Dime Piece

Dime Piece Logo tank.

Dime Piece Designs, is more than just a LA-based brand - it’s a lifestyle which aims to cater to all strong, independent women. These are the new breed of females who continue to turn heads and make a positive impact in the world. As a brand founded by women, Lauren Marie and Ashley Jones in 2007, Dime Piece aims to encourage women to stand tall and proud in a male dominated world.

According to the duo, the driving force behind the label was their unwillingness to work for the “man” from 9-5 and their obsessive compulsive disorder for women’s fashion. Ashley adds, “We wanted to make our mark in fashion and street culture with something that is original and completely our own.”

The line is inspired by a number of things, as Ashley narrates: “We’re really influenced by Los Angeles as a whole, the random things you see on Hollywood Blvd. everyday, feminists, chauvinists, the mentality of generation X and Y, pop culture, contemporary art, vintage fashions, feminist revolutionaries, and labels like Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen, Rei Kawakubo (Commes des Garcon) and Heatherette. The list goes on…”

Yes, the brand gets its name from the term men use to distinguish a beautiful, perfect 10 woman. “We mean for the term to be ironic, and to turn the perception of the word and be able to use it proudly,” adds Ashley. With this in mind, a woman who adores her Dime Piece apparel is one who makes, not follows, the rules. She proclaims her headstrong opinions through her equally headstrong yet fashionably chic Dime Piece apparel.

As Ashley puts it in her Format magazine interview, “A Dimepiece is a woman who is unique unto herself and doesn’t place herself to any categories. She’s self-governing, opinionated, knows how to work with what she’s given and is ultimately just herself.” True enough, Dime Piece is for the women who aren’t afraid of restrictions and are more than willing to their own contributions in the world.

Dime Piece brims with exciting clothes in lovely designs. The collection boasts of tanks, tees, scoop necks, sweaters, cardigans, hoodies, vests, tunics, skirts, leggings, pants - even stickers. Although living in an industry filled with a number of brands, Dime Piece never tries to be intentionally different. As Ashley puts it, “We believe in our own vision and go with it, and it works for us that way.”

Dime Piece Zig zag mini skirt.

Chicks seen in Dime Piece designs include eclectic musician Katy Perry (rocking the LA Leggings in her “Hot N Cold” video), up and coming RnB diva Katerina Graham, DJ Rashida Gonzales Robinson, and MTV Tr3s host Karli Henriquez. The label also had a collaboration for an International Summer Collection with make-up artist and stylist Mila Victorious.

Dime Piece Designs has been featured in a number of fashion magazines, including California Apparel News, Rap-Up, Reina, Pig, YRB, URB, Miss Behave, Xpoz, Sweet, ATM Worldwide, XLR8R, Two.One.Five, Nylon, Beat, and 944; and the online fashion site Fashion Indie Week Brooklyn. It has also appeared in Hezekiah ft. Bilal’s music video, “Looking up.”

So what do the patrons have to expect from Dime Piece? Well Ashley has this to say: “We’re going to be doing a specialty accessory and some other non-clothing things to sell exclusively on our site. We’re working on making every new season better than the last, just totally focused on growing, expanding and learning all that we can in the process.”

For more info about the label, visit its official page: www.dimepiecedesigns.com.