I have fallen in love with designer t-shirt company Alp-n-Rock. The collection is the resulting product of Los Angeles meets Switzerland – mixing edgy alpine designs and European aesthetic with the casual, laid-back comfort of California.
The designs draw inspiration from the glamorous alpine resorts of Europe- St Moritz, Zermatt and Gstaad, where fashion is as importation as sport and comfort and style go hand in hand. The attitude however is very LA rock-n-roll. Bold, sexy and just a bit twisted, Alp-n-Rock is out to redefine the designer t-shirt.
Alp-n-Rock is owned by Swiss born, now California resident Susanne Reich. She worked for a Swiss apparel company in her 20s and came up with the idea for her own clothing company while hiking in the Swiss Alps. Susanne self-financed the startup money needed to create her first line of t-shirts a few years ago and now has a full collection of men's and women's designer t-shirts, tanks and polos.
The women's and men's t-shirts are fully reversible and made from an exclusive two-ply fabric of 75% cotton and 25% recycled polyester that looks different on each side . All shirts feature original artwork by commissioned artists including details such as leather patches, embroidery and hand stitching. Each piece is manufactured in Los Angeles in limited quantities in order to create a truly unique item of clothing.
Susanne also created Alp-n-Rock as a vehicle to raise funds for various philanthropic endeavors. The company with donate 10% of profits to Room to Read, a organization that funds girl's education in developing countries around the world.
Prices range from $85 for the tank up to $260 for the long sleeve t-shirts and can be ordered from the company website. Not exactly cheap, but better than paying the same price for a plain t-shirt from Juicy Couture, Helmut Lang or some other high fashion designer. Plus you will not only look cooler, but help people in the developing world rise out of poverty at the same time.