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The best designers you’ve never heard of.

The Fifth and the Fashion
The design team at Los Angeles’s Rubbish Garb injects a diverse collection with equal doses class and trash.

Names: Julianne Kochel and Beth Wilkas
Ages: 28 and 32
Business: Rubbish Garb
Location: Los Angeles

What led you to start selling your designs under the Rubbish Garb name?
Kochel: When we first teamed up together, we were just sewing for ourselves, but we both had backgrounds in design. Beth had previously worked as a stylist; a few of her designs had even made it into Time magazine. I had crocheted bikinis, and my grandmother taught me how to sew when I was younger. We didn’t know where it was going to take us, though—at least we never expected it to take us this far so fast!

What’s it like working as a team?
Wilkas: It’s great. We definitely argue, but we’re best friends, and we work hard at being open and honest with each other. We have very similar tastes, but we each have our own new ideas and keep the other motivated. In terms of the workload, we don’t have set divisions of labor—we both do it all.

Where can we find your clothing and accessories?
Kochel: Currently we have pieces at Han Cholo, White Trash Charm, and Blank Gallery Boutique in Los Angeles, and we’re in the process of launching our own website.

Have you had any custom orders from celebrity clients?
Kochel: Yes. In fact, we created custom clothing that Jada Pinkett Smith wore on the Ozzfest 2005 tour.

Is there a particular item that you consider to be your signature design?
Wilkas: It’s hard to pinpoint a particular item because we’re always designing new and different pieces. That said, our aesthetic approach has remained consistent, and our most popular women’s items are our pants, tank tops, hand-painted jersey tees, and leather handbags.

What’s your workspace like?
Kochel: Each of us has a home studio, and we work together most of the time at one location or the other. Both of the spaces are decorated with album covers, old concert T-shirts, ’70s memorabilia, ripped-out magazine pages, vintage hot-rod pictures, and other imagery that keeps us inspired.

How would you describe the typical Rubbish Garb customer?
Wilkas: Our customers are confident, they’re seeking something different, and they don’t mind being noticed.

What do you envision for Rubbish Garb’s future—both in terms of your designs and expanding the business?
Kochel: We both believe strongly in the business and are confident that it will do well. Right now, our primary focus is on our designs. We want to expand our line before we start selling on a larger scale, but that’s definitely where we see ourselves going.

Who inspires you?
Wilkas: We get a lot of inspiration from each other, and we also admire Patricia Fields, Agatha Blois, Diesel, and Betsey Johnson. As our name suggests, we like unique styles that look somewhat trashed.

Cobra Vest denim vest with vintage patch ($175) and denim American Rubbish Jeans with leather waistband ($350).

Red-and-navy-striped Tina Harlem jersey-knit dress ($300).

Rubbish Garb’s owners, Julianne Kochel and Beth Wilkas.

Photo Credits: Justin Dawson

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