San Diego, San Francisco designers cited for efforts.

San Diego, San Francisco designers cited for efforts

A designer who created underwear that doubles as outerwear and an up-and-coming San Diego apparel whiz kid won this year's Marty Menswear Designer Award, which has been presented since 1983 by the CaliforniaMart for excellence in the menswear industry.

"The award lends credibility to innovation and design by West Coast menswear designers," said an executive at CaliforniaMart, Los-Angeles' wholesale apparel mart. The name "Marty" comes from an affectionate nickname for the CaliforniaMart in the apparel industry.

According to contest rules, designers must have been in business for at least two years, but the designer's company does not have to generate a minimum yearly sales volume to be considered.

For 1991, a committee of 30 retailers and journalists presented Nicholas Graham, owner of San Francisco Joe Boxer Corp., with the top designer award and chose Walter Muroya, co-owner of year-and-a-half-old Wallace Muroya of San Diego, for the third-annual Rising Star Award. The rising star category recognizes a West Coast designer in business for two years or less who has shown outstanding potential in menswear design.

Said Joe Boxer vice president Denise Slattery: "The award does mean something to the industry and it's a great honor. Nicholas [Graham] was surprised that he received the honor."

In the past five years, Graham has successfully designed a fashion line for the times and has managed to sell and distribute it throughout the country, which "all adds to Marty," said Slattery.

In 1986, Graham, who has a graphic design background, founded his company with the idea that underwear could be used on the outside as well. So the 32-year-old Canadian native created a colorful boxershort collection that can be worn around the house, at the gym or on the basketball court. Joe Boxer's line also includes lounge wear, robes, hoisery and other items in the men's furnishing category.

Now, the private company has 40 employees and is shipping 1 million boxer shorts a year to retailers around the nation. Its fashion line sold is in Southern California at retailers May Co., The Broadway and Bullock's, Slattery said.

The other Marty winner, Muroya, was equally enthusiastic about the award. "[The Marty] gives us instant credibility. We have been picked up by four additional retail chains since we won the award and we are higher up the totem pole now," he said.

Muroya, who designs a full line of young men's clothes, has followed a unique path to success in the rag trade. After studying commercial art at a junior college in San Diego, he sold real estate and also made several real estate investments.

Then, to learn fashion design, he worked for a small San Diego women's design firm. After working there for a short time, he launched Wallace Muroya with his mother, Toshiko, using funds from the sale of a few real estate investments.

Commenting about his graphic art training, Muruyo said, "The difference between commercial and fashion design is that fashion designs have to be perfect. If you don't correct a mistake before you start sewing, it could mean hundreds of thousands of dollars to change it by the time it reaches production."

Muruyo contemporary line of suits, shirts and coats are sold to 60 or 70 retail accounts around the country.

But Muruyo has set high goals for his nine-employee firm. "I want my company to be recognized as the West Coast fashion leader."

To describe his style, Muruyo said: "People want clothes that are more wearable and that can be worn in different places with more versatility." His plans for the future include a new lower-priced, young men's line called "E," and a line of leather jackets.

He also stressed that his company is "pro-American and tries to keep the majority of the manufacturing in the United States and use as many U.S.-made fabrics as possible."

Muruyo said that because of the recession "everyone is much tighter with their money and there is more comparison shopping on all levels."

CaliforniaMart's fashion director Denise Cohen-Scher added that the Marty is the only menswear award presented in the United States and symbolizes the West Coast's leadership in the men's fashion.

PHOTO : Marty Awards: CaliforniaMart recognizes innovation