Friday, January 26
Strong Turnout at ISS Long Beach
Nearly 6,000 people walked the aisles at the Long Beach Convention Center on opening day of the Jan. 19–21 run of the Imprinted Sportswear Show, held in Long Beach, Calif....
Lectra Enters the Third Dimension With Modaris 3-D
Lectra is going big into 3-D with the impending release of its Modaris 3-D Fit prototyping solution, aimed at speeding up the sample-making process for designers and pattern makers....
CW Christian Weber: Italian Luxury With an L.A. Edge
Los Angeles may have developed a reputation as the capital of casual dressing, but designer Christian Weber thinks there’s plenty of room in the market for something more sophisticated....
NGC Steps Up Presence in Northeast
Miami-based New Generation Computing is taking a bigger chunk out of the Big Apple. The software provider is expanding its staff and physical presence in New York in response to customer dema...
True's Eastern Outlet
Los Angeles–based premium-denim and apparel maker True Religion Inc. will open its second outlet store, to be located at the Woodbury Common Premium Outlets in Central Valley, N.Y. The company’s first o...
Q&A: Talking 3-D With OptiTex's Yoram Burg
Three-dimensional technology has become an area of interest for pattern makers and designers during the past couple of years, ever since advancements made it more of a practical tool within the...
American Apparel Secures Financing
Los Angeles–based American Apparel completed a $41 million secured-debt financing with a private investment company, which will help the vertical T-shirt maker refinance its existing debt and continue its expansion at retail....
OptiTex Rolls Out Nesting Package
OptiTex has released a network version of its Nest++2 nesting software for the textile industry....
Quiksilver to Launch Bluetooth Tech Wear
Action-sports brand Quiksilver is entering the world of wearable technology. The Huntington Beach, Calif.–based company is teaming with Santa Cruz, Calif.–based audio-electron...
Apparel Companies Delve Into Mobile Marketing
Young consumers are like moving targets these days, and tracking them down can be a challenge for apparel marketers. But companies are making inroads by hitting these shoppers where they stand—while they...
More Action-Sports Brands Heading to O.C.
Orange County, Calif., continues to be the focal point of an ongoing influx for out-of-state action-sports brands. Two more companies have relocated to the area....
Interactive Store Technology the Buzz at NRF
Technology executives offered retailers at the Jan. 14–17 run of the National Retail Federation Conference a first-hand view of the future of interactive retailing that employs the co...
Former Columbia Exec Joins Quik's Rossignol Unit
Huntington Beach, Calif.–based surf maker Quiksilver Inc. tapped Jose M. Garcia to head up Quik’s Rossignol softgoods business for the Americas....
MAGICOnline Adds New Search Engine
MAGIC International, producer of the MAGIC Marketplace apparel show in Las Vegas, has added an exhibitor search engine to its www.magiconline.com...
Fruit of the Loom Buys VF Intimates
Greensboro, N.C.–based VF Corp. inked a deal with Fruit of the Loom to sell its global intimates business to the Bowling Green, Ky.–based subsidiary of Omaha, Neb.–based Berkshire-Hathaway Inc. for $350 million ...
Ambission: Hard Working and Anti-Establishment
Dustin and Dylan Odbert found an unlikely route into the apparel industry. In 2002, a friend was struck by a train and landed in the hospital with severe injuries and a pile of medical bills. “We start...
PacSun Streamlines Sourcing, Order Management
Anaheim, Calif.–based retailer Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. hopes to drastically improve its sourcing and buying operations with the help of new technology aimed at smoothing ou...
Natasha Raj: Indian Heritage, L.A. Style
Natasha Raj’s self-named clothing line is a varied jumble of silk chiffon dresses, printedcotton skirts and mod-graphic T-shirts, yet the influence of Raj’s childhood home of India is a unifying thread ...
Maternity, Baby Show Bows at Cooper
The top floor of the Cooper Design Space hosted the debut Jan. 23–24 run of Mom2B, a trade show for buyers and manufacturers of pregnancy-related products....
CEO Pressler Leaves Gap
San Francisco–based retail giant Gap Inc. announced that its board and Chief Executive Officer Paul Pressler “mutually agreed” that Pressler would step down from his position imm...
Lawson Launches Small-Scale ERP
Minneapolis-based Lawson Software has released QuickStep Fashion, an industry-specific, lower-cost, pre-configured ERP (enterprise resource planning) application for the apparel, foo...
Reef Goes 24/7 With New Sales System
The VF Corp. is continuing to consolidate its back-office operations after its recent spate of acquisitions. The company’s Reef brand will soon use the same sales s...
Made-to-Measure for the Masses
Entrepreneur Lori Coulter brings customized swimwear to the open market ...
