Friday, August 25
J Brand: Now for Men
J Brand jeans have been on the fast track to denim domination since their exclusive launch at Ron Herman on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles in spri...
Sub-Urban Gets Airport-Area HQ
Los Angeles–based Sub-Urban Brands Inc., marketers of Whiteboy and other young contemporary brands, will relocate its corporate headquarters from downtown Los Angeles to the city...
Offshore Factories Head to Sourcing at MAGIC
Record numbers of offshore manufacturers are expected at the Sourcing at MAGIC show, held in conjunction with the MAGIC Marketplace Aug. 28–31 at the Las Ve...
Calif. Retailers Assess Impact of Wage Increase
When boutique owner Eduardo Fernandez heard the news that California’s minimum wage would be increased to $8 an hour, he immediately considered how his San Diego store, The Assembly, might ben...
Coldwater Creek Goes Green
Sandpoint, Idaho-based catalog, e-tail and bricks-and-mortar retailer Coldwater Creek announced plans to go green at its corporate headquarters, distribution center, customer contact centers and retai...
Shopping for Technology at MAGIC
Apparel manufacturers and retailers will have ample opportunity to check out the latest from technology vendors at MAGIC Marketplace Aug. 28–31 in Las Vegas....
Gypsy 05: Insider T-Shirts
For years, Los Angeles–based dye house owner Osi Shoham helped designers achieve innovative and unique garment-dye treatments for their lines. “It’s something I really enjoyed doing,” she ...
More Forth & Towne
Forth & Towne, the concept store chain launched by San Francisco–based Gap Inc. for women 35 and older, will be opening one store at the Otay Ranch Town Center in Chula Vista and another at Paseo N...
Very Vera at Kohl's
Menomonee, Wis.–based department store chain Kohl’s Corp. has struck a licensing deal with New York–based designer Vera Wang for an exclusive lifestyle brand called Very Vera by Vera Wang to launch at Kohl...
Quiksilver Debuts Line for Older Big Kahunas
Maturity was never a high concern for the easygoing, youth-obsessed surf industry. But Quiksilver Inc. hopes that the debut of its newest clothing line will prove that the men who lo...
Cotton Takes on Competition and China
Cotton Inc. has announced two new divisions designed to further assist manufacturers’ competitive edge in the global marketplace. ...
Paul Frank Ends Fight for 'Julius'
Paul Frank Sunich, ousted Paul Frank Industries co-founder and designer, has ended his legal fight for “Julius the Monkey,” the company’s most recognizable ambassador....
80-Year-Old Sweatshirt
Russell Corp., in celebrating the 80th anniversary of the sweatshirt this year, is using the occasion to promote its Jerzees line of pill-less fleece apparel....
Basic Training
Retail consultancy sends managers to ’camp’...
Capitalizing on Brand Nostalgia
What’s in a name? When it comes to branding, quite a bit....
The Return of Garment-Dye
Los Angeles designer Avril Ozen remembers when garment-dye fell into the realm of men’s T-shirts and activewear. “In the ’80s, garment-dye belonged to a certain category,” she said. “It had a sport...
!It Jeans Opens In-Store Shop
Los Angeles–based denim maker !It Jeans opened an in-store shop Aug. 8 at Macy’s in New York’s Herald Square. The 168-square-foot store carries the brand’s collection of women’s core and fa...
Solidarity at the Port
The Port of Los Angeles was shut briefly on Aug. 22 when members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union walked out in a show of solidarity with striking Los Angeles city workers. The port ...
Santa Monica Retailers Strategy of Welcome
Uniforms are for the military, not for the civilian women of Santa Monica, thought 27-year-old Kristin Eberts. So when she opened contemporary boutique Aura on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica on Aug. ...
A New Paradigm for Apparel Marketing
Marketing to young consumers these days is not for technophobes....
