Friday, July 29
Fashion District Sees Old Building Turned Into Apartment Building
Fashion District
The Maxfield Lofts on Santee Street have leased out one-fourth of the residential units since opening.
Thursday, July 28
Wet Seal Blogs The Bloggers
Wet Seal’s rebound campaign is hoping to make a splash with bloggers, bloggers, bloggers.
What Are the Roadblocks This Year for Apparel Makers and Retailers?
Finance
California Apparel News recently spoke with several finance-industry executives about what challenges apparel manufacturers are facing this year that they didn’t have to confront last year and how the presidential election is influencing consumer attitudes.
Ailing Bebe Stores Relying on Joint Venture to Save Its Business
Retail
Bebe Stores Inc., the California retailer that has been bleeding money for the last four years, said its recently formed joint venture with Bluestar Alliance to find licensees for the brand is marching forward quickly.
The Off-Price Market Is Switched On
Retail
In a tough retail market, off-price stores are churning up some of the best performances in the business.
Immediates Goods and Orders Placed at Coast Contemporary Show in Miami
Trade Shows
This season, the Coast contemporary trade show shifted the timing of its show to coincide with Miami Swim Week.
Agenda Offers a Streetwear and Contemporary Alternative in Miami
Trade Shows
Streetwear trade show Agenda this year opened a Miami edition of its biannual show, held in Long Beach, Calif., and Las Vegas.
High-End Mix Showing in the Tents at Cabana
Trade Shows
The sweltering summer heat didn’t stop buyers from storming into the Cabana trade show, held in two pristine white tents along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach.
Existing Brand, International Labels and Emerging Designers at Hammock
Trade Shows
Now in its second year after a substantial rebranding, the Hammock trade show returned to the W Hotel with 80 exhibitors offering a variety of niche resort, swim and accessories brands, including Kai Lani Citrine, Issa de Mar and Revel Rey Swim.
Large Retailers, E-tailers and Boutique Buyers Turn Out for SwimShow
Miami SwimShow
Though most of the Miami Beach Convention Center was closed off due to an extensive renovation that kicked off earlier this year, Miami SwimShow 2016 was in full swing.
Sustainability and Storytelling at 10th Anniversary of Texworld USA
Trade Shows
Texworld USA celebrated its tenth anniversary during the fabric sourcing trade show’s July 12–14 run at the Javits Center.
Digital Media, Emerging Brands Influence 33rd Edition of Première Vision New York
Trade Shows
Première Vision New York celebrated the 33rd edition of the biannual trade show during the July 19–20 run at Pier 94 in Manhattan, where more than 352 exhibitors showcased the latest textile, trim and original artwork collections.
LA Swim
Making Waves
Swim and lingerie labels hit the runway at Los Angeles Swim Week as Miami Swim Week was closing.
Art Deco Festival Returns to Queen Mary
Fashion
The 12th annual Art Deco Festival is a chance to see fashion, art and architecture in Long Beach.
Wednesday, July 27
TV Costume Designs to be Displayed at FIDM Museum
Fashion
Exhibition will show more than 100 costumes from 22 TV shows.
Tuesday, July 26
NYC Beachwear Brand, Faherty, Takes It To Newport Beach
Waters are crowded in the swim/beachwear market, but New York City’s Faherty brand hopes to make a California splash.
Monday, July 25
Friday, July 22
Elizabeth and James Chooses LA for First U.S. Store
Retail
Elizabeth and James store opened by the Olsen twins.
Thursday, July 21
At Platform: Curve X Tom Dixon
Curve X Tom Dixon
On July 20, a gala opening was held for their 7,000-square-foot emporium, called The Shop, Curve X Tom Dixon.
Miami Swim Week: Cruise Debut
Cruise Debut
Miami Beach was center stage for the launch of Swimwear’s Cruise 2017 season, which debuted on the runways and at private parties during Miami Swim Week.
Lucy Introduces Extended Size Range
Manufacturing
Lucy, the Alameda, Calif.–based activewear brand, is launching a new extended-size range.