Is Fast Fashion Setting the Pace?
It’s been a long time coming, and now that it’s here, fastfashion retail is changing the way California’s retailers and apparel makers do business....
Hong Kong Fashion Week Sees a Dip in U.S. Buyers
HONG KONG—Amidst the endless rows of printed dresses, striped shirts, faded blue jeans and fur jackets lined up inside the cavernous exhibition halls of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition...
Asian Styles Hit the Street
HONG KONG—California’s casual style and urban streetwear had a definite influence on the creations that paraded down the runway a...
Catalogs Merge
Warren, Pa.–based catalog retailer Blair Corp. inked a deal with Beverly, Mass.–based Appleseed’s Topco Inc. to be acquired by Appleseed’s, a portfolio company of San Francisco–based investment group Golden Gate Capital. Blair will operate as a wholly o...
ApparelMagic Adds New Clients
Glendale, Calif.–based Murphy & Associates, developer of ApparelMagic business software, has added a number of new clients to its customer base....
Avery, Vue Team Up for Low-Cost RFID
Westlake Village, Calif.–based Avery Dennison Retail Information Services and Lake Forest, Calif.–based Vue Technology have formed a marketing agreement aimed at delivering cost-effici...
Saturday, January 20
Millan Leaves Labor Department
Jose Millan, one of the state government’s most prominent figures in cracking down on sweatshops in California’s garment industry, left his position Jan. 13 to take another job with the state government...
Friday, January 19
Niche Buying at Boutique Lingerie
The Boutique Lingerie show had room to breathe this market thanks to an upgrade to two large showroom spaces in the Gerry Building. Exhibitors were prepared for a slower m...
Nooney Joins First Capital, Company Forms Joint Venture
John J. Nooney has joined First Capital Western Region as senior vice president, Western-region factoring portfolio manager. Nooney, who was previ...
Surf Expo Adds One Day, Grows Attendance
The Jan. 11–14 Surf Expo in Orlando, Fla., was the biggest show ever for the Atlanta-based action-sports trade show. The show, which organizer Doog Becker said featured a “bigger floor plan, mo...
O'Neill: New Team, New Brand
In the wake of top executives Kelly Gibson and Rick Petri’s unexpected jump to competitor Rip Curl in November, Irvine, Calif.–based O’Neill Clothing is focusing on rebuilding ...
Broger Joins Levi's
Former 7 For All Mankind executive Armin Broger has joined Levi Strauss & Co. as president of the San Francisco–based denim maker’s European division. Broger was previously chief executive officer o...
JA Opens DC
The New York–based JA Apparel Corp. opened a new distribution center at its factory in New Bedford, Mass., which manufactures tailored jackets and apparel under the Joseph Abboud brand. The New Bedford...
FBI Hosts Intellectual Property 101
Apparel makers and new designers gathered at the Fashion Business Inc.’s headquarters at The New Mart Jan. 9 for an intellectual-property seminar taught by attorney Greg Weisman, a partner a...
Cole's New Marketing Exec
New York–based Kenneth Cole Productions Inc. named Kyle Andrew its new senior vice president of marketing and advertising. Andrew is a longtime industry executive with more than 15 years of experience with such compan...
Slow but Steady Growth Seen for 2007
A slight chill is blowing over Southern California’s economy, much like the recent weather that swept through the area....
Blair Joins Varvatos
New York–based John Varvatos Enterprises Inc. named Rebecca Blair president of the company. She will report to company founder John Varvatos, chairman and chief executive officer, who currently holds t...
Trimble Named Gen Art Fashion Director
Lee Trimble has been named fashion director of Gen Art in New York....
Buyers Scout for Immediate Goods at L.A. Summer Market
Dresses, novelties, new lines and Immediate goods helped keep spirits high at the Jan. 12–16 run of the Los Angeles Fashion Market, held at the California M...
AAFA Names New Board of Directors
The Arlington, Va.–based American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) has named a new board of directors for 2007....
Market Savvy
SnL Communications uses a range of strategies to promote denim in a saturated market ...
Blue World
When Jason Ferro was preparingto launch his new denim brand, Bread, he knew he had to make it stand out from the crowd of existing premium brands. To do that he needed to start with unusual fabric, and for that he went not to Japan or Italy, but to Turkey.
MAGICal Attractions
Organizers of the MAGIC Marketplace, set for Feb.13–16 in Las Vegas, have planned special events and new attractions for buyers attending the Fall trade show....
Williams Leaves Warnaco
Roger Williams, longtime group president of the Warnaco Group’s swimwear division, has resigned from his post for personal reasons, the company announced....
Ralphs Sets June Opening for Downtown Market
Ralphs Supermarkets executives have set a date in June for the opening of downtown Los Angeles’ first grocery store in 50 years....