Famous Stars and Straps: Not Another Celebrity Brand
Travis Barker just wants to create. The drummer for several punk/hip-hop outfits, including The Transplants and Plus-44, the former drummer of chart-topping Blink-1...
Lips: Jeans With an Air of Mystery
Most new designers launch eponymous collections in an effort to make their names known. For Lips, anonymity is a key element of the brand. Buyers aren’t given information about the designers...
Joe & Flo: Denim-Minded T-shirts
Denim-loving designer Cindi Carper didn’t want just any T-shirt to wear with her premium denim. “It had to be comfortable and a little bit twisted, but there wasn’t anything ou...
Gottschalks Net Income Up for 2nd Quarter
Gottschalks Inc. reported good financial results for the second quarter of fiscal 2006. The Fresno, Calif., department store chain stated, on Aug. 24, that its net income for the second quart...
Westfield Topanga Finishes $330 Million Renovation With Fashion Retail
The Westfield Topanga shopping center is finishing the last lap of its $330 million renovation. By Oct. 6, the mall in the Canoga Park district of Los Angeles will debut a refurbishe...
Lectra Picked for Sizing Survey in China
Technology provider Lectra is about to launch an ambitious endeavor: taking the body measurements of 20,000 Chinese citizens....
PLM Heads Material World N.Y. Seminars
Product lifecycle management (PLM), an emerging technology aimed at streamlining product development, will be the main subject of discussion on Material World New York’s seminar sche...
BCBG Bows Max Azria Boutique
Miu Miu closed its doors on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue last month, but designer excitement on the street should remain. ...
UV-Protection Built Right In
Milliken & Co. has introduced a lightweight UV-protective fabric for use in outdoor apparel....
Kim White: First Bags, Now Belts
Los Angeles handbag designer Kim White, who launched her line three years ago with bags made from vintage 1970s- and ’80s-era auto upholstery, now has a line of leather belts under her brand....
Dallas Market Center Names New Marketing VP
Steve Dumas has been promoted to vice president of marketing operations for the Dallas Market Center, which includes the FashionCenterDallas wholesale complex....
D&A's Barbara Kramer Sues Designer Duarte
Barbara Kramer, co-producer of the popular Designers & Agents apparel shows in Los Angeles and New York, has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles designer Henry Duarte. She is seeking more...
Juuml;nker: Taking Custom to Contemporary
Designers Tod Waters and Giuliana Mayo have been dressing rock stars for years in their custom label Juuml;nker Designs....
Capital Business Opens Asia Office
New York–based Capital Business Credit LLC, formerly called Capital Factors LLC, has opened an office in Hong Kong to provide global supply chain financial services to its customers d...
Weinbaum Set to Celebrate Guild's 50th Anniversary
A Q&A With the Fashion Industries Group’s ’Man of the Year’ ...
Harveys Buckles Up for Retail
Harveys Industries Inc., the Santa Ana, Calif.–based company best known for its seat-belt bag, is ramping up to open a small chain of retail stores....
PCC Introduces Stretch Nonwovens
Precision Custom Coatings LLC, the Totowa, N.J.–based nonwoven, coated- and laminated–fabric maker, has launched a new nonwoven fabric that stretches like a knit. ...
Barington Takes Stake in Warnaco
New York–based investment firm Barington Group has acquired a 5.6 percent stake in New York–based manufacturer Warnaco Group, maker of apparel under the Speedo, Calvin Klein, Chaps, Nautica, JLO and Ocean Pacific brands. The B...
Hope & Glorie: Moving Beyond My-Tee
For the past eight years, designer Chrissy Azzaro successfully ran My-Tee, a Los Angeles–based apparel line known for its signature cotton T-shirts. Celebrities Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, and...
Friday, August 18
Tariff Rebates on Central American Goods Are Good to Go
A bill that would allow importers to receive tariff rebates on clothing imported from Central American countries this year was signed by President Bush on Aug. 17....
