not established in the supplied reference material.

• 2008Launch of the Elaine Kim namesake labelProduct launch

  Kim re-entered the fashion market after an eight-year absence following the sale of Product.

  What changed. She introduced a new eponymous designer collection in March 2008.

  Aftermath. The collection received trade-press attention, including a Women's Wear Daily cover dated July 23, 2008. Its later commercial development is unknown.

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• 2000Sale of Product to Australian investorsM&A

  Product had developed from an independent womenswear label into a business with flagship stores in Los Angeles and New York.

  What changed. The Product label was sold to Australian investors.

  Aftermath. Kim later returned to fashion with an eponymous label in 2008. The subsequent operation of Product is not documented in the supplied sources.

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• 2008Elaine Kim launches an eponymous designer label after an eight-year absence

  Elaine Kim returned to the fashion market with a new namesake collection in March 2008. The collection was presented as a smart, streamlined womenswear offering, and Women's Wear Daily subsequently featured Kim on its July 23 cover.

  Product launch
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• 2000Product label sold to Australian investors

  The Product label was sold to Australian investors after developing a multi-store retail presence in Los Angeles and New York.

  M&A
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1. Elaine Kim (fashion designer)
2. Elaine Kim Company website