“Not everyone wants to talk to everyone,” says Baja East’s Scott Studenberg with a cheeky smile. “Some people are negative energy.” Studenberg has brought up bad vibes as a rationale for a black bucket hat dripping with glittering silver fringe that obscures the wearer’s face. He continues, explaining it would be a good thing to wear to, like, an ex-husband’s funeral. The designer has no ex-husband to speak of, but has navigated his fair share of perilous vibes since he relocated to Los Angeles and refocused his brand as a solo outfit with a more contemporary price point. Most recently, he had to contend with the fact that his pre-fall collection was temporarily lost in transit from California to New York. “The world is challenging me,” he said pseudo-sarcastically. But he’s rising to the challenge.
This season’s collection is mostly a continuation of ideas started for spring; Studenberg’s goal is to provide his customers with consistency. A draped one-shoulder silhouette that has been highly popular in stores has been extended into a range of silky fabrics, lengths, and dotted with light fringe trim. It also comes, cleverly, as a wrap skirt and as a faux-wrap, all of which are multipurpose enough to be layered on top of Studenberg’s thin cotton knitwear for the shamanic look he himself prefers, or worn with bare legs and stilettos as his L.A. ladies do.
Studenberg has introduced menswear into his offering this season, but it’s less a new category than an extension of his women’s collection. His Baja dudes are the type that gravitate toward lilac sunset pants and peppy cropped tops, while still building out a closet of knit trousers and hoodies. Also new: the color black. “It’s black in a way that’s not depressing. It’s fun...and on purpose,” Studenberg says. What this translates to is simple graphic tees, silken suiting, and the occasional sock. The black palette isn’t a signifier of bad vibes—though should you need protection his High Priestess tarot jacket will do—but an indication that Baja East 2.0 is working and its clientele is expanding. Good vibes abound.