Marketing 101: Taking a Long View When Launching a New Brand
In the early stages of launching their brand, Chip and Pepper Foster had a problem most new designers can only dream of. They sold out their line on the opening day of a trade show....
Tarrant Apparel Breaks Up With Another Licensor
Tarrant Apparel Group, the Los Angeles company that makes private-label and branded clothing for major retailers across the United States, said it paid $400,000 to terminate its licensing agr...
Perseverance, Quality Sales Drive Resort Show in L.A.
The desire to make just one more sale or to see just one more line is what powered Los Angeles Fashion Market Holiday/Resort ’06, which took place Aug. 11–15....
Heidi Merrick: Designing Stylish Dresses With Function in Mind
Newcomer Heidi Merrick planned to launch her new collection for Resort 2007 but decided to test the production waters by first creating some Summer and Fall ’06 styles. Buyers responded well to her col...
Limited CFO Retires
Ken Stevens, chief financial officer of Limited Brands, has announced plans to retire after five years with the Columbus, Ohio–based company. Martyn Redgrave, Limited’s chief administrative officer, wil...
Big News and Good Gossip From 'Project Runway' Alums
Who: Fashion Group International of Los Angeles, former cast members of hit Bravo TV reality series “Project Runway”What: Panel dis...
Corona del Mar, Calif.- Rethinking 'Mayberry'
Corona del Mar is the address of $7 million homes—some of the most expensive real estate in California, according to property information company DataQuick. But Erica D. Thomas thought that th...
Bongo's New Jeans Deal
New York–based Iconix Brand Group Inc. has struck a new license agreement for its Bongo jeanswear brand with New York–based The Mamiye Group LLC. Iconix announced three other licensing agreements for Bo...
New Look May Give Jeans Brand New Life
Fashion brand FRx Future Prescription needed a doctor....
Looking at Technology From Both Sides of the Market
Q&A with Lectra USA President David Rode ...
California Courts Apparel Industry With Employment Incentives
The state of California wants the apparel industry to win the war against imports and is willing to pay for it. State officials lately have been getting more aggressive in working with the apparel ind...
Jones Sale Off
Jones Apparel Group Inc. is no longer for sale. After five months on the market, the New York–based company’s board of directors announced that the formal sale process had concluded, and it has decided ...
FBI Gets New Board Members
Six new members have been added to the board of Fashion Business Inc., the nonprofit organization in downtown Los Angeles that helps new designers and apparel companies grow their bu...
On Camera With the Designers on Bravo TV's 'Project Runway'
A Q&A with the reality show’s Tim Gunn ...
Distress-It-Yourself Denim
Denim aficionado Brian Robbins isn’t buying into the whole clean-denim trend that is sweeping the market. For him, denim that looks like it has lived several lives is the way to go. Eight months ago, ...
Leyendecker: Conceptual But Wearable
There is not one ounce of fluff in Jessica Moss and Lisa Lamar’s short and sweet Leyendecker collection. Through ruthless editing, their debut line for Fall 2006 contained a handful of items t...
Luxury Leather Goods With a French Pedigree and a San Francisco Address
Beatrice Amblard’s target market couldn’t be smaller. It consists not just of the fortunate few who can spend $2,500 for a handbag, but that even tinier number that prize the work of a relatively unknow...
Denimhead: Jeans on the Brain
Former private-label blue jeans designer Jill Perilman has had denim on the brain for the last 20 years. Designing for brands at Tarrant Apparel Group and the Kellw...
Mary-Kate, Ashley and Joanne
Dualstar Entertainment Group, the Los Angeles–based licensing company owned by Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Olsen, has hired Joanne Wells as vice president of brand development for its Sprouse Bros. brand. Wells...
Lacroix Las Vegas
Paris couturier Christian Lacroix has opened his first U.S. store at the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The store carries the company’s ready-to-wear, accessories, swimwear, lingerie and j...
