Forecast Calls for Thunder : New Label for Young Men Would Like to Remain Somewhat Unpredictable

Reporting on an apparel company--or any other topic, for that matter--requires some pigeonholing for convenience. Categorizing it can instantly distinguish a product or the people behind it.

But as a young men’s line located in the middle of Orange County’s multimillion dollar action sports industry, Thunder Bros. fights categorization.

Don’t call the year-old, Costa Mesa label street wear, which connotes trendy togs with an attitude. It’s not surf or skate wear either.

Thunder Bros. designer Donn Kealoha, 28, and his partner, John Fearnley, 26, don’t want to be limited by any one market.

If you have to use catchwords to describe Thunder Bros., “classic,” “timeless” and “American” would work.

“The intent is to design stuff a guy could have worn five years ago or could still wear five years from now,” says Kealoha.

The fall collection, which sells for $20 to $150, is filled with basic favorites.

Pants and shorts are cut from velvet-like brushed twill and brushed canvas, which have been silicone washed for a soft touch. Shirts feature waist vents with a button detail, double twill tape on the sleeves or a welt pocket with a zipper.

The ‘50s-inspired Cadillac shirt features one of four embroidery treatments: an atom symbol, a martini, a hula girl or a hot rod.

There is a jacket for every temperature. The Montana is based on a vintage cowboy coat cut from plaid wool and lined with quilted acetate. The lumberjack and car coat models, also in wool, are as comfortable as an old flannel shirt. The band-collared Steelwerker jacket is built to last in chocolate suede.

Besides ball caps, Thunder Bros. has driver’s caps in nubby and flat wool, plaid newsboy caps, double knit beanies and felt fedoras--”a hat for every serious Dean Martin fan,” as it’s described in the company’s catalogue.

“We made a conscious effort not to be so [baseball] hat and T-shirt oriented,” says Fearnley. “We have them in the line, but it’s not how we see our company.”

The company’s name doesn’t appear like wearable billboards on the clothes. “We’re not logo-driven,” stresses Kealoha. The attitude spills over into the collection, which is subtle, well-constructed and far from faddish.

An American pop icon logo is featured every season. The spring collection displays the circle from Lucky Strikes cigarettes and Hoover sweeps up in fall.

A Vargas-style pinup also stars each season.

Photo screens feature heavyweight boxing champ Benny Leonard, who dominated the ring from the ‘10s through the ‘30s, as well as Kealoha’s granddad, Al Correia, who is parked on a vintage BSA bike.

Kealoha and Fearnley raid thrift shops for inspiration, and they surround themselves with furniture and housewares from the ‘40s and ‘50s. Outside their office sits Kealoha’s 1951 Ford truck.

The two were introduced through work that was supposed to be temporary. Kealoha left Hawaii after graduating from high school to study communications at Orange Coast College. He planned on a career as a television camera operator, but a surfing sponsorship with Victory wet suits led to a shipping job in the company, followed by a stint in production and eventually every department, including design.

He was invited to join Billabong in 1989, where he again worked up the ranks to designer.

“I’m purely self-taught,” Kealoha admits. “My fashion design sense comes from my grandmother. We used to go shopping and check everything out.”

Fearnley took a part-time position in quality control at Quiksilver in 1987 while studying environmental health and planning at UC Irvine with his sights set on a job in municipal planning or consulting. At the time, he recalls, the rag trade was just a way to earn some extra cash.

But he was promoted to overseeing production details, from fabric washing to logo embroidery. Three years later, he moved to Billabong, becoming a merchandiser and technical designer.

Kealoha left Billabong and in 1992 opened the Gas Haus Cafe in San Diego’s downtown district. Fearnley took on some of Kealoha’s responsibilities at Billabong and continued working in the production department until last year, when Kealoha talked to him about starting a new company.

Fearnley, Kealoha and his cafe partner Kurht Gerhardt, 27, plunged in with their savings and credit cards. With an initial $15,000 investment, they delivered their first collection last fall.

Craig Dahl, 30, joined Thunder Bros. recently as an investor and sales manager, having formerly worked with Soul and Schroff.

The Thunder Bros. guys want their clothes only hanging in specialty stores or be exclusive at one chain. “It’s a matter of integrity,” says Kealoha. “We don’t care to have every single person wearing Thunder Bros.

“World domination is not the plan.”

Thunder Bros. is available at Jack’s Surf Shop and Zac Attac in Huntington Beach; Beach Access in South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa; Fred Segal, Santa Monica; Behind the Post Office, San Diego; and Rolo, San Francisco.