Friday, November 30
Oliver Peoples and Assouline Reveal Their View of California
EVENTS
With its new book collaboration "California as We See It," luxury-eyewear brand Oliver Peoples collaborated with finely crafted-book publisher Assouline for an intimate, insider view of the Golden State.
Indie Activewear Brands Pop in Santa Monica
Many Americans took second and third helpings of pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving. For those who want get back in shape stylishly, a group of independent activewear brands and wellness groups set up a pop-up shop in Santa Monica.
Thursday, November 29
Emerald Expositions Searches for a New CEO
Trade Shows
Emerald Expositions continues to look for a replacement for its longtime president and chief executive officer, David Loechner.
Invista Unveils Lycra FreeF!t Technology at Kingpins NYC
Manufacturing
During last week’s Kingpins NYC show, held Nov. 28–29 at Pier 36/Basketball City in New York, integrated-fiber company Invista unveiled the new patented Lycra FreeF!t technology to its North American audience.
Noble Sands Gives Limitless Wardrobe Options With Less
Manufacturing
The idea behind Julie Habelmann’s recently launched Noble Sands line is this: One piece of fabric can do it all.
Touché LA Rebrands as LA Collective to Support Local Fashion Culture
Collective L.A. Style
After a 2016 launch that grew into a vertically integrated manufacturing operation for activewear and athleisure clothing, Touché LA has changed its name to LA Collective.
AAFA Announces Honorees for American Image Awards
Manufacturing
The American Apparel & Footwear Association, a trade organization in Washington, D.C., representing hundreds of the country’s largest manufacturers, named the recipients of its annual American Image Awards, which will be presented April 15 at the Plaza Hotel in New York.
Black Friday Sees a Dip Over Last Year but Still Considered Strong
Black Friday Report
While more than 165 million Americans shopped online or in stores during the Black Friday weekend—which now extends from Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday—the numbers were down by nearly 10 million shoppers from 2017.
Organized Retail Crime Increasing in the United States
Retail
In the past year, organized retail crime has victimized 92 percent of retailers across the country, with Los Angeles taking the No. 2 spot, according to a recent survey released by the Washington, D.C.–based National Retail Federation.
Swimwear Brand Lolli Debuts Lingerie
Manufacturing
Lingerie either is trying too hard to be sexy or it is dull and utilitarian, said Vy Nguyen, founder, designer and chief executive officer of Lolli, a Laguna Beach, Calif.–headquartered swimwear brand.
Wednesday, November 28
Los Angeles’ Surf Is Dead In 2018 Coolest Designers on the Planet Collection
Los Angeles' Maverick Surf Is Dead Brand made a special hoodie for the capsule collection curated by the Gap brand and GQ magazine.
Tuesday, November 27
New Company to Take Over Some National Stores Outposts
National Stores Saved
After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in August, National Stores has found a way to keep some of its stores open after announcing it was closing all of them.
Monday, November 26
Buck Mason's New Larchmont Village Store
Just before its fifth anniversary year passed, the Los Angeles-headquartered brand Buck Mason opened its fifth store.
Wednesday, November 21
Levi’s Sues Yves Saint Laurent America for Trademark Infringement
Legal
The famous trademarked red, blue or white tab found on Levi Strauss & Co.’s products has led the San Francisco denim maker to bring legal action against Yves Saint Laurent America, the American segment of the Parisian fashion house founded in the early 1960s.
Trinidad3: Serving the Marines and Premium Denim
Manufacturing
Fashion designer Trinidad Garcia III, a former sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps, believes military-inspired fashion gets it all wrong.
Maison H Debuts at CoutureMash
CoutureMash
Artistic images on prints and trendy silhouettes were part of the fashion show held at the Mash Gallery in downtown Los Angeles.
Retailer Rebecca Minkoff Talks About the Human Connection
Retail
Rebecca Minkoff believes that retail is more than technology. It is that human connection that keeps customers walking through the door.
Informa Names New President of Menswear Shows
Trade Shows
Informa, the British company that acquired UBM Fashion this year for $5 billion, has chosen a new president of menswear.
Gap Inc. Reports Third-Quarter Earnings Results
Retail
During its third-quarter earnings results, Gap Inc. said it expects its same-store sales for the year to be flat or up slightly as some brands are thriving and others aren’t.
London Fashion Week Co-Founder Eyeing Los Angeles for New Projects
LFW Co-Founder Eyes LA
After helping to launch London Fashion Week in the 1980s and nurturing the careers of several well-known designers, British fashion-industry icon Mikel Rosen is setting his sights on Los Angeles for his next fashion projects, which could include his own version of a Los Angeles–style fashion week.