Dallas to Fecirc;tecirc; Carmen Marc Valvo
New York designer Carmen Marc Valvo will receive the 2006 Fashion Excellence Award at the 31st annual Dallas Fashion Awards gala on Oct. 28....
AccessoriesTheShow-Growing in New York and Planning for Las Vegas
NEW YORK—The Jacob K. Javits Convention Center was a buzzing hub of activity Aug. 6–8 with a tripartite trade show organized by Business Journals Inc. staking out some 140,000 square feet...
Beach Bums Promotes Buyer to Marketing, Product Chief
Beach Bums Inc. will vie for a higher public profile. On Aug. 10, the Anaheim, Calif.–based activewear retailer named Todd Kellogg as its director of marketing and product development. He had served a...
A New Plan for Santa Monica Place
One maxim in retailing is that location is everything. That does not appear to be entirely true for Santa Monica Place, which is two blocks from the Pacific Ocean and next t...
White Boy Philanthropy
Los Angeles label White Boy has teamed with Academy Award-nominated actor Don Cheadle to create a T-shirt to raise money for victims of hurricanes Katrina and Rita at the one-year anniversary of the Gulf Coast disast...
Friday, August 11
Retailer Wants to Mint New San Diego Look
San Diego’s home-grown style may not have registered on the radar screens of fashionistas; however, retailer Nicki Starr hopes to change that perception with her new boutique, Civil Disobedie...
Swimming Through Legal Waters
A long-brewing lawsuit between a former swimwear executive and the Southern California company that employed him is about to go to court....
Mike & Chris Handbags
Husband-and-wife design team Mike and Christine Gonzalez launched their handbag line earlier this year. In 2005, they became a fast success in the fashion business with an edgy, contemporary ...
Lingerie Americas Keeps Growth in Check
NEW YORK—Now into its fifth year and its ninth edition, the biannual Lingerie Americas has established itself as the largest lingerie trade show in North America, drawing 2,709 buye...
7 For All Mankind Hires CEO
Vernon, Calif.–based premium-denim maker 7 For All Mankind has filled its chief executive position after several months of vacancy. Michael Egeck left his post as president of VF Co...
Kale Handbags
Sisters Jennifer and Leslie Kale launched their Southern California–based handbag line in 2003. “At the time, the handbag world hadn’t blown up yet,” said Jennifer. “We wanted to cr...
Rebecca Ciccio Handbags
San Francisco designer Rebecca Ciccio creates luxe handbags that appeal to a wide range of customers, from young trendsetters to stylish soccer moms and discerning urban professionals. Handmade in San...
Texas Company Buys City Girl
City Girl Inc., a more than 60-year-old apparel company with several contemporary misses sportswear labels, has been sold to a Texas firm....
Metropark Hires Real Estate V.P.
Contemporary retailer Metropark plans to double its store count in 2007, and the retailer’s founders hope that real estate executive Karen Green will help them find the best spaces....
Activewear Every Day
Fifty percent of American women wear activewear on a regular basis—even on the days when they are not exercising or going to the gym. That’s the news from a recent poll conducted by Kelton Research and commissi...
Liz's New Legs
New York–based manufacturing giant Liz Claiborne has inked a deal with Legxus International Inc. for a line of socks, trouser socks and tights set to bow at department and specialty stores in 2007. New York–bas...
Taking the Sample Offshore
When Herb Yussim decided to get out of the private-label business, he reviewed his assets: a lifetime of apparel production experience, numerous contacts in the contemporary and young designer market ...
Purr: Roar's New Girl
Twelve-year-old men’s shirting line Roar is in position to make noise in the women’s young contemporary market with a new line, Purr. Los Angeles–based Roar is best known for its woven ...
Going to the Source
Sourcing trips allow apparel manufacturers to scout factories and make contacts overseas...
J.P. & Mattie Accessories
J.P. & Mattie designers Jean-Pierre Roditi and Mattie Ilel took their love of Thai culture and design and developed it into their latest venture—a line of sandals, bags and jewelry under t...
