Friday, May 26
Wet Seal Forecasts Growth, Challenges
Wet Seal Inc. has announced that it will open more stores next year and its same-store sales declined in May....
Agenda Heads to Melrose
After two years in the California Market Center, Aaron Levant has moved his Agenda showroom to 7449 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. The showroom, which specializes in...
CDC Students in the Mix at Orpheum
California Design College students delivered a
Gap Takes Shoes Online
San Francisco–based Gap Inc. has announced plans to open a new online shoe store through its E-commerce division, Gap Inc. Direct. The store will launch for Holiday 2006 with a broad mix of designer an...
Perry Ellis Acquires Jag License
Miami-based manufacturer Perry Ellis International has acquired the license to manufacture and distribute Jag brand swimwear and cover-ups for men and women. The license, in partner...
Nike's Apple Deal
Beaverton, Ore.–based athletic apparel maker Nike Inc. has struck a deal with Cupertino, Calif.–based Apple to launch a line of products under the Nike+iPod brand. The first item under the partnership w...
New at Hilfiger
Tommy Hilfiger Corp., which was recently purchased by Dutch firm Apax Partners, has announced plans to run the company as four independently managed business units in the United States, Canada, Europe and the Far East. Chief...
Linq
After years of selling missy merchandise to department stores, Leonard Rabinowitz and Carole Little have downsized their latest venture to a more personal level....
Gavin's Jackets
BOTTOM TO TOP: Gavin, a 2-year-old trouser line, has branched out with the launch of jackets and a coat for Fall 2006. Julia Chase, who owns the Studio 10 ...
Apparel Producers Hope CAFTA Brings New Business to Region
GUATEMALA CITY—The 15th annual Apparel Sourcing Show held here May 16–18 and attended by 4,725 people underscored the widely held belief that Central America is a region in transformat...
Iconix's New Licensing Exec
New York–based Iconix Brand Group, owner of Candie’s, Bongo, Badgley Mischka, Joe Boxer, Rampage and Mudd brands, has named Gail Tentler managing director of international licensing. Previously, Tentler was dir...
Mervyns Revamps
This year could be one of the hardest for Rick Leto....
FIG Dallas to Host Chan Luu
Los Angeles–based designer Chan Luu will be the guest of honor June 1 at the Dallas- based Fashion Industry Galler y’s market-week kick-off party from 5:30 to 7 p.m....
Ted Baker Hits the OC
Fashion boutiques with a Euro pedigree are taking a bow at South Coast Plaza....
True Religion to Relocate, Expand
True Religion Apparel Inc. is relocating its corporate headquarters from Los Angeles to nearby Vernon, Calif., in August....
Designed Locally, Seen Globally
“American Idol” contestant Katharine McPhee may have lost out to crooner Taylor Hicks at the May 24 finale of the popular reality TV show, but she did it looking like a star....
Peak Shipping Season Set for Smooth Sailing
Peak shipping season, which runs from July to October, is shaping up to be a winner this summer....
Focus at Surf Summit on Authenticity, Environment
SAN JOSE DEL CABO, Mexico—Surfwear makers and industry leaders gathered south of the border for the ninth-annual Surf Summit to pow-wow about getting back to their core roots and preserve the ...
Merger Mania Could Benefit Apparel Business
The consolidating software market could be a good thing for the apparel industry....
Manatt's Levy to Chair Firm's Pro Bono Business
Los Angeles–based law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips LLP has named attorney Stanley W. Levy as chair of Manatt’s pro bono practice....
N.Y. Gets New French Show
La Federation Francaise Du Pret a Porter Feminin, organizers of the Pret a Porter Paris biannual runway shows in Paris, have launched a new trade show in the United...
House of Dereon Grows After Split
After parting ways with Los Angeles– based licensee Tarrant Apparel in March, entertainer Beyonce Knowles’ House of Dereon brand has a new licensing partner and a new junior c...
Friday, May 19
Courting the Eco-Savvy Consumer
Environmental design has evolved from hippie to hip in the last two decades. And there may be no bigger advocate of the phenomenon than developer Shaheen Sadeghi, who gambled that environmentally frie...
Outlet Mall Set for Orange County
Developer Craig Realty Group of Newport Beach, Calif., has closed escrow on a 51- acre swath of land in San Clemente, Calif., where the company has begun grading for a 650,000-square-foot out...
Retail Therapy
How to keep things checking at the register If you’re like most of the retailers Glenn Calabrese visits, your store is either underdesigned and cluttered, or overdesigned and inefficient. “Most independent retailers do not realize how much of an impact design has,” says the president of Storetech, a Delray Beach, Florida–based firm offering a range of products and services for retailers...
Juicy's Baby Deal
Los Angeles–based Juicy Couture struck an agreement with Tawil Associates for a collection of Juicy Couture apparel for newborns, infants and layette sizes 0–24 months. The collection, which will launch in October, is expected...