Textile Science and Technology Shape the Future of Apparel Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Innovations in textile and design are two subjects that go hand in hand with sustainable manufacturing.
Building a Sustainable Business in the Era of Eco-Fashion
Manufacturing
Many sustainable-fashion experts discuss ethics, manufacturing innovations and research, but outlining how to navigate the economic shift toward greener fashion is often left out of the discussion.
Post-Fires, Fashion Companies Raise Funds for Relief
Fires are still blazing in devastated areas around Malibu, Calif., and Chico, Calif., as fashion companies answer the call to support recovery.
Tuesday, November 20
Elyse Walker Brings Saloni x Venyx to L.A.
Elyse Walker held a reception for British line Saloni x Venyx.
Commonwealth Bags Bravo
Streetwear-and-fashion store Commonwealth is coming up on the first anniversary of its location at the edge of downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District.
Old Navy Brings Goodwill to Black Friday
RETAIL
Starting off the 2018 holiday season by repeating its "One Dolla Holla Sale" on socks, Old Navy will donate $1 to Boys & Girls Clubs for every pair sold in stores on Black Friday.
Agenda Scales Back Trade Show to Focus on Consumers
A New Agenda
Agenda cancels traditional trade shows in Long Beach, Calif.
Monday, November 19
Fred Segal Unveils Fred Segal Hearts Ralph Lauren
Fred Segal in West Hollywood, Calif., is getting a double shot of Ralph Lauren.
Torrid Partners With Model Tara Lynn to Create Luxury Lingerie
FASHION
Torrid and model Tara Lynn have joined forces to create a luxury Holiday 2018 lingerie-capsule collection.
Friday, November 16
Ron Robinson Brings In 'Years' at Shop’s 40th
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Ron Robinson boutique, the founder Ron Robinson unveiled a memoir called Years at a Nov. 15 party at his shop on Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue.
Thursday, November 15
Fashionable Crowd Shows Up for Art Exhibit
Art & Fashion
Spanish artist portrays the female form in latest exhibit.
Guess Inc. Names J Balvin As the Face of Its Spring 2019 Campaign
FASHION
Building upon its relationship with Latin Grammy Award Winner J Balvin, Guess? Inc. announced the singer as the face of its Spring 2019 Vibras campaign.
Helena Legend Debuts Fashion Line
Helena Legend jets around the globe and deejays in glitzy nightclubs. She also unveiled a fashion line.
FCI’s Students Take the Runway
Fashion
Inside a photography studio just blocks away from the historic Sears building in the Los Angeles neighborhood of Boyle Heights, students from FCI Fashion School in Los Angeles displayed their creations after months of study.
After Decades, Men’s Clothing Shop Carroll & Co. Is Closing
Retail
With its distinctive green awning and its green-colored shopping bags, Carroll & Co. was a notable menswear player in Beverly Hills, Calif.
October Retail Sales Look Healthy
Retail
The economy continues to move along nicely as retail sales across the country were up 5.6 percent in October over last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
UBM Unveils Sustainability Show ReMode
ReMode Rethinks Fashion
Sustainability has increasingly been a topic in fashion circles, but UBM, parent company of the MAGIC trade show, gambled that everything from eco clothing to responsible manufacturing could be the center of a trade event.
Earnings Decline for Parent Company of Hudson Jeans and Robert Graham
Manufacturing
The company that started Joe’s Jeans and now runs Hudson Jeans and Robert Graham reported that its third-quarter earnings results took a step down from last year’s result.
Avery Dennison’s Third Quarter Sales in Positive Territory
Manufacturing
Avery Dennison, the Glendale, Calif., company that makes apparel labels and tags, RFID inlays, pressure-sensitive materials and specialty medical products, reported that its third-quarter sales ending Sept. 29 increased 4.8 percent over the same period last year to $1.76 billion. Net income was up 38 percent, to $150 million.
Outdoor Retailer Launches a New Show Schedule
Trade Shows
Under clear blue skies with a forecast of snow, Outdoor Retailer did something it has never done before.
Levi Strauss Reported to Be Planning an IPO
Retail
Levi Strauss & Co., the 145-year-old blue-jeans maker in San Francisco, is headed to the stock market to raise between $600 million and $800 million with an IPO next year.
Cynthia Vincent Launches Baacal to Expand Her Reach in Apparel Manufacturing
Manufacturing
Los Angeles designer Cynthia Vincent has returned to designing clothing, yet this time she has accepted a mission that blends two buzz-worthy initiatives: sustainability and large-size apparel.