Fill-ins Fuel Business at West Coast Exclusive
Menswear buyers attending the Aug. 6–7 run of the West Coast Exclusive menswear show in Los Angeles were picky and particular with their buys, giving an early indication for the upcom...
Streets Ahead Turns 25, Launches New Lines
For its silver anniversary, Los Angeles belt label Streets Ahead is rolling out two new accessories collections to add to the company’s belt and denim business....
Proper Fools
Cooper Design SpaceSuite 520(213) 689-7730...
Retailers Vie for Rare Prize: Exclusivity
For many retailers, one of the traditional rules of success is to be the exclusive outlet for a hot fashion brand. But with the growing number of boutiques and the global reach of the Internet, asking...
Drifter
Gerry BuildingSuite 906(213) 627-1561
Funtrap Showroom
California Market Center Suite C555(213) 622-2339
National Underpants
Nick Graham built a name for himself and his Joe Boxer loungewear line through his clever use of puns, irony and tongue-in-cheek double entendre....
New for Market at CMC
Showrooms on the second floor of the California Market Center will host a gas card giveaway promotion during the first four days of the Aug. 11–15 run of the Los Ang...
Rate Steady
The Federal Reserve opted to hold the federal funds rate at 5 1/2 percent, noting that the slowing housing market and rising energy costs have “moderated” economic growth. The Fed obser...
Speedo's Triathlon Deal
Los Angeles–based swimwear maker Speedo has struck a four-year deal with USA Triathlon to provide the Team USA triathletes with swimwear, uniforms and other competition apparel at the 2008 Beijing Olym...
Gotcha In-House
Gotcha, the Irvine, Calif.–based swim division of Perry Ellis International of Miami, is going in-house. Perry Ellis completed its acquisition of the Gotcha trademarks in January. The Gotcha brand, which had been prod...
Bryan Wilson Showroom and Representing
The New MartSuite 802(213) 629-2201...
True Religion Announces Outlet, Retail Stores
True Religion Apparel Inc. is on a retail roll....
Friday, August 4
Active Sportswear Heads to Alternative Distribution Routes
From health clubs to tanning salons, designers are taking unique avenues to showcase and sell their lines....
Tolcher Joins Tukatech as VP
Veteran apparel manufacturer Bill Tolcher has been named vice president of management consulting for Los Angeles technology firm Tukatech Inc....
Blue's Boutique Atmosphere a Hit With Exhibitors, Retailers
NEW YORK—Last season’s newcomer is growing up fast. Blue, the denim-driven show that launched during the men’s market week in New York in January, was back July 24–26 at the stylish Tunnel, in t...
Promotions at Charlotte Russe
San Diego–based retail chain Charlotte Russe announced that Patti Shields has been promoted to general merchandise manager and executive vice president. Also, Ed Wong has been promoted to chief supply ...
Menswear Lands Retailer Coveted Real Estate
The often-heard complaint that Orange County, Calif., is over-retailed takes a special meaning in the high-profile tourist town of Laguna Beach....
All-New Cerruti
Italian fashion house Cerruti was sold to private equity firm MatlinPatterson by Fin. part, which shuttered last year. MatlinPatterson promoted attorney Philippe Cleach to chief executive officer and named Canadian d...
Colors Pass the Trademark
A judge in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana ruled in favor of universities and their argument that school color schemes qualify as standalone trademarks. The court found t...
Retailers Welcome July '06 Surprise
Consumers were expected to stay home during July. The heat across North America was sweltering. Rising gasoline prices made many people cut back on car trips. However, retail sales gave businesses a ...
Muscle-Car Firm Tries On Fashion
Before West Coast Choppers gained a national reputation for its custom motorcycles, the Long Beach, Calif., company made a splash with its ubiquitous fashion campaign, where retailer...
Gerber Names Industrial Director
Tolland, Conn.–based Gerber Technology has promoted Marco Azzaretti to the position of executive director, industrial markets and business development....