Nike Goes Seamless in Israel
Beaverton, Ore.–based athletic apparel and footwear giant Nike has launched a joint Center of Excellence with Tefron Ltd., a Misgav, Israel–based seamless apparel maker. The center’s mission is to look f...
Tapping L.A. Talent
Helmut Lang has hired Los Angeles designers Michael and Nicole Colovos, founders of the Habitual label, to head up design for the New York–based company, which was recently purchased by Link Theory Hol...
Tiara Cafeacute; to Open May 22
Tiara Cafeacute; will open to the public May 22 in The New Mart building in the Fashion District of downtown Los Angeles....
City of Hope Honoree Clareman Chats About Charity
On June 10, Richard Clareman, president of Los Angeles– based junior apparel manufacturer Self Esteem, will receive the Spirit of Life award from the Appare...
Finding a Place in Coolsville
Eagle Rock native Rainy Jacobs has witnessed the town’s transformation from a blue-collar enclave to an outpost of yuppie tastes....
Hippie Ink Expands Sales With New Reps
Hippie Ink, a 2-year-old updated line of retro-inspired tops and accessories from Los Angeles designer Jennifer Ashley, is now being represented at the California M...
TALA Celebrates 62nd Year at Playday
After a round of golf and a day of camaraderie, members of the Textile Association of Los Angeles celebrated its 62nd anniversary of incorporation on May 12 with a dinner ov...
making the scene
Every major apparel market center offers its share of surrounding boutiques and restaurants to entice exhibitors and buyers alike to wine and dine and shop ’til they drop....
Keeping True
Los Angeles–based denim label True Religion Apparel Inc. won a pair of court default judgments against several companies charged with counterfeiting the company’s premium-denim products. The combined ju...
Scout Opens Vintage Library
Scout’s new vintage library may be lacking in square footage, but it has a well-edited selection of designer-vintage gems....
Zumiez Buys Fast Forward
Everett, Wash.–based retailer Zumiez Inc. has inked a deal to acquire action sports retailer Fast Forward. Fort Worth, Texas-based Fast Forward operates 19 stores, including 16 in Texas, two in Oklahom...
Outsourcing E-commerce Gaining in Popularity in Apparel Industry
As the e-commerce industry matures, more apparel companies are relying on hosted systems for their online sales....
Trading Up
Trade shows add amenities, get more selective, to stay competitive....
Former CBS President Banking on Internet's Power
Add one more name to the growing list of former TV executives who are sold on the profitability of e-commerce....
Junior Drake Goes Casual With Canvas
Junior Drake, a 4-year-old handbag line named after founder Dennis Brown’s actress mother, launched a new line of canvas purses in May at the ENK Accessories Circuit show in New York....
Prairie Underground
Its designers may have drawn inspiration from old-fashioned housedresses, but contemporary clothing line Prairie Underground has a modern and progressive sense of style....
The Battalion
Linda Wong, co-founder of contemporary clothing line The Battalion, followed a simple line of logic to resolve her desire to design edgy, avant-garde clothing that also is customer friendly....
Tarrant Secures $65 Million
Los Angeles–based Tarrant Apparel Group has received a commitment letter from Guggenheim Corporate Funding LLC for a $65 million credit facility, which is earmarked to pay “certain indebtedness ...
BNY's Independence Party
When Gregory Niebel opened boutique BNY more than 15 years ago, he wanted to make a statement with fashion—and earn a profit....
Warnaco Hires New Swimwear President
New York–based apparel giant Warnaco Group Inc. has hired Paula Schneider as president of its designe...
Rock T-Shirt Goes Mainstream-and Gets Fashionable
When Dell Furano started in the concert merchandise business more than 30 years ago, some of the coolest musicians in the San Francisco Bay Area mocked the idea of selling T-shirts at their concerts....
Slow but Steady Growth in 2006
Rising real estate and gas prices may put a crimp in California’s economy ...
Hale Bob Expanding Apparel Line, Adding Accessories
Contemporary brand Hale Bob is making strides toward the coveted lifestyle-brand distinction by expanding beyond its sexy tops and skirts. The rapidly growing Vernon, Calif.–based company is d...
Accessory Makers Put the Fashion Twist on Gadgets
The popularity of such technological gadgets as iPods, Treos, SideKicks and Blackberries has helped to open a new avenue of opportunity for manufacturers looking to...
CAN's John Condon Retires
John Condon, a long-time account executive at California Apparel News, is retiring after 35 years with the publication...
Naked Tries On New Clothes
Naked, the Los Angeles boutique owned by designer Steven Trussell, unveiled its new concept May 13, five months after shuttering its doors....
Cavalli Drinks Fashionably in L.A.
