Wednesday, February 28
Sanuk Parties for its Chapter 2
Sanuk made a splash with its irreverent humor and comfortable footwear. On Feb. 27, it partied for its 'Chapter 2' in a faux Hollywood dive restaurant.
Tuesday, February 27
DSTLD Pops on Melrose
Direct-to-consumer brand DSTLD recently opened a pop-up shop at 8406 Melrose Ave.
Monday, February 26
DTLA Boutique Pioneer The Well Says Goodbye
Downtown Los Angeles boutique pioneer, The Well, bid retail adieu on Feb. 24 with a splash.
Friday, February 23
UBM Sells MR Magazine and Sister Publications
UBM sells MR Magazine and sister publications.
The Creative and Fun Side of the Business in Vegas
Trade Shows
Creativity abounds at the Las Vegas shows.
Kate Moss’ Half Sister Does PacSun Line
It goes without saying that Kate Moss has been influential in fashion. But does fashion savvy run in her family?
Thursday, February 22
IFJAG Vendors Keep Busy at Hotel Venue
Trade Shows
The International Fashion Jewelry and Accessories Group took over three floors at the Embassy Suites near the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino for their third show in Las Vegas, held Feb. 10–13.
Coco Chanel for Kids
Fashion
Shopping for children’s books doesn’t usually lead to Coco Chanel, but Malibu, Calif.-based author Susan Goldman Rubin wants to change this misconception.
Supima Cotton’s Origin to be Verified in New Program
Textiles
In the world of cotton, it is an open secret that some products labeled 100 percent Egyptian or Pima cotton are not what they appear and are really cheaper cotton.
Cooling Fabrics Are Becoming Really Cool
Cooling Fabrics
Companies involved in the development of fabrics that achieve a cooling effect are proliferating in the U.S. to meet demands by apparel makers and other manufacturers.
Curve Engages Retailers in an Intimate Setting
Trade Shows
During the Curve show, held Feb. 12–14 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, exhibitors and retailers were hopeful. From award-winning lines to retail expansion, Curve’s small size didn’t hinder its potential. Attendees from lingerie, swimwear and other categories examined new products and—ideally—put pen to paper.
A Practice in Sustainability at Pool
Trade Shows
Delivering on its usual promise of independent lines and unique pieces, Pool offered alternatives to the mainstream brands that exhibited in other areas.
A Promising Outlook at Project Womens
Trade Shows
Throughout the Project Womens space at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center vendors felt a strong sense of optimism as they showcased their pieces and fielded orders from retailers who were ready to buy yet made selections carefully.
Stitch Experiences Vary at Show
Trade Shows
At Stitch, held Feb. 12–14, the atmosphere was a mixture of zealous vendors, optimistic retailers and a few disappointed exhibitors.
Luxury’s Legacy at The Tents
Trade Shows
Tucked away from the chaos of other show areas, The Tents in at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas offered a more refined buying experience for selective men’s retailers who searched for pieces appealing to a discerning clientele.
Growth Slows in Key Fashion Categories
Retail
Business driven by millennials, athleisure styles and e-commerce resulted in $215 billion in U.S. apparel sales in 2017, according to market-research firm The NPD Group.
Exhibitors See Mixed Results at Agenda
Trade Shows
Vendors at the Feb. 12–14 run of the Agenda trade show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center reported mixed results for the three-day event.
Chinese New York Puts a Dent Into Sourcing at MAGIC
Trade Shows
Curtains around the edges of the Sourcing at MAGIC show marked the boundaries of a smaller exhibiting area at the Feb. 11–14 event at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Imagination Blossoms at WWDMAGIC
Trade Shows
Creativity was thriving at the WWDMAGIC show, held Feb. 12–15 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Womenswear in Nevada Keeps the Beat Steady
Trade Shows
This was only the second time that the Yak & Yeti label exhibited at the Womenswear in Nevada show Feb. 12–15 at the Rio All-Suite Las Vegas Hotel & Casino.
Liberty Moves in New Direction to Expand
Trade Shows
In 2013, Sam Ben-Avraham introduced Liberty Fashion & Lifestyle Fairs to fill a hole in the trade-show market.
OffPrice Unveils a New E-trade Show
Trade Shows
At its recent Feb. 10–13 event, the Offprice show reported a slight dip in exhibitors for the organization’s 47th show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, but vendors said that didn’t affect business, which was booming.
Project and The Collective Run Giant Shows
Trade Shows
Spreading over the sprawling show floor of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, a wide variety of menswear brands exhibited their Fall ’18 looks at Project and The Collective during the shows’ Feb. 12–14 run in Las Vegas.