Football Pro Terrell Owens Launched Prototype 81
Prototype 81
Former NFL player Terrell Owens launched a new luxury activewear collection during the recent run of the MRket trade show at the Javits Center in New York.
Pokémon Go Craze Luring Shoppers to Stores and Malls
Retail
The marquis sign outside the Urban Outfitters store in downtown Los Angeles carries a curious message. It says: “There’s a Pikachu in my soup.”
Next Stop for Streetwear Brand: Hotel Rooms & Lobbies
Retail
At the W Hotel in Hollywood, guests can order apparel and accessories from LA brand ADBD, which are delivered like room service.
Guerilla Atelier: Ultra Luxe Store Grows in Arts District
Retail
Carl Louisville spent a career on retail on Los Angeles’ affluent Westside, but in 2011 he decided that opportunities lay east. He opened the ultra-luxe boutique Guerilla Atelier in the Skid Row–adjacent Arts District in downtown Los Angeles.
Old Fame Tries Something New
Old Fame
After starting a career in fashion design and leading a surfwear company called Old Fame, Steven Esterley was dying to try something different.
Wednesday, July 20
Miami Swim Week: San Lorenzo
Cruise 2017
San Lorenzo’s barely-there bikinis and one-pieces were rendered floral and feminine for the Spring 2017 line, which was showcased on the runway on July 17 at the Lycra Swim Salon at the W South Beach hotel during Miami Swim Week.
Miami Swim Week: Gottex
Cruise 2017
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, Gottex introduced its Cruise 2017 collection on July 16 at the W South Beach hotel during Miami Swim Week with a mix of the brand’s classic style elevated with bold metallics and racy silhouettes.
Miami Swim Week: Hammock
Cruise 2017
This year’s Hammock runway show—held July 15 at the W South Beach hotel during Miami Swim Week—was a departure from the standard romp.
Miami Swim Week: ViX by Paula Hermanny
Cruise 2017
Rich, burnt colors, animal prints, and stripes were present throughout ViX by Paula Hermmany’s Spring 2017 collection, which featured swimsuits, accessories and ready-to-wear resort pieces on the runway at Funkshion Miami Fashion Week on July 15.
Miami Swim Week: Lee+Lani
Cruise 2017
Los Angeles–based swimwear brand Lee+Lani debuted its 2017 line at a runway show on July 15 at Funkshion Fashion Week during Miami Swim Week.
Artist Collaboration Makes for Colorful Sandals and Shoes
Fashion
California footwear maker Sanuk collaborates with the "Queen of Collage" to make brightly hued sandals and boat shoe.
Tuesday, July 19
Slippers for the Sophisticated Set
Kevyn Wynn wants you to slip into something glamorous—ideally a pair of her “cocktail slippers.”
Monday, July 18
Miami Swim Week: Cruise 2017
Cruise 2017 swim season is underway in Miami Beach with a packed line-up of swimwear runway shows and trade shows.
Forever 21 Opening in Romania With Franchisee
Forever 21, the Los Angeles–based fast-fashion retailer, is hoping to open its first store in Bucharest by this fall.
Volcom Launches Jeans and Chinos Fit for Skateboarders
Fashion
For its Fall/Winter collection, Volcom develops a blue jeans with the help of the Cone denim mill in North Carolina.
Thursday, July 14
Off-Price at Majors Show to Bow at CMC in September
Trade Shows
The California Market Center is launching a new trade show focused on the off-price market.
Active Collective Expands to NY, Swim Collective Shifts Dates
Trade Shows
Activewear trade show Active Collective will expand to the East Coast in January.
Balenciaga to Rodeo
French fashion house Balenciaga opened its second American flagship at 353 N. Rodeo Dr. recently.
Au Courant: Social Change By Boutique
Kelly Fielding took an extended break from Los Angeles' fashion rat race to go backpacking in South America and work in a women’s shelter in India. At the women’s shelter, clothes were made for export and Kelly had an Eureka moment. She could work on changing the fashion business and help people, if she sold clothes from places like the shelter and artisan co-ops around the developing world. She will produce a grand opening party for boutique Au Courant - which sells these fair trade clothes - on July 19.
