About the Company
Flawless fit. Fantastic feel. Fabulous finish. Vancouver's made-in-Brazil Dorinha Jeans Wear line of sexy, soft and supple low-rise denim creations, with The Original One Inch Zipper™ and subtle boot cut leg, hugs the body with stretch to spare for doing the limbo or lambada with equal finesse. Love My Jeans™ is the Jeanswear’s latest tagline, in affectionate tribute to the thousands of women and girls passionate about wearing “Dorinha's Jeans.”
Since launching in summer 2001 the Latin-inspired label has been a hot retail and online sell in North America and internationally, expanding its presence from two to 30 retailers by 2005, and quadrupling in sales. The company was a front-page feature in The Vancouver Sun Business section in 2002, and the label has been featured locally in The Province, The Georgia Straight and WHERE Vancouver, as well as most recently in Toronto-based Fashion 18 and Fashion Magazine Toronto. British Columbia-based retailer Bootlegger began carrying Dorinha Jeans Wear in ten of its stores last year, and rapidly expanded that number to 26.
How else to explain the success of the Jeanswear’s sizzling combination of sex appeal, fashion and comfort? Dorinha, designer of the clothing label that bears her name, says she wanted to bring some of the passion, excitement and sensuality of her native Brazil to Canada, her new home; the result is a fashion fusion of her Latin flair and a streamlined North American sensibility. Made from Brazilian cotton and manufactured in Sao Paulo, with designs inspired by the people, flavors and colors of Brazil, the jeanswear line is every inch as exotic as Dorinha herself.
A desire for uniqueness inspires her: “I follow a fashion statement of my own, what I think is sexy and comfortable to wear, what makes me happy,” she says. Her designs range from the funky and trend-aware, to the classic and downright sexy. And Dorinha designs the all-important back pockets with the derriere firmly in mind: "It's all about the bum: if it makes the bum look good, I design it," she says with a wink.
The figure-enhancing hip-huggers come in sizes 0-11 in a ring spun or ultrasueded denim finish, some with a sand brushed or “used” look, in a candy-store array of 50 designs, 15 washes and ten colors. Enough to sate the most avid fashionista! Attention to detail is evident in the buttons, fastenings, stitching and appliqués, and the Jeanswear’s complete wash-and-wear practicality is a welcome bonus.
Since launch, the Dorinha Jeans Wear label has expanded to include corduroy and stretch cotton pants, denim capris, shorts and skirts, as well as complementary women's leisurewear, athletic wear, bikini swimwear and low-cut underwear lines in high quality fabrics such as LYCRA®, SUPPLEX®, Egyptian Cotton and 100% Premium Cotton. All styles feature Dorinha's trademark torso-elongating, midriff-baring look. Most are available in a liberal selection of colors, from winter white to candy pink, brandy brown to real black.
The company's jeans remain its most “can't-stay-on-the-shelf” commodity, with the super bleach and vintage sand wash looks being the hottest perennial customer favorites. A military hunter style is proving near-impossible to keep in stock for the 2005 spring/summer season; available in four camouflage color schemes, the fastest sellers are a light green and a trendy pink.
Also for 2005 Dorinha has a new “Beach Wash” in the mix, sporting a vintage 80's blue tone and an updated acid wash look and feel, as well as a design with her actual signature embroidered on the back pocket. She plans to introduce a cropped denim blazer in the fall, and two new color schemes for the military hunter jeans: in chocolate and a unique grey.
Directions
The label's success comes from a lot of hard work, and now that the company has proved excellent form and fit are always in fashion, where do they go from here?
Dorinha plans to continue the company's retail expansion into Eastern Canada and to more locations in Western Canada, the United States and Asia, as well as establish a presence in Australia and Europe. A tandem men's clothing label, DRSX™, designed by business partner and marketing manager Dale R. Reynolds, is in the works. Direct promotional and cross-promotional events such as fashion shows, RADIO/TV and club appearances and retail signings have been wildly successful, and are slated to continue.
The company's stable of Dorinha Girls™ models have their own linked website
www.dorinhagirls.com which was launch in July 2005, and a companion informational website
www.lovemyjeans.com to the company's existing website and web store.
Origins
The Brazilian-born, petite dynamo has called Vancouver home for the past ten years, where she was initially active in the film and television industry. A long-held interest in fashion design and a trip to Brazil in 2000, as well as the desire to start her own business, sparked Dorinha to create her first pair of jeans. Within three months of returning from Brazil, Dorinha had more than 20 designs and samples, a business partner (marketing director and photographer
Dale R. Reynolds), the Dorinha Jeans Wear label, and orders from Canadian retailers Below The Belt, Off The Wall, and West Vancouver-based Hangers. Dorinha, who is the primary fit model for the company's clothing lines, initially modeled the jeans herself while seeking retail representation. She says the buyers at the three companies loved the designs right away; one went so far as to interrupt her boss in a meeting to show off the samples.
“My first clients are very special to me; they opened the doors, received me with such excitement and gracefulness,” Dorinha says, smiling. The designer also remains warmly appreciative of her supportive clientele and fans, and especially loves “Meet and Greet” sessions at promotional events: “They see a person behind the jeans I design; someone that works hard, not just an image.”
