There’s one thing noticeably absent from the Web store of Costa Mesa-based AntiApparel LLC.
That would be surf-inspired clothes from Orange County’s biggest brands, Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc., Irvine-based Billabong USA and Costa Mesa-based Volcom Inc.
AntiApparel, which started in April, just sells clothes and accessories from small, edgy up-and-coming companies that have a lot of buzz, said Sean Brady, cofounder with partner Adam Paddock.
“We want to take risks for these small brands,” Paddock said. “The success of our site really depends on the success of each brand.”
Paddock and Brady decided to start the site after attending trade shows for apparel makers put on by San Juan Capistrano-based Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo.
The two saw “a whole bunch of little companies that had awesome designs but nobody was paying any attention to them,” Brady said.
“They get 20 no’s to every yes when they’re trying to get into a store,” he said.
Most retailers swarm the big brands, such as Quiksilver. Their clothes dominate the shelves and racks at most surfwear shops, Brady said.
“That’s when the light bulb came on,” he said.
AntiApparel seeks to carve a niche by giving small brands a chance to sell their clothes without having to meet strict terms, something bigger stores require, Brady said.
“We take care of everything and make sure they get paid,” he said.
Since all the brands are small, most can’t handle waiting 60 days to get paid, Paddock said.
“They don’t have the budgets,” he said.
AntiApparel manages the online store and shipping from its small Costa Mesa office. It’s walking distance from a slew of surf and skate brands, which comes in handy if the online store’s stock runs low, Brady said.
“If we run out we can always just run down the street and get what we need,” he said.
AntiApparel started selling two brands and now has about 17 with plans to bring on a few more.
The bulk are from Orange County, including Costa Mesa-based Factor 54, Newport Beach-based Atwater, Costa Mesa-based Monument and Costa Mesa-based Tavik Industries.
AntiApparel gets about 1,000 visitors daily, which is “small in the grand scheme on the Web,” Brady said.
About 5% of daily shoppers actually buy, which is above a brick and mortar’s average of 2% to 4%, Brady said.
“We have our brands to thank for that,” he said. “Every single week we’re seeing our numbers (rise) that much higher.”
Neither Paddock nor Brady have retail experience. The two said they’ve been learning the ropes.
It’s just them,filling orders, monitoring the site and funding the business.
They may look to hire a few workers, Paddock said.
Managing the growth is one of the site’s biggest challenges, he said.
AntiApparel may look to open an actual store where people can check out the clothes, Paddock said.
“If we can find ways of financing, that will be the next step,” he said.
