New York designer opens first store in Century City.

Jhane Barnes, a New York-based menswear designer, has been selling her designs to high-end department stores for nearly two decades, so opening her own store seemed like the natural next step.

But while one might have expected the East Coast native to install her flagship boutique on Fifth Avenue or some other swanky New York shopping district, Barnes looked west.

To Century City, to be exact.

"I've always felt that Californians understood my clothes more than New Yorkers," said Barnes from her Manhattan office. "Which is funny because I live here. Of course, I sell here too, but California has always been our best state,"

Barnes' Jhane Barnes Inc. sells menswear to department stores all over the country, including Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. Her new store at the Century City Shopping Center marks the beginning of something new for the 43-year-old designer - a 2,300-square-foot testing ground where her new designs will be introduced.

The designer said the store, scheduled to open this week, "will definitely be a place where long-time customers could come and test my new stuff."

She chose Century City for her flagship, named Jhane Barnes, not only because it is on the West Coast, but because one of her partners, Larry Ober, believed the shopping center had the right mix of tenants.

"We're close to Bloomingdale's, and Crate & Barrel is across from us," said Ober, who will oversee the new store.

Ober sells Barnes' designs at his Costa Mesa store, Alex Sebastian. Over the years, he and Barnes struck up a friendship.

About three years ago, he said, they mulled over the idea of opening a Jhane Barnes retail store and finally decided to put the concept to the test. Two other investors are also partners in the new venture, the terms of which Ober declined to discuss.

Richard Giss, a retail analyst at Deloitte & Touche LLP, agreed that it's a good idea for known designers to get into the retail business.

"There are some very real business reasons why a designer should open a flagship store. One is to associate your brand with your intended consumer ... and another is to give the label more visibility," explained Giss.

Barnes' clothes are geared toward an upscale consumer, and are known not only for their sleek designs but for their rich and exotic fabrics.

She is one of only a few top designers whose fabrics are computer-generated. She uses software that enables her to create complex patterns on the screen. She can then send a pattern from her computer to a textile loom, which can generate a small fabric sample within about an hour.

"She works on a PC, which allows her to be very creative," said Matt Sanders, menswear buyer for Nordstrom's Los Angeles stores. "That's one of her strengths."

Her clothes, said Sanders, appeal to a male clientele that is "sophisticated, professional and in his 30s and up ... definitely an entertainment-industry type."

Suits start at $895 and could run up to $1,250. Sweaters begin at $165 and sportshirts are $125 and more. Neckwear from Jhane Barnes costs from $78 to $100.