The names of legendary artists are increasingly appearing on new lines of liquor....
Innovo Sells Private-Label Division
Innovo Group Inc., a Commerce, Calif.–based apparel manufacturer, has sold its private-label division, which makes jeans for Target’s Mossimo line and American Eagle ...
Juicy Couture Plans Major Retail Expansion
Los Angeles–based Juicy Couture, a division of Liz Claiborne Inc., is planning a major retail rollout in California....
BeBop, Cotton Among Webby Winners
Web sites for Cotton Inc. and BeBop Jeans are among the winners of the 10th annual Webby Awards, which will be presented June 12 at an event in New York....
Westfield Group Sells Mall in Eagle Rock
Los Angeles–based Westfield Group has sold eight shopping centers, including a mall in Eagle Rock, Calif., to two real estate entities for $550 million....
The Bohemian Society
Designer Victor Wilde of The Bohemian Society, a Los Angeles–based brand, likes the authoritative nature of military-inspired clothes—and it shows. His Fall 2006 collections for men an...
Louboutin at Barneys
French shoe designer Christian Louboutin drew a crowd of longtime customers and young fans to Barneys New York in Beverly Hills on May 11, where Louboutin personalized and signed his famous r...
Friday, May 12
Ten Hot Neighborhoods
Celebrity purchasing power has helped cement the cacheacute; of many of Los Angeles’ best-known shopping districts. But in recent years, the city’s fashion neighborhoods have seen a growth spurt carryin...
Accessory to Lucero
Los Angeles designer returns to the wholesale business with a new line of accessories and shoes ...
ENK Gets Financial Backing, Prepares for New Show in L.A.
New York–based trade show producer ENK International is ready to move into fifth gear....
Nautica Expands
A women’s sportswear collection will be launched this Fall by Nautica, a division of New York–based apparel giant VF Corp. The collection, set to hit stores in August, adds to Nautica’s current women’s offerings, which include s...
Teen Retailers Enjoy a Rebound in April '06
Skyrocketing gasoline prices apparently have not had a negative impact on the retail trade. Moreover, a strong summer season is expected to follow a retail rebound in April, industry analysts said....
More Mervyns
Hayward-based Mervyns has announced plans to open four new stores as part of the company’s new strategy to invest in its core markets in the West and Southwest. Two of the new stores will be located in...
New Ball Game for Speedo
Swimwear maker Speedo, a division of Warnaco Group’s Los Angeles–based Warnaco Swimwear Inc., has landed a threeyear licensing deal with AVP Pro Bea...
A Hipper Fashion Show Premieres at CSUN
Students Vanessa Garduntilde;o and Joanna Huezo were bold enough to buck their school’s fashion tradition....
Saks to Stay in Mission Viejo
The 100,000-square-foot Saks Fifth Avenue store in The Shops at Mission Viejo will remain open, according to Birmingham, Ala.–based Saks Inc., the upscale retailer’s parent company. Saks announced plans in late...
Spanish Retailer to Host Seminar
Spanish clothing retailer Zara, known for its quick-turning supply chain, will provide insight into its success at a “fast fashion” seminar June 2 at the Fashi...
Textile Exec Duels With Actor
Textile executive Yahouda “Youdi” Emrani has done battle with Asian importers and other rival fabric companies, but he never thought he’d be having a row with bad-boy actor Johnny Depp....
Pony Adds Another Exec
Santa Barbara–based footwear and athletic apparel maker Pony International LLC has named an additional high-level executive to its roster. Rollen Jones, a former executive at Adidas, has been named chief finan...
Quota-Free Category Clarified
Last year, the ski pants industry had a problem....
New Store, Surf Label for The Closet
New things are coming out of The Closet....
Rock & Republic Joins Indy 500
Feeling the need for speed, Los Angeles–based premium- denim maker Rock & Republic will sponsor the Vision Racing team of the Indy Racing League in May. As part of the deal, the blue jea...
Full Steam Ahead at Local Ports
Cargo traffic is chugging along at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles as they regain their popularity as a shipping destination for Asian goods....
Friday, May 5
Sea Change at Fish Bowl
Fish Bowl, a division of Second Generation Inc., a Los Angeles–based manufacturer, is in the midst of a makeover....
True Love & False Idols
Irreverent and subversive, True Love & False Idols seeks to capture the Los Angeles lifestyle with tongue-in-cheek artwork and an in-your-face attitude. ...
2009 Might Not Be the End for Apparel Quotas
U.S. apparel manufacturers and importers have high expectations that 2009 will be the year of free trade with China....
It's Not Easy Being Small
For many in the local design community, small business means big opportunities, as well as big risks ...
The Camp Turns Green With Humanitaire
The Camp and The Lab shopping centers in Costa Mesa, Calif., have always banked on providing consumers with the next wave in shopping trends....