Gap Brand President Steps Down
Manufacturing
Jeff Kirwan, the president and chief executive officer of Gap Inc.’s namesake Gap brand, will leave the company, it was announced on Feb. 20.
Guess Chairman Stepping Down During Investigation of Sexual-Harassment Accusations
Marciano Steps Down
Paul Marciano, a cofounder of Guess? Inc. and the Los Angeles company’s chairman and chief creative officer, is taking a leave from his day-to-day duties while an investigation is being conducted following sexual-harassment accusations by model Kate Upton.
Buyers Pack Las Vegas to Peruse Some 15 Trade Shows
Trade Shows
If retailers couldn’t find what they were looking for in Las Vegas, they probably couldn’t find it anywhere.
California’s Economy Will Continue to Outshine Most of the United States
Finance
The California economy has been going gangbusters over the past few years and should continue to march along nicely over the next two years.
Clarion Events and Premium Exhibitions Reveal Partnership
Trade Shows
Under their new agreement that was finalized in October 2017, Berlin-based Premium Group and Clarion Events in England produced their first events as partners in January 2018.
Wednesday, February 21
Selling Clothes With Comedy
Retailers have to find every opportunity to sell clothes. For Neely Shearer of the In Heroes We Trust boutique, it’s a comedy nightclub.
3.1 Phillip Lim's Lunar New Year
Not even one year old, the 3.1 Phillip Lim boutique in downtown Los Angeles' Art District celebrate something of a milestone.
Express at NBA All-Star: Or Remembering NBA Fashion Past
Express put its take on suiting on display at NBA All-Stars Weekend.
Mitchell & Ness Parties with the Jocks at All-Star Weekend
The Mitchell & Ness brand has spent decades making caps with sports team logos and jerseys with a nostalgic feel. During the recent NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, it pulled in a number of jocks to its various events.
California’s Economy Will Continue to Outshine Most of the U.S.
California, with its technology, aerospace and entertainment industries, will continue to outdo the rest of the United States.
Tuesday, February 20
Guess Chairman Stepping Down During Investigation of Sexual-Harassment Accusations
Paul Marciano, a cofounder of Guess? Inc. and the Los Angeles company’s chairman and chief creative officer, is taking a leave from his day-to-day duties while an investigation is being conducted following sexual harassment accusations by model Kate Upton.
Monday, February 19
Kith and A Bathing Ape Take L.A. Bows
More about the stores which opened during the NBA All Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
Friday, February 16
Bodega Kicks Off NBA All Star Weekend
Bodega started NBA All Star Weekend with an after hours party featuring samba dancers and DJs. It's only the beginning of a weekend of store openings and parties.
Thursday, February 15
Jila Atelier's DTLA Show
Perched on the aeries of OUE Skyspace, Jila Atelier showed its gowns Feb. 10.
Bachelors Ball Goes For the Serious Costume
The 113th annual Bachelors Ball Went Down on Feb. 9. Costumes were a big deal at the shindig at the Beverly Hilton hotel.
Freede Named MadaLuxe Group’s CEO
Retail
MadaLuxe Group, the Seal Beach, Calif.–headquartered company that distributes luxury goods in off-price and full-line channels, has named Adam Freede its chief executive officer. He was previously president of the company.
Why Apparel Sourcing in the Americas Is Important for the U.S. Market
Import/Export
Apparel factories and mills in the Western Hemisphere are still a significant supplier to U.S. retailers that are whittling down their lead times and looking for more just-in-time delivery.
Tadashi Shoji Styles Are Long on Sophistication and Eveningwear
Red Carpet Ready
Elegance was on the runway at the Tadashi Shoji runway show held Feb. 8 at New York Fashion Week.
Mad Engine Acquires Mighty Fine for Fourth Acquisition
Manufacturing
Mighty Fine, a mostly juniors and children’s apparel maker based in downtown Los Angeles, has been acquired by Mad Engine. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Drastic Shifts Seen in Endorsement Deals Between Celebrities and Fashion Labels
Manufacturing
Product endorsements from Hollywood stars, professional athletes, pop stars and supermodels have always played a pivotal role in driving sales and generating visibility for fashion brands. In fact, over the past 20 years, the agreements under which celebrities were engaged to endorse brands in the fashion industry have remained rather stagnant in both form and substance.
Retail Imports Will Rise During the First Half of the Year
Import/Export
With wages going up and unemployment going down, shoppers are expected to continue hitting the stores, which means more imports will be coming in by the boatload.