Obituary: Showroom Owner Terry Ventre, 62
Trade Shows
Terese Virginia Ventre—known to her friends, familiar and colleagues as Terr—died on June 23 after a short battle with lung cancer. She was 62 years old.
Coolibar Acquired by California Company
Manufacturing
Minneapolis-based sun-protective apparel and accessories maker Coolibar Inc. has been acquired by Olivarius Hospitality California, a Santa Barbara, Calif.–based company owned by Olivier Leclercq.
Andrew Richard Named VP Regional Sales for ASICS America
Manufacturing
Irvine, Calif.–based ASICS America Corp., the U.S. headquarters of Japanese footwear and athletic apparel brand ASICS, has named sportswear industry veteran Andrew Richard vice president of regional sales for the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Brazil.
Silicon Valley–Based EFI Acquires Optitex
Technology
Electronics For Imaging Inc., a printing technology firm based in Fremont, Calif., has acquired Israel-based design software firm Optitex Ltd. for approximately $52.8 million.
New York Men’s Collections
NY Fashion Week
Now in its third season, NY Fashion Week: Mens, held at Skylight Clarkson Sq in Manhattan, featured a mix of established and emerging menswear labels.
FMNC Draws Retailers from Pacific Northwest—and Beyond
Trade Shows
Fashion Market Northern California, the apparel and accessories trade show in San Mateo, Calif., typically draws retailers from across Northern California as well as a few from neighboring states. But during the show’s recent June 26–28 run at the San Mateo Event Center, exhibitors reported seeing buyers from as far away as Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Los Angeles Gift Show Alters Dates Next Year and Moves
Trade Shows
LAMKT, the Los Angeles gift and home market, is moving its more than 200 exhibitors from the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center to The Reef, near downtown Los Angeles.
Daytime Rates Rising to Pick Up Cargo Containers at the Ports
Import/Export
If you want to pick up your cargo containers during the day at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, it will cost you a little more.
Rosenthal & Rosenthal Launches New Division With New Hires
Finance
Rosenthal & Rosenthal, a finance company specializing in factoring and asset-based lending, announced it is starting a new division called Rosenthal Trade Capital to provide alternative inventory-financing solutions to cash-constrained companies.
St John Knits: Searching for the Magic Formula
St John Knits
St. John, the venerable Southern California luxury label that is a staple in many well-heeled shoppers’ closets, has been on an odyssey in recent years.
Niche Suit Maker Jimmy Au’s Leaves Beverly Hills for Sherman Oaks
Jimmy Au’s
There’s only one store in the United States selling suits and gear for the shorter man; it’s Jimmy Au’s for Men 5’8” and Under, said Alan Au, company vice president.
Levi's Acquires Einstein's Iconic Leather Jacket
Fashion for a Genius
For its archives, Levi Strauss & Co. garners the winning bid for Albert Einstein's brown leather Cossack jacket.
Wednesday, July 13
Combat Gent Opens First Retail Store in Santa Monica
Retail
After being online for four years, Combatant Gentleman is opening its very first retail store in Santa Monica Place.
Tuesday, July 12
U.S. Port Traffic to be Uneven for Back-to-School and Holiday
The nation’s ports are expected to see up-and-down import cargo volumes for the rest of the year as retailers gear up for Back-to-School and Holiday sales.
Monday, July 11
Friday, July 8
Obsessee Doesn't Want Your Money
“Your money isn’t good here! We want your social media posts.” This is the mantra of a pop-up shop to produced July 15-17 by the online only media title Obsessee.
Thursday, July 7
Otis Fashion Design School Moving to Westchester
Fashion
Otis fashion design department packing up and moving out of the California Market Center.
June Business Better Than Expected
Retail
For many retailers, there was no June gloom. They did better business than what many Wall Street analysts predicted.
