California Apparel News

The executive board of the Textile Association of Los Angeles (TALA) has issued a call to action to members of the Los Angeles apparel industry to work together to rebuild the local garment industry.

The decision to take action follows the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., and the speculation over the subsequent effect on the apparel industry.

Shipping delays, uncertainty in overseas production centers and an unstable exchange rate make offshore production a risky business, according to members of the board. The group also noted that consumers are currently looking for products bearing a “Made in the U.S.A.” label.

If offshore production does prove to be too risky for many and the desire for domestically produced goods continues, Los Angeles will be in a good position to pick up much of that production because of its existing sewing-contractor business, the group argues.

“Los Angeles is one of the few garment centers in this country that still has a decent cut-and-sew base,” said Brian Weitman, vice president of TALA, who was among the seven board members present at the recent board meeting, including Len Horowitz, executive director; Ann Davis, president; Carol Sachs, vice president; Howard Gilman, secretary; Dan Sassower, treasurer; and board member Hal Kaltman. (Larry Schechter, also a vice president of the organization, was unable to attend the meeting.)

The group conceded that there will always be a market for offshore apparel production, particularly for package producers, but added that Los Angeles stands to capture much of the remaining domestic business.

The board members noted that their customers are telling them that retailers have already begun to cut back or cancel orders as they try to find footing in this uncertain economic climate. But they argue that manufacturers that can produce and deliver goods quickly will be able to meet short delivery windows and maintain orders.

TALA is planning to contact its members as well as members of the apparel community at large, including non-member textile mills, contractors, textile finishers, manufacturers and retailers, to urge their support of the Los Angeles industry.

“If we join forces, we can help each other—not to quote prices, but to make an effort to help the economy in L.A. and produce apparel in the United States,” said Gilman.

Joe Rodriguez, executive director of the Garment Contractors Association (GCA) in Los Angeles, said the current economic situation “should be a wake-up call to the county as far as making them realize how important it is to preserve the domestic manufacturing base.” GCA is currently fighting its own battles against state legislation (see related story page 11).

“To the extent that we still have the infrastructure left we should preserve it,” Rodriguez added. Patriotism Vs. Price Consciousness

Consumers are currently snapping up all types of patriotic-themed merchandise from flags to flag-embellished apparel and accessories. But it remains to be seen whether consumers will be willing to pay the added price of domestically produced apparel despite their intention to “buy American.”

Indeed, a spokesperson for the National Retail Federation said she had also heard of burgeoning interest in American-made goods, but questioned whether that will bear out at the retail level. The Washington, D.C.-based trade organization, which represents major retail chains, has not yet polled its members to gauge interest in American-made goods.

Manufacturers will also have to spend a little more to produce apparel in America to account for the higher cost of domestic labor. And that cost is set to increase statewide next year as the California minimum wage rises to $6.75 per hour, following two consecutive $0.50 increases over the last two years. (As of January 2002, California’s minimum wage will exceed the U.S. federal minimum wage by $1.60.)

Manufacturers that decide to shift production from overseas to Los Angeles—whether for patriotic or practical reasons—will have to factor in those higher costs. Call to Action for TALA members

TALA’s call to action to the apparel industry at large comes at a time when the 57-year-old organization is putting out a similar call for unity to members of the textile community.

The group recently sent a letter to its active and inactive members urging their support and their cooperation in TALA’s efforts to encourage local production.

The letter warns that TALA and the textile industry are “in a battle for our economic lives.”

TALA currently has about 400 active members and 200 inactive or retired members, but those figures are dramatically down from five years ago, when the group had more than 800 active members.

The organization operates on slim resources that primarily fund the group’s operations, scholarships and philanthropic events, including its annual holiday party for area children.

TALA’s primary revenue is from membership dues, sales of its TALA Resource Directory, sales of ads running in the directory and donations from the community, according to Weitman.

Members of the apparel industry use TALA’s directory and its online counterpart [www.textileassociation.org] as a sourcing tool for textiles, trim and contractors. In addition, the TALA office fields sourcing inquiries, providing referrals for members.