Big changes have played out at Irvine-based Ambiguous Industries, one of Orange County’s “buzz” clothing makers.
Ambiguous, hip among teen boys, was bought late last year by Irvine-based Ray’s Apparel Inc., which cranks out clothes with labels licensed from others.
The brand has spent the past few months reworking itself, according to Jim Stark, Ray’s president.
Ambiguous shifted some 18 workers to Ray’s headquarters, where Stark expanded to give the brand its own 4,000 square feet of office space, he said.
Ray’s, which employs about 150 workers, has some 155,000 square feet in Irvine. The bulk of the space is used for warehousing and distribution.
Ray’s Brands
The company makes and distributes clothes under licensed brands, including surf and skate lines Split, World Industries and Body Glove International USA.
It used to make clothes under contract for Irvine-based Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp., which now does its own production and distribution after New York-based Warnaco Group Inc. bought it in 2004.
Stark said he did research on Ambiguous prior to buying its trademarks.
There has been “tremendous demand for the brand over the last two to three years,” he said.
Most of the buzz was driven by cool bands, such as the Black Eyed Peas, whose members sport Ambiguous garb.
Ambiguous’ clothes include T-shirts and more fashionable jackets and vintage-style denim jeans.
“We can provide them with infrastructure,” Stark said, “things that distract young creative types from doing what they do best.”
Handling Operations
Ray’s is handling daily operations for Ambiguous, including warehousing, finance and distribution.
Ambiguous’ founder, Frank Delgadillo, continues to focus on design, his passion.
“Having a strong management and production force behind you like Ray’s allows design, marketing and sales to stay focused,” Delgadillo said. “This has allowed me to refocus the brand to its roots. Thus far it’s been with success.”
Ambiguous got its start in 1995 in Delgadillo’s dorm room at Chapman University. Music and fashion,not surfing, the seed for most other OC clothing designers,drove Ambiguous.
The company gained momentum, particularly in early 2000, as teens and twentysomethings spotted rock bands wearing Ambiguous clothes.
Local stores also pushed the line, including Jack’s Surfboards in Huntington Beach.
But Ambiguous had growing pains.
“Where they got off track, in my opinion, is when they started to be more surf, skate and snow,” Stark said.
Ambiguous dabbled in surf, even getting a surf team. Some of its early workers left the company.
Now, the company has done an about-face.
Under Ray’s, Ambiguous went back to its “roots,” Delgadillo said. The company refocused on music and fashion and has used its team skateboard riders to help give a face to the brand.
The latest advertisements feature tattooed team riders who are as much “fashion people” as athletes, Stark said.
“That’s what the kids (gravitate) to,” Stark said. “These guys have their own look.”
Plus, Ambiguous “brought back key people that were with my brand from the beginning,” Delgadillo said.
Jason Bergman, who handles music marketing and sales in Los Angeles, rejoined to help Ambiguous target bands. The company also is sponsoring an art show in Mammoth Lakes in February and March.
“This has given added energy to the team,” Delgadillo said.
Clothes Revamped
Delgadillo said he’s revamped the clothes, which he describes as sophisticated yet young. Pants and shirts have creative labels and different embellishments, such as colored stitching or fancy buttons.
“Our product will get that much better” now that Ambiguous has a “vast resource,” he said, referring to Ray’s.
The latest clothes started shipping to stores last month. The company sells in stores in the U.S., Japan, Canada and Europe.
Ambiguous wants to do more with current stores instead of adding new ones, Stark said. Customers include Tactics Board Shop in Oregon, Jack’s and Active Ride Shops, which has stores in Irvine and Costa Mesa.
One surf shop said Ambiguous has had a low profile but is popular with young men because the clothes are creative and good quality.
Ray’s strength is in helping small brands stand out, Stark said.
Ambiguous has gotten past the critical $3 million to $5 million mark, a hurdle that’s not easy for upstart labels to jump.
Stark declined to give current sales.
Focus and setting itself apart are critical to Ambiguous’ growth, according to Peter “P.T.” Townend, owner of The ActivEmpire Inc., a marketing and consulting firm in Huntington Beach.
Townend counsels OC brands, such as Irvine-based Rusty Apparel, on their marketing.
Ambiguous has to know what it stands for and “scream it out loud,” he said.