Stokes to Debut Line at MAGIC
Los Angeles–based writer/director Christopher Stokes will debut his new menswear line, Christopher Brian Apparel, at the MAGIC Marketplace Feb. 13–16 in Las Vegas....
Goorin Bros: The Hat Is the Thing
Ben Goorin’s mission is to bring the hat to a central place in fashion, and it’s been a long campaign for the 37-year-old president of hat manufacturer Goorin Bros. ...
NaCo Opens First U.S. Showroom
NaCo, a popular T-shirt and sportswear line based in Mexico City, has opened up its first U.S. showroom in Miami along with a Los Angeles design center, said company executives....
Friday, January 12
Taylor and Hyde
Gregg Fiene has a talent for addressing the forgotten customer in the middle of markets. When Fiene started G-Squared Fashions Inc.—the company that produces Taylor and Hyde...
Leaving a Gap
San Francisco–based Gap Inc. recently lost two executives—Denise Johnston, president of Gap Adult, and Ivy Ross, executive vice president of product design for Gap’s Old Navy division....
Apparel Businesses Ponder Role in Calif. Health-Care Reform
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed an ambitious $12 billion health insurance reform program on Jan. 8, and many apparel retailers and manufacturing executives are now wondering how the plan might aff...
Diesel Suit
Diesel U.S.A., the domestic arm of the Italian brand, won its fight against retailer Chic Lady Ltd. over the use of Diesel’s trademark on Chic Lady jeans....
Smooth Sailing Expected This Year at Area Ports
A record number of cargo containers will be sailing from Asia to the Los Angeles area this year as retail sales in the United States are forecast to edge up slightly over 2006....
Brentwood Favors Basics With Style
The Los Angeles neighborhood of Brentwood stands out. The people calling it home include Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan and film director Steven Spielberg....
Paxar, NGC Form Marketing Alliance
Miami-based software developer New Generation Computing has teamed with White Plains, N.Y.–based tags-and-labels producer Paxar Corp. to integrate each other’s product lines a...
Showroom Seven to Offer Fashion Show Production Services in L.A.
New York–based Showroom Seven and Seventh House PR opened a permanent Los Angeles showroom and public relations office at the Coo...
Macerich Sells Shopping Centers
Santa Monica, Calif.–based real estate investment trust The Macerich Co. has sold three of its malls in Colorado, Oklahoma and Arkansas for $390 million to Springdale, Ark.–ba...
Guess Euro Shuffle
Guess Europe, B.V., the European subsidiary of Los Angeles–based Guess? Inc., acquired 75 percent of the equity interest in its longtime licensee, Focus Europe S.r.l., including leases and assets for four Guess by Marciano bo...
Roxy, Roxywear Dispute Heads Back to Court
Everybody gets their day in court. But when it comes to the companies squabbling over the use of the Roxy name in their labels, they could be getting weeks more in court as the dispute veers ...
Ashley Paige Goes Wild
On the heels of debuting a line of high-end dresses for Spring 2007, Los Angeles–based swimwear designer Ashley Paige announced she has signed on to produce a line of Girls Gone Wild–branded s...
E-tail Spending Breaks the $100 Billion Mark in 2006
Holiday expenditures account for almost a quarter of all receipts...
Signorelli: Anything but Denim
Working in the entertainment industry turned Meredith Garrett against denim. “I was working at New Line Cinema, and the entertainment industry is super-casual. I just got so ...
Reef to Launch Women's Categories
For Spring 2008, San Diego–based surf brand Reef will debut its first collection of women’s sportswear, swimsuits and closed-toe shoes. The brand, which originally hailed from Brazil, has women’s swim licenses ...
Rebecca Bacon Inc.
California Market Center Suite A534 (213) 623-4565 ...
Select Showroom
The New Mart Suite 502 (213) 622-7620...
3M Releases Security Technology
St. Paul, Minn.–based 3M Corp. has developed a new line of merchandise tags with floating-image technology that helps to protect against counterfeiting and tampering....
Now Charming
Bensalem, Pa.–based retail chain Charming Shoppes Inc. named Gary L. Breitbart executive vice president, e-commerce, a new position for the company, and president of Charming Interactive, Charming Shoppes’ New York...
H.K. Knitting Co. Opens L.A. Office
A Chinese company with 15 knitting factories and more than 10,000 workers has opened an office in the California Market Center to provide private branding services for manufacturers....
Cherokee International
Los Angeles–based Cherokee Inc. struck a multiyear, international licensing deal with S.A.C.I. Falabella, owner of Tottus Hypermarket Stores in Chile, for a line of men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, ...
