New California cotton-centric staples brand Eterne fills American Apparel market gap
When LA-based stylist ChloeAmerican ApparelJuicy Couture
“[Eterne] was born out of a lack I found in the market. As a stylist, I always looked for the perfect T-shirt and other staples. Everything I found was inexpensive, bad quality, or really expensive,” she told FashionNetwork.com
The idea was to create perfect, essential pieces focused on quality and fit at a mid-range price point. It started with tanks, tees, and underwear but has expanded into more categories.
“These are the pieces you reach for daily that give the foundation of every outfit. Small
The brand recently launched Eterne Soir, day-to-evening essentials in matte jersey that scream Calvin Klein
Since launching in 2020, Bartoli says the brand has experienced organic growth, especially with the help of celebrity friends.
“Our customers are extremely loyal and make repeat purchases. When we launched, I shared the brand with friends—Miranda Kerr, Behati Prinsloo, Elsa Hosk, Georgia Fowler, Shanina Shaik, Poppy and Cara Delevingne
Adam Bernard, who founded Haute Look, co-founded the company with Bartoli. He sees the brand, first and foremost, as a textiles brand.
“The fabric development and the product quality are at the forefront of what we do; I prioritize that. When we began the brand, we forged relationships with the fabric manufacturers. All of our fabrics are proprietary. For example, I worked with a manufacturer in Italy to develop our matte jersey for our Soir collection and spent close to a year perfecting it,” he explained.
This allows the start-up to address stock replenishment. “We own a lot of the fabrics, allowing us a quick turnaround time, about four weeks from raw fabric to finished goods,” he added.
“When designing Eterne, I think of a complete wardrobe. The pieces I gravitate to in my closet are the ones that can be worn every day in a million ways. These pieces are the workhorses in your closet, and they function day-to-night,” Bartoli said.
The brand makes excellent travel wear, whether by design or organically. She recommends the cropped rib tank, biker shorts, a terry sweatsuit, the Emma skirt and Charlie button top from Eterne Soir, the maxi tank dress, and the James cashmere sweater.
For Fall 2022, the brand launched wholesale selling to niche luxury stores such as Just One Eye, Elyse Walker, and Bergdorf GoodmanSsenseModa Operandi
“The growth of Eterne has been organic, and that’s how we’re going to continue. Our focus is always going to be on essentials. But we will continue adding items and expanding categories as needed. We’re focused less on creating a lot of products and more on creating the right product: perfectly fitting, luxury, everyday essentials.”
