There’s a New Girl in Town! Say Hello to Rappi Palm Springs!
What does a brand re-invention look like? For the Southern California apparel brand, Rappi, it’s about bringing a classic name back to life, with a twist.
So who is the Rappi Gal?
“She is fun-loving, fashionable and enjoys everything Palm Springs has to offer. Rappi is featured on our collection of graphic tees showcasing the Palm Springs lifestyle. Each month look for new tees as Rappi engages in all Palm Springs happening events.”
Bill & Grace Kallish have design in their blood — Grace’s mother had a long successful career as a designer, working 20 years for Leon Max. Bills Grandfather owned and operated a dress company where the designer Sydonia Rappaport Samalman worked and created the label “Rappi”. Rappi dresses were very well known in the 1950s and now today are considered a valuable vintage find. Rappi garments were impeccably made and original styles are still worn today.
Rappi’s rich fashion history inspired Grace to partner with her husband Bill Kallish to carry on the family tradition, paying homage to Sydonia Rappaport.
Sydonia Rappaport Samalman
Bill and Grace Kallish have spent their entire careers working in apparel. Grace started working retail sales in Los Angles, then selling wholesale textiles and most recently as a sales rep for major swimwear labels including Nike, Robin Piccone, Bleu by Rod Beattie, Raj, and Cole of California. Through her work, she has traveled extensively for sales meetings, trade shows and appointments with major retailers, giving her broad experience in working with buyers, retailers and in customer relations.
Bill also started his career in retail sales but on the opposite coast of NYC. He was promoted to Merchandiser which lead to a position in Los Angeles where he became the Head of Textile Sales (which is where he met Grace!) and eventually opened his own business selling wholesale textiles & private label to the garment industry.
When they set out to put their own spin on the Rappi name, they created a character — Rappi— a fun, stylish girl who lives the Palm Springs lifestyle to its fullest. Rappi is featured on their collection of illustrated t-shirts.
Why Palm Springs?
“Bill and I had been a part of the crazy Los Angeles apparel industry for many years and decided to make a change. We vacationed in Palm springs on many occasions and watched it evolve into an international resort destination and thought this may be a fun place to live. The decision was made… We packed up the dogs and cat and started our adventure!”
For Inside Fashion Design readers: a Black Friday discount! 20% off November 28th-December 2nd. Discount Code BFCM20% https://rappipalmsprings.com
In this live interview on Purpose from Evertalk TV, Grace talks about her experience in sales, gives her career advice, shares their family history and carrying on the tradition of design. Evertalk’s “Purpose” show: https://www.evertalktv.com/programs/purpose
Rappi pivoted from dresses to illustrated tees. We love seeing where a refreshed brand heads next! What other old names have been made new again? Which long-lost brands would you love to see brought back —and how different might they look?
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