Design Options Revamps
Los Angeles–based trend-forecasting service Design Options has revamped the look of its trend materials, unveiling a new logo and adding new features, such as removable yarn skeins, to help de...
Roar to Raffle a Truck at Project
One lucky Project Global Trade Show buyer will come home from Las Vegas in February with a vintage Ford Bronco, but the truck won’t be won at the casino. Thirteen-year-old men...
San Diego Activewear Co. Prana Gets Energy Award
Vista, Calif.–based activewear company Prana received a Green Power Leadership award from the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for incorporating sever...
Blue Sage
The Gerry Building Suite 604 (213) 627-3748
Robert Rodriguez
Cooper Design Space Suite 512 (213) 629-2800 ...
Rande Cohen Moves
Showroom owner Rande Blatt Cohen has moved her Rande Cohen Showroom to a much larger space on the California Market Center’s fifth floor....
Malden Files
Polartec fleece maker Malden Mills filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Gordon Brothers Group is expected to purchase the Lawrence, Mass.–based textile company for $44 million....
Friday, January 5
The Dominican Republic Steps Up to Enter Free-Trade Agreement
By mid-January, the Dominican Republic will be poised to become the latest member of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, leaving Costa Rica the last country to climb on board....
Nine West Overseas
New York–based footwear, accessories and apparel brand Nine West opened a flagship store in Japan and is planning to open two more in Vietnam and Russia. The Nine West boutiques—located in the premier shopping district...
Modest December '06 Might Make Bright January '07
Retailers reported big sales during the last week of December. However, economists described sales growth during this crucial holiday month as moderate....
Fast Times at Beach Bums
Beach Bums is on the move. In the past three years, the privately owned Anaheim, Calif.–based activewear retailer jumped from a two-store operation to 14 boutiques. Chief Executive Cliff Haddadin said...
More Organic
The amount of acreage devoted to organic cotton increased 14 percent in 2005, according to a recent survey released by the Organic Trade Association. The survey, funded by a Cotton Inc. grant, found that farm...
Urban Apparel Makers Tailor Strategies for Growth
Despite some recent hiccups, the urban-apparel market is riding another wave of growth fueled by endorsements from the country’s leading rap and hip-hop artists, and by a spate of retooling among the m...
Levi's Enters Growing Tummy-Flattering Denim Market
When Not Your Daughter’s Jeans debuted its Tummy Tuck line of jeans with reinforced belly panels for the over-40 set in 2005, the company’s sales hit $7 million in the first year. And, despite focusing on a v...
Keep It Legal
Retailers say minimum-wage increase will have minimum impact...
SoCal Gas Puts Up $10m in Rebates
Southern California Gas Co. is offering more than $10 million in energy-efficiency rebates to customers through a variety of programs. The offering is a record high for the utility company....
Buxbaum Group Adds Exec
The Buxbaum Group, the more-than 30-year-old company in Calabasas, Calif., that started out as a liquidator and appraiser of retail and wholesale inventories, has hired Ned Tomasevic as a fin...
PVH Completes Superba Purchase
New York–based Phillips–Van Heusen Corp. completed its acquisition of Los Angeles–based tie manufacturer Suberba Inc., which produces neckwear for several labels, including DKNY, Perry Ellis, Ted Baker, Michael Kors and Hart Sc...
U.S. Apparel and Textile Manufacturers Take Stand at MAGIC
A group of fabric and apparel manufacturers that produce goods exclusively in the United States will be countering the winds of overseas sourcing by setting up two booths at February’s MAGIC M...
Blue Marlin Parts Ways With K-Fed, Shutters Gerry Space
San Francisco–based sportswear firm Blue Marlin Corp. is following the lead of Britney Spears and severing ties with aspiring rapper Kevin Federline, who helped endorse the company’s F...
Jak & Rae Label to be Dropped
Two months after announcing a refreshed vision and hiring designer Coco Kliks, Jak & Rae, the better contemporary label started by Los Angeles juniorswear manufacturer Hot Kiss, ...
Eddie Bauer Sale to Proceed
Redmond, Wash.–based Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. announced that the required Hart-Scott-Rodino waiting period had expired without request for additional information regarding the sale of Eddie Bauer to G...
Garfield & Marks Sold
A partnership consisting of Rousso Apparel Group Inc. and Li & Fung (1937) Ltd. acquired the assets of New York– based label GarfieldMarks LLC, producer of the Garfield & Marks and Womyn labels...
2007 Law Update: Minimum Wage Is the Industry's Largest Hurdle
California’s garment manufacturers have precious few new state and federal laws to adapt to in 2007. “We are not aware of any legislation that particularly affects the garment, fashion ...
Eletra Casadei Opens Boutique
Eletra Casadei’s new retail store serves as a laboratory of ideas and a chance to connect with her customers....
