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Octane and the Ongoing Success of Fashion
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FEATURE Octane and the Ongoing Success of Fashion By Katerina Petinos Considering the public’s never-ending love of fashion, it is pretty safe to say that a retailer can’t go wrong with denim. That is the case with Ort Varona, the man behind Octane, Premium 93 and LFT fashion stores. The apparel aficionado has been taking the U.S. by storm, ever since opening a 3,000 sq.ft. Octane store at the West Village shopping center in Dallas, TX during 2003.
Octane, which Varona launched with his brother, Orlando, is now looking to expand the men’s and women’s apparel chain nationwide. The company prefers street-level spaces or pedestrian centers instead of malls and the units will range from 2,500 sq.ft. to 3,000 sq.ft. Varona hopes to open five Octane stores throughout Dallas. With the success that Octane has received in Dallas, it’s no surprise that other cities have welcomed the concept. Last September, an Octane store opened at the Larimer Square in Denver, CO, while the 2nd Street District mixed-use center in Austin, TX added an Octane unit during April. Octane stores may also soon be seen throughout San Francisco and Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL; New York, NY and Houston, TX with the help of Hillwood Capital, a Dallas-based developer.
With Octane as the parent brand, the company also operates two other retail concepts as well. Premium 93 was launched during 2004 at the West Village center in Dallas, selling pricier labels and collections, such as Ted Baker, Daryl K and Wyeth. The third was introduced at the Victory Park center in downtown Dallas. The 30,000 sq.ft. store, called Octane LFT (pronounced “lift”), occupies two levels and features 13 storefront shops for individual designers. The store has leased 10,000 sq.ft. to a hair salon, an art gallery, a café and a music store. The LFT store carries lines by Eden, Z Zegna and Chip & Pepper, and offers a Malin & Goetz apothecary.
In addition to Octane, Denver’s Larimer Square is also home to a LFT boutique, which opened during September 2005. The store is actually three boutiques within one 45,000 sq.ft. space, each with its own entrance, which include Octane, offering denim clothing lines such as Chip & Pepper, Fred Perry and Robert Graham, as well as handmade European designs and men’s and women’s tops, accessories and footwear; Premium 93, the upscale designer boutique, which specializes in apparel and accessories, with labels and lines by J. Lindeberg, Miguelina and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent; and Ted Baker London, which offers men’s and women’s jackets and suits, children’s wear, shoes, sunglasses and fragrances.
Octane targets men and women ages 25 to 35. Denim accounts for half of the stores’ $2.1 million in annual sales. Other brands found on Octane’s sales floor include paperdenim&cloth, Citizens of Humanity, Ernest Sewn, Ticci Toneto, True Religion, Fred Perry, 7 Diamonds, AG for Men, Medium Shoes, Aem’ Kai and Ella Moss knitwear. For the athletic types, sportswear by James Perse, Trovata, Triple Five Soul, Notice, Joie and Tamara Catz are also available. Price points range from $50 to $550.
For more information, contact Ort Varona, Octane, 158 Express Street, Dallas, TX 75207; 214-571-9277; Email: info@octane.com; Web site: www.myoctane.com. |