![\"Clothes\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/Clothes.jpg\")
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Photos by Melitza Beltran.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n After years and years of empty promises and experience in the fashion industry, longtime friends Christa Bischofberger and Kristy Kalsman decided to reunite and take the plunge of starting their own company.<\/p>\n Cal State Long Beach\u2019s fashion design program introduced the girls to each other, but their similarities bound them together. Their union gave birth to Saltwater Luxe<\/a>\u2014a hybrid fashion line founded by the two, where casual beachwear meets luxury, ready-to-wear articles of clothing.<\/p>\n Since the October 5, 2015 launch of their website and introduction to boutique stores, the girls have been neck deep in Saltwater Luxe.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the next step in our careers, and it was just the time to start doing what we wanted,\u201d Bischofberger told the Post<\/em>. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to work for a junior company anymore; we wanted to create things that we were gonna wear.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a really similar aesthetic and similar taste, and we always talked about how we work really well together,\u201d Kalsman said.<\/p>\n While at different companies, they would occasionally grab dinner together. A couple of glasses of wine later, talks about their empire would surface. But it wasn\u2019t until after the birth of Bischofberger\u2019s now 16-month-old baby boy that things really began to pick up.<\/p>\n \u201cI was ready, so I told her \u2018I need your help, you gotta come on board with me,\u2019\u201d Bischofberger said.<\/p>\n On February 21 through 23, the fashion duo is set to hit New York\u2019s Axis Trade Show, where thousands of buyers and sellers will converge to build platforms and expand business. They\u2019re taking their personalized garments, which are designed to be effortless and versatile, in hopes of making a name for themselves.<\/p>\n It\u2019s the feel-good feminine, yet bohemian free-spirit, pieces that distinguish Saltwater Luxe from other brands. Because they don\u2019t limit themselves to trends, the girls draw inspiration from all of life\u2019s funny corners.<\/p>\n Yet, Bischofberger\u2019s residence in Long Beach and Kalsman\u2019s residence in Huntington Beach in particular makes a pronounced influence on the brand, according to Kalsman.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just love the beach, the easy beach lifestyle, and we just love the idea of being able to wear our clothes to the beach, to brunch and out to dinner,\u201d Kalsman said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have a kimono that can be worn over a swimsuit, or over jean shorts and a tank top or buttoned up and belted to wear when you\u2019re out at night,\u201d Bischofberger added.<\/p>\n Minimizing life\u2019s tedious moments is what these beach girls are all about.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s just how we roll,\u201d Bischofberger laughed.<\/p>\n Despite their love of the craft, they\u2019ve found that it\u2019s a lot more complicated than they imagined. Not only do they design their merchandise, as well as oversee every aspect of production from pattern-making to choosing trims, they\u2019ve also got to budget and track orders.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s just the little things when you work for other companies that you take for granted and then when you own your own company, you kind of have to take care of everything,\u201d Bischofberger said.<\/p>\n Their creations are brought to life in a Los Angeles manufacturing facility where, if they don\u2019t love the final product, they continue tweaking the design and working with the manufacturer until it meets their standards. Bischofberger converted her garage into a storage-like-unit, where they keep all their merchandize and stock orders, but the space is gradually becoming more and more crowded. Within the next month, the girls will officially move into a bigger warehouse, that will include a space for a shared office, in Long Beach.<\/p>\n Their momentum has even garnered the attention of L.A. Fashion Week, which invited the girls to host their own fashion show at this year\u2019s event. The exposure serves their goal of creating name-recognition and status.<\/p>\n The goal is to eventually introduce Saltwater Luxe to stores in Oregon, Washington, and possibly the East Coast.<\/p>\n \u201cIt becomes 99.9 percent of your life,\u201d Kalsman said. \u201c…It\u2019s just become our life, this is like our baby now.\u201d<\/p>\n Saltwater Luxe products are currently featured at Stitch and Feather in Seal Beach and the Hidden Jewel Boutique in Costa Mesa. The brand can also be found online at Saltwaterluxe.com<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"![\"KimonoBelt\"](\"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/02\/KimonoBelt.jpg\")
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