Fashion Heir

JAMES PERSE CARRIES ON IN THE FAMILY WAY

"I used to be known as Tommy Perse—now I'm only known as James Perse's dad," says the man who delivered the eccentric Maxfield, the first high-end couture emporium, to Los Angeles in l969. "I spent most of my life in that store," the younger Perse says, "but I wanted nothing to do with it. I was an athlete. I wished he owned a sporting-goods store." Nonetheless, James was heavily influenced by the fashion bastion. After graduating from an East Coast prep school in l99l, he returned to Los Angeles and entered the retail market by making promotional baseball caps. From there, he set his sights on designing the perfect body-skimming T-shirt. Made of butter-soft cottons, his long and short-sleeved shirts flew off shelves. His clientele begged for a more extensive line, and he delivered with an array of sweat suits, pants, jackets, and the perfect little black dress. Today, his three labels-James Perse, James Perse Standard, and Baby Jame are sold in his flagship store, on Melrose Avenue across the street from Maxfield, and at stores such as Barneys and Bergdorf Goodman. This month he opens two new stores, one in Malibu and the other in New York's West Village. While his clothes embody the Southern California lifestyle, his new outerwear line—made up of great cashmere and wool-blend sweaters and pants, and a spectacular version of the military peacoat—will appeal to the aprés-ski set. "It shows that we can move in different directions while keeping our feel and sensibility," explains Perse.

KRISTA SMITH