Retail Redevelopment
The Macerich Co., a Santa Monica–based owner of shopping malls, is buying 11 Federated stores at 10 of Macerich’s retail centers, six of which are in California. The acquired stores include malls carrying the M...
Liberating Canada
People’s Liberation, a Los Angeles–based denim maker of apparel under the People’s Liberation and William Rast labels, has signed a pair of distribution agreements with A&F Apparel Ltd. Under the agreements, A&F...
Stroesser's a Shoe-In at Pony
Santa Barbara–based footwear and athletic apparel maker Pony International LLC has named footwear business veteran Jim Stroesser as chief executive officer. Stroesser previously was senior vice president and g...
Thrive
Thrive is a new line that wants to put its own spin on L.A. culture. ...
Replay Bows New Line
The Brandon Davis Jean By Replay made its debut April 24 in Italian denim brand Replay’s newest store in the Beverly Center in Los Angeles....
Adding On
The J. Crew Group is growing. A new chain of stores called Madewell will be launched this year by the New York–based clothing chain and will sell women’s apparel with price points lower than those found...
Teaching Instinct a New Trick
Instinct, a South African surf brand launched by surfer Shaun Tomson in 1979, for years held its own against such core brands as Quiksilver and Gotcha before fizzling out in the ear...
Patagonia Focuses on Surf, Environment
Patagonia Inc., a Ventura, Calif.–based outdoor apparel maker, will open its first surf-specific store in May and underwrite a magazine’s commitment to use recycled paper....
Gerber Releases New CAD, Marker Software
Tolland, Conn.–based Gerber Technology has released an updated version of its computer- aided design software AccuMark and a new professional edition of its AccuNest markermaking software. Acc...
Lectra Names U.S. President
Paris-based technology provider Lectra has named David Rode president of its U.S. division. Lectra markets CAD and product-development software and cutting-room equipment....
Consumer Group Attacks Levi's RFID Program
An advocacy group for consumer privacy has asked San Francisco–based Levi Strauss & Co. to put an end to its item-level RFID (radio frequency identification) pilot program, which has sever...
Iconix's New Mudd Tops
New York– based Iconix Brand Group has struck a licensing agreement with The Cayre Group for a line of junior tops under the Mudd label. The new line will launch for Spring 2007. Iconix purchased New York–based Mudd la...
Dos Lagos Attracting More Retail Chains
The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos, a lifestyle shopping center under construction in the Inland Empire city of Corona, has signed six new tenants...
FIDM Student Receives Award
Christina Wong, a student at Los Angeles– based Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising, won the Gerber WebPDM Achievement Award for computer skills she used in developing a d...
Fashioning Coachella's Indie Spirit
Brands hope for street credibility—by association—at annual rock festival For more than 120,000 rock fans, the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival held April 29–30 in Indio, Calif....
Project Angel Food to Hold Auction
The entertainment industry is lending a hand to Project Angel Food with a benefit auction, “Hollywood 100,” June 17 at Bonhams & Butterfields in Los Angeles....
Targeacute;t Couture Hops on Corporate-Chic Bandwagon
Consumers proved hungry for T-shirts bearing McDonald’s advertising icons this year, but will they beat a path to stores selling $300 cashmere sweaters with Target Corp.’s bull’s-eye lo...
Survival of the Premium
The ambiance at West Hollywood, Calif.–based premium boutique L.A.S.C. seems like a mellow nightclub. But the friendly sales staff and the boutique’s party music mask a fierce competition on th...
EFCI Designs
The elongated title, “Elastic Fantastic Chronosynclastic Infundibulum,” that designer Sumter Pendergrast gave for his contemporary men’s line, EFCI Designs, sounds cerebral. But ...
City of Hope Gala to Honor Clareman, Kim
The Apparel Industries Group for the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif., on June 10 will present its Spirit of Life award to Richard Clareman, president...
Project Ethos Seeks Designers
The organizers of Project Ethos are accepting submissions for fashion and jewelry designers interested in participating in its fashion show and marketplace June 24 at Club Soho in Lo...
In the Path of Protest
Much of downtown Los Angeles was deserted during the May 1 immigration rights protest, which began in the Fashion District, when an estimated 250,000 people gathered in the morning and peacefully marc...
CMC Starts Travel Service
The California Market Center in Los Angeles has begun offering market exhibitors and attendees special hotel rates and travel arrangements through its new in-house division, CMC Trav...
Shaun Tomson's Son Dies
Mathew Tomson, the son of surf legend and Instinct shareholder Shaun Tomson, died unexpectedly on April 24 in Durban, South Africa. He was 15. ...
Tool Time for Dickies
New York–based Dickies has struck a licensing deal to launch a new Dickies tool bag line using “RubberWorks” technology to create rubber-bottom tool bags for such tradesmen as carpenters, painter...
