Elmer Ave

Collin Pulsipher catches raindrops on his tongue while hanging out at the Compound. At left are some of the vintage clothes that will be molded into one of Elmer Ave’s finished products.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Jonny Day, left, and Ward Robinson.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

“If you put Robert Smith of the Cure on a rusty pirate ship with a leaky ceiling and no lights and he was freezing and crying — that’s basically what this is,” designer Ward Robinson says. Here, one of the pieces that will be shown at Elmer Ave’s Smashbox debut.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Ward Robinson at the Compound.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

A mirror reflects Collin Pulsipher, standing. Much of the Elmer Ave line — from the slim-cuts to the way the paint catches the light — has been influenced by the group’s experience as rock musicians. “The short-sleeve, short-tailed tuxedo shirt came directly from playing in a band,” Pulsipher says.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

The Elmer Ave logo.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

Until a year ago, Elmer Ave consisted of only custom reconstructed jackets, shirts and vests. And its renegade formalwear came with a steep price tag: Jackets start at $1,200. Though they proved a hit with celebrities and rockers, it limited the line’s appeal. Now, the group produces a broader line from scratch, making more pieces and selling at lower prices.  (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times)

“The production line is wearable for a much larger crowd,” Jonny Day says. T-shirts start at $75, button-fronts at $175, vests at $200 and jackets at $450.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)

The new Elmer Ave collection is a brooding assortment that includes slim-fitting goth/English schoolboy blazers in purple velvet and emblazoned with crossed battle axes, vests with crosses and Union Jack-like designs and tuxedo jackets sporting handgun designs on the front and a broken heart with a bullet hole through it on the back.  (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)