A Successful Holiday Season Reaps Benefits in Las Vegas
Feel the MAGIC
An air of optimism blew through the various trade shows held Feb. 10–14 in Las Vegas as many retailers were encountering empty shelves in their warehouses from a robust holiday season, which set up a willingness to place orders and stock up for the upcoming seasons.
New Apparel and Textile Sourcing Show Slated for Miami
Trade Shows
Hundreds of apparel and textile manufacturers from China, India, Bangladesh, the United States, Mexico and other countries will be exhibiting at the newly established Apparel Textile Sourcing Miami show, scheduled for May 21–23.
Outerknown Settles Into Sustainability
Outerknown
When John Moore started a new gig at Outerknown, he didn’t think he was going to have to rethink all of his assumptions about design.
Wednesday, February 14
Monday, February 12
Future Feminine in Hollywood
Fashionand Photography
Exhibit gives the female point of view in photography.
Friday, February 9
Band of Outsiders Pops at Fred Segal
Last year Band of Outsiders got a new headquarters, new creative team and a new direction. With the help of Liberty Fairs trade show, it produced a pop-up shop at Fred Segal.
Thursday, February 8
Macerich Sees Lower Revenues but Solid Vacancy Rates
Retail
The Macerich Co., a real estate investment trust that owns interests in 48 regional shopping centers, said its annual revenues for 2017 were down a little more than 6 percent while its net income slipped dramatically.
Retail Sales Push Year To Good Start
Retail
For U.S. retailers, 2018 started out on a positive note.
Costume Designer Luis Sequeira Had 12 Week to Put Together his Academy Award-Nominated Costumes
Fashion
Research, research and research. Those are the hallmarks of a good costume designer.
Costume Designer Mark Bridges Took on Detective-Like Qualities to Develop ‘Phantom Thread’ Costumes
Fashion
Costume designer Mark Bridges said one of his greatest challenges in creating the styles for the “Phantom Thread” movie was the fact that it was shot in London and not Los Angeles.
FIDM Unveils Academy Award-Nominated Costumes and Other Movie Attire at its Campus Museum
Oscar Material
More than 800 people from the film and fashion industry showed up for the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s unveiling of an extensive exhibit of costumes seen in movies released in 2017.
Is ‘Smart Clothing’ Set to Supercharge the Fashion Industry?
Technology
Fashion can be forgiving … sometimes. Forget fiddly watches, wireless earbuds that don’t stay put and unattractive virtual-reality glasses. “Smart clothing” is set to supercharge the fashion industry.
New High-Tech Yarn Is the Ticket to Smart Garments
Super-Tech Yarn
A North Carolina yarn manufacturer is hoping to “push the envelope” in the burgeoning smart textiles category.
California Apparel News Hires Dorothy Crouch as Associate Editor
News
Apparel News Group Publisher and Chief Executive Terry Martinez announced the hiring of Dorothy Crouch as the newspaper’s associate editor. Crouch started Feb. 5 and is working under the guidance of Executive Editor Deborah Belgum.
Boardriders Names New CEO to Replace Pierre Agnes
Swim/Surf
After Boardriders’ 54-year-old chief executive disappeared off the coast of southeast France on Jan. 30, the Southern California surfwear company has named his replacement.
What’s in Store for the Factoring Business With Fewer Stores on the Retail Landscape?
Finance
The retail boneyard is piled high with store doors that closed last year, and many more may be on the way.
Retailers Dabble in Selling With Bitcoin
Retail
Since August, designer Maya Reynolds, whose brands include Clade and Uncommon Thrds, has ventured into the cryptocurrency world by doing a handful of sales in bitcoin.
What’s Checking: An Independent Boutique District Grows at Row DTLA
Retail
After six years of running a boutique in an established retail neighborhood in Los Angeles’ Echo Park area, Whitney Bickers rolled the dice and moved her shop, Myrtle, to a new neighborhood that has yet to register on many fashion-savvy people’s radars.
Uprisal: Introduction to Patagonia’s Activism
Environmentally Fit
Patagonia has made headlines with its unique mission of being an activist company.
Levi Strauss Sees Profitable Year After Turn-Around Campaign
Manufacturing
Levi Strauss & Co. is planning to open 100 new stores this year, mostly outside of the United States, as it concentrates on international sales and building markets in China, India and the Americas.
Paige: From Premium Denim to a Lifestyle Legacy
Beyond Denim
At the beginning of the 21st century, the premium-denim market was buzzing with hot new brands that saturated the industry, driven by a consumer demographic comprising 20-something women willing to exhaust an entire week’s pay on one pair of jeans.
Investing in Los Angeles’ Next-Gen Knitting Industry
Manufacturing
As many design houses rely on outsourced production that has been sent overseas, domestic suppliers are investing in their own businesses, building strong reputations for quality products and incomparable service.