Retailers Increasingly Shifting Over to E-Commerce
Retail
If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. That is becoming the popular mantra of retailers as the industry goes through a revolution, according to Marc Heller, president of CIT Commercial Services, a division of CIT Group Inc. in New York.
Fraser Ross Files Suit Against Attorneys for Malpractice Over Kitson’s Demise
Retail
Retailer Fraser Ross filed a lawsuit for legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty against Los Angeles law firm Jeffer Mangels Butler & Mitchell LLP in Los Angeles County Superior Court on July 1.
Getting Energized With Vitamin A by Amahlia Stevens
Swim/Surf
Designer Amahlia Stevens’ swim collection is designed, sourced and produced in Southern California with an eye toward fit, fashion and sustainability.
Swim Trends: The Beach Scene—Cruise 2017
Trends
Swimwear designers are turning up the heat as they head to Miami to debut Cruise ’17.
Waterwear Cruise 2017: Rainforest Retreat
Fashion
Inspired by exotic vacations to locales from the Amazon and Southern Yucatan to Indonesia and sub-Saharan Africa, the tropical rainforest serves as the backdrop for innovative and beautifully designed swimwear.
Kornit Says New Vulcan Printers Can Reduce Cost Per Print by 40 Percent
Technology
Commercial printing solutions provider Kornit Digital North American is preparing to begin shipping its Vulcan system.
Tim Gunn Returns to Speak at Gerber Ideation 2016
Technology
“Project Runway” star Tim Gunn will be speaking about the convergence of fashion and technology at Gerber Technology’s Ideation technology conference in Miami Beach, Fla.
Fall/Winter ’17-18 Key Denim Directions by Trendstop
Trends
Denim is transcending its workwear roots. Global fashion forecasting agency Trendstop gave us the lowdown on the major denim trends for Fall/Winter ’17/’18—from key silhouettes to surface finishes.
Hyosung Launching Creora Fresh
Textiles
Hyosung, maker of Creora spandex, is introducing a new odor-neutralizing spandex fiber called Creora Fresh at the upcoming Interfilière show in France.
Amaiò Swim: Cross-Cultural Collection Inspired by Couture
Amaiò Swim
Samantha Khoury, the designer of Los Angeles–based Amaiò Swim, spent her early years traveling between the east and west coasts of the United States as well as France and Lebanon. This cross-cultural and cross-continental upbringing informs her recently launched swimwear collection, which is also inspired by Khoury’s studies in studio fine arts, literature and fashion design.
Koru: Kiwi-Inspired
Kiwi-Inspired
Koru Swimwear is based in Florida but inspired by New Zealand. Founder Julie Stine drew on her New Zealander heritage when she named her swimwear collection for the Maori word for “spiral,” which symbolizes new life, hope, spiritual growth, purity and peace.
Kacey|Shana: From Beach to Poolside to Yoga Studio
Kacey|Shana
The Kacey|Shana collection is designed to adapt to an active lifestyle that may include swimming, surfing, lounging poolside or hitting the gym.
Australian Label We Are Handsome Relocating to L.A.
We Are Handsome
We Are Handsome designers Jeremy and Katinka Somers launched their swimwear collection in 2009 with an emphasis on the couple’s shared love for travel, design and “the occasional tropical adventure.”
Mid-Year Financial Review: Retailers Take on a New Attitude as Economy Slows
Finance
As consumers continue to adjust their buying habits and purchase less on apparel, retailers are tweaking their business models to keep shoppers coming through the doors.
Agenda Goes Back to its Roots in Long Beach
Back in the LBC
Energy was high during the July 29–30 run of action-sports and streetwear trade show Agenda, held at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif.
Wednesday, July 6
Melrose Ave To Get Wheels – With New Shuttle
Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue has a long history of being the address to innovative boutiques. But the fabled boulevard also has been dogged by the same complaint year after year. The city blocks are too long. Enter the Melrose Shopping Shuttle.
Tuesday, July 5
Aussie Bridal Store Opens First U.S. Flagship in LA
Retail
Grace Loves Lace opens first U.S. flagship store in Los Angeles.
