BY JANE CRYSTAL

,
I

A on g famous for a

relaxed lifestyle and
extremist trend setting,
California has never
been known as a haven for
young up-and-coming fashion
designers. Not until now, that
is.
Until recently, the West
Coast was a manufacturing
base for swimwear and junior
sportswear companies. Now a
renaissance of design talent is
emerging. California's design
community, which stretches
from San Francisco to San
Diego, is finally coming into its
own. Here is a sampling of six
of the bright new stars on the
California fashion horizon:

DAAD

Foremost among the young
and avant-garde West Coast
designers is DAAD, a
San Francisco-based company
with a novel approach to
sportswear.
On the creative end is
designer May Dajani; the firm's
business is managed by sister
Rita Dajani. Raised in Brazil
and extremely well traveled,
the Dajani sisters bring an im-
pressive international air and
cosmopolitan flavor to DAAD,
which stands for Design and

Abel Villarreal
shows a young,
baby-doll style
—high
dress
waisted, with a
short flaring skirt
and black leather
straps.