Wednesday, February 7
Project’s Gallery Show Before Vegas
A week before the production of its Las Vegas trade show, Project made a presentation at New York Fashion Week.
Tuesday, February 6
Six:02 Takes A Bow At Hollywood & Highland
Sneakerhead styles for men have been a giant fashion news story for more than 10-years. But women’s sneaker fashion market remains underserved said Karla Welch at the Feb. 6 opening of Six:02. It's a store devoted to women's fashions and sneakers at Hollywood & Highland retail center.
Monday, February 5
Wahoo’s Fish Taco Celebrates 30th in Surf Industry Style
If you follow the surf biz, you know Wahoo’s Fish Taco. Get ready for its 30th anniversary party.
Exhibit Opens of Costumes Nominated for Academy Awards
Fashion and the Movies
All five of the nominated costume designs up for Academy Awards are on display at FIDM.
Friday, February 2
East LA Steps Out for Art Walk
Art and Fashion
The artists in East Los Angeles are a talented group that get together to display their creations once a month.
Thursday, February 1
Epson Asks Designers to Create Fashion Prints With New Printing Technology
Technology
Epson is holding its fourth annual “Epson Digital Couture Project” on Feb. 6 in New York leading up to New York Fashion Week, which begins Feb. 8.
Twin Designers From Mexico Highlight Indigenous Fabrics in Their Collection
Indigenous Influence
Twin sisters Paulina and Malinali Fosado grew up in Mexico with an anthropologist father who collected popular art and passed on his love of Mexican culture and art.
Trans-Pacific Partnership Could Be a Done Deal by March
Import/Export
The new and improved Trans-Pacific Partnership is going forward without the United States as the other original members of the accord hashed out their differences in January, with a new free-trade pact expected to be signed as early as March.
Oeko-Tex, a Certification Group, Updates Its Programs
Manufacturing
Since the 1990s, the Oeko-Tex Association has set standards for consumer protection and sustainability in textiles.
Polartec Introduces Less Bulky, Insulation Fabric
Textiles
Polartec was introduced on the fabric scene more than 30 years ago as an alternative to wool. It offers wool’s warmth but is not as heavy and is machine washable.
Grosso Moda Invests Deeper into Gerber Technology’s Software
Technology
The Netherlands’ Grosso Moda works with a network of apparel factories based around the globe.
Guess Inc.’s Paul Marciano Accused of Sexual Harassment
Manufacturing
Weeks after fashion and celebrity photographers Mario Testino and Bruce Weber were accused of sexual harassment, another fashion figure, Paul Marciano, was accused of similar misconduct.
Search Called Off for Boardriders CEO Missing at Sea
Swim/Surf
Rescue operations in the south of France were called off in the search for Pierre Agnes, the 54-year-old chief executive of Boardriders Inc., the parent company of Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes in Huntington Beach, Calif.
Surf Expo Ends on a High Note With Fair Weather
Surf Expo
What a difference a few months make. Last September, the Surf Expo show was disbanded after one day when Hurricane Irma walloped Florida and parts of the East Coast.
Texworld USA Reveals New Fabric Trends Among Exhibitors
Trade Shows
New looks in denim and advances in technical fabrics were hot topics at the recent Texworld USA, a large fabric sourcing event held Jan. 22–24 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
NAFTA Local Experts Debate the Pros and Cons of the Free-Trade Agreement
Import/Export
Free trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada has become a hot topic lately as negotiations to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement have been going on since last year.
Fashion Market Northern California Sees Upbeat Retailers
Trade Shows
Warmer weather and a better economy were two bright spots at the Fashion Market Northern California show, where buyers found an easy-to-navigate exhibition space at the San Mateo County Event Center.
A Wave of High-End Streetwear Shops Skates into DTLA
Retail
Downtown Los Angeles has experienced an unprecedented revival over the past five years with big swatches of the district being transformed from blighted streets to neighborhoods buzzing with new restaurants, boutique hotels and now an onslaught of high-end streetwear stores.
Nayali Seeks Activewear Alternative
Manufacturing
It’s a boom time for women’s activewear, but while more designers are getting into the activewear game, a major group of women have been ignored, said Shilpa Rajpara, designer of the Nayali brand.
After Focusing on Cottage Biz, Haley Solar Branches Out With New Label
Sustainable Fashion
Los Angeles designer Haley Solar has been behind a sewing machine since she was 7 years old, a skill she continues to use today for the clothes she makes for her Junim Los Angeles boutique, located in Los Angeles’ Eagle Rock neighborhood.