Tapping Into Trends at Glow
The California Market Center’s Glow show—the marketplace for accessories, apparel and gifts—got a less-than-glowing turnout from buyers during its July 28–30 run in downtown Los Angeles....
Belk Buys Parisian
Birmingham, Ala.–based department store chain Saks Inc. is selling its Parisian department store unit to Charlotte, N.C.–based Belk Inc. for $285 million. The purchase nets Belk 38 Parisian stores and a 125,000- square-foot ad...
Lifestyle Retail Goes Urban
Lifestyle shopping centers typically have been the domain of more upscale markets, but a group of Orange County, Calif., developers is bringing the concept into the more urban environs of southeast Lo...
Refund for Some CAFTA Importers
Clothing companies importing apparel from Central America might be in for a little tariff relief....
Finding the Perfect Pair of Jeans
Archetype Solutions Inc. of Emeryville, Calif., has launched
Checking Credit From the Trade Show Floor
As manufacturers and retailer prepare for the Las Vegas trade shows, finance experts offer tips for taking and placing creditworthy orders....
Quiksilver Recall
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and Huntington Beach, Calif.–based Quiksilver Inc. have recalled 9,700 childrenswear sweatshirts manufactured in Pakistan because the drawstring in the hood ...
Mossimo Acquisition Delayed
Iconix Brand Group, the New York company that owns several brands such as Candie’s, Joe Boxer and Rampage, will see its acquisition of Mossimo Inc. delayed two months while t...
Altamont: New Streetwear Label From Sole Technology
Lake Forest, Calif.–based footwear manufacturer Sole Technology Inc. will debut a new line of men’s streetwear at the Project Global Trade Show Aug. 28–30 in Las Vegas. The lin...
Azalea's Spirit of Adventure
Azalea set out to be the alternative boutique in San Francisco’s eclectic Hayes Valley neighborhood. It’s one reason the shop’s co-owners, Catherine Chow and Corina Nurimba, built an organic bea...
Sworn Virgins
Sworn Virgins puts bamboo fabric’s natural free-flowing drape to work in comfortable modern shapes that are designed to flatter the body and help the environment....
Northern California Fashion Designers Get Their Chance to Shine
San Francisco Fashion Week is a relatively new event that is gearing up for its third season in the Bay Area. It is organized to showcase the various local designers—and a few out-of-towners—whose couture gown...
Macys.com: Thinking Outside the Big Box
Way back in 1998, Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores, Inc. separated its nascent online division (started in 1996) and created a freestanding independent corporation known as...
Harkham's Plans for Plaza
Uri Harkham, founder of Jonathan Martin/Hype, is putting on his real estate hat again and bringing more retail space to the Los Angeles Fashion District....
Hippie Ink's New Tees Carry Special Message
Designer Jennifer Ashley of the Los Angeles–based women’s resource Hippie Ink hopes that the company’s latest series of tops will make more than just a fashion statement. Part of the sales for the compa...
New Generation Expands in China
Miami Lakes, Fla.–based software developer New Generation Computing Inc. is expanding its presence in China in order to provide support for U.S.-based manufacturers and importers....
Royal Plush: Casual Glam Line Moves to L.A.
Offering pieces such as embroidered jogging suits, embellished tanks and studded pullover tunics for women, Royal Plush often was mistaken for a California-based company. “Buyers at trade shows would ...
MJW to Release Remaining Santee Units
More than 200 condominiums are going up for sale within walking distance of the major wholesale market centers in the Los Angeles Fashion District....
Style Violet
As an avid online shopper, Julie Hoang grew tired of the same Internet boutique shops pushing high-end brand names with outrageous prices. So the Orange County, Calif., native took matters into her own hands ...
Hot Topic's Sales Stumble, but Analyst Forecasts Turnaround
In an unusual move, Hot Topic Inc. reported its monthly sales on July 31—several days early....
