Headquartered in the California Market Center, the Los Angeles based Coin 1804 is all about fusion and teamwork. Its founders are husband and wife duo Garsi Lee and Phillip Kim whose talents for design and business, respectively, are the perfect balance for this exciting niche brand.
With an education from Parsons Design School and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, Garsi is the creative force of the team. With the joint force of her husband Phillip Kim, the team created their own label, naming it after the concept of “cotton innovations” shortened as COIN and their respective birthdates 18 and 04. Together, they have designed a collection of women’s tops in the finest quality domestic cotton fabrications, mixing cotton with woven fabrics to create a unique, yet subtle detail in their tops. Their showroom is also a space of collaborations. It promotes sustainability with its vintage décor such as the salvaged chandelier and room divider but the room is also garnished with a custom designed, iron-welded structure made by Phillip himself.
COIN 1804 not only contributes to the local economy by manufacturing the entire collection in the USA, but also promotes awareness to preserve nature and the ecosystem. Their tops, designed with original artwork by Phillip, are printed with nature motifs such as trees and animals. More specifically, COIN 1804 designed limited one-of-a-kind cotton tees to support the Save the Whales campaign and save the wildlife campaign during the recent, devastating oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Since its launch, the label has been a strong sell through for its precise blend of classic timelessness with on-trend details and accessible price points. Available at retail from $25 to $110 in over five hundred specialty boutiques nationwide such as Fred Segal, Nordstrom, as well as in Asia, Canada and South America. With plans to develop further into a full-on collection, COIN 1804 is fast becoming fashion’s new must-have brand.