Defining American Cotton’s New Role in the Global Market
The Future of Cotton
During the biennial Sourcing USA Summit, global cotton-industry decision-makers, trade experts and government administrators convened at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess to discuss the current state and future of the industry.
Wednesday, November 14
Levi Strauss Reported to be Planning an IPO
Levi Strauss & Co, the 145-year-old blue jeans maker in San Francisco, is headed to the stock market to raise between $600 million and $800 million with an IPO next year.
Tuesday, November 13
Hendrix Tees Go Fashion
On the 50th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland album, a fashion line inspired by the guitar master's style is planned to be rolled out.
Malibu Fires Shut Down Major Fashion Retailers
With hundreds of residents evacuated, retailers have had to shut their doors at Malibu's major shopping spots.
Friday, November 9
Daniel Patrick X Starter Black Label Launches With Streetwear Staples
FASHION
On Nov. 3, Daniel Patrick celebrated the launch of his new collaboration, Daniel Patrick X Starter Black Label, ahead of the capsule collection's Nov. 9 release.
$170-Million Renovation of CMC in DTLA Begins
Brookfield Renovates CMC
Brookfield Properties, the property-management firm that took a controlling interest in the California Market Center—or CMC—in 2017, has announced that it will begin transforming the site into a mixed-use creative space and fashion-industry campus through a $170-million overhaul project.
Thursday, November 8
The RealReal Releases Its Holiday 2018 Most Obsessed Gift Guide
FASHION
Heralding in the busiest shopping time of the year, San Francisco-based luxury-consignment brand The RealReal offered a glimpse into the hot items for the 2018 holiday season.
Nordstrom Local, The Americana at Brand Popping in Holiday Pop-up Shops
It’s just a couple of weeks before the big shopping spree called Black Friday starts, why not start early?
Shop & Dine
Trade Shows
Following a day of negotiating, viewing trends and investing in the fashions that will generate customer traffic, celebrating a trade-show victory is always in order.
Trade Shows Make Changes to Adapt to a Changing World
Trade Shows
The way we do business in the apparel and textile industries is being altered at lightning speed. With that in mind, the trade shows that serve those industries also are taking major steps to keep up with that changing world. We caught up with trade-show organizers to find out what they are doing to better serve customers.
L.A. Designer Fashion Show Helps Raise Money to Fight Cancer
Fashionable Fundraising
Los Angeles designer Ali Rahimi organized a fashion show with evening gowns, cocktail dresses and other silhouettes for a fund-raising event to combat cancer.
Hudson Jeans Parent Company Provides Inducement to New CEO and Hires a New CFO
Manufacturing
Centric Brands, the new name of the company that now owns the Hudson, Joe’s Jeans, Robert Graham and other labels, has hired a new chief financial officer and offered its new chief executive a hefty financial incentive package to remain with the company over the next three years.
Halloween Does Not Spook or Excite Retail Sales in October
Retail
Halloween was forecast to be robust for retailers, but October sales did not go beyond okay, according to Jeff Van Sinderen, a retail analyst for B.Riley FBR.
SuitKits: Bringing Women’s Suits Up-to-Measure
Smart Women’s Suiting
Casual Friday did not kill the women’s suit, said attorney and entrepreneur Sierra Elizabeth, who goes by the name Sierra E.
Will Dover Street Market Jolt the Arts District Scene?
Retail
Once a blighted, sparsely populated warehouse area, downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District has blossomed with chic restaurants, creative office spaces and lofts.
Jungmaven: Hemp and Vodka Art District Party
Fashion in downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District does not always mean a new store.
Beverly Center’s $500-Million Remodel Brings In More Fashion
Retail
The wrap-up of a $500-million remodel of the Beverly Center paved the way to usher in a new slate of high-profile boutiques inside the Los Angeles mall, which serves the fashion-savvy neighborhoods of West Hollywood and Beverly Hills.
Costume Designer Alexandra Byrne Honored During FIDM Museum Reception
Events
Ahead of its “Art of Motion Picture Costume Design” exhibition next February, the FIDM Museum at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising honored costume designer Alexandra Byrne for her work on the film “Mary Queen of Scots,” to be released Dec. 7.
J Brand Parent Company Brings New Sustainable Wash Process to Denim
Manufacturing
The Japanese parent company of Los Angeles–based J Brand and Japanese brand Uniqlo has developed a new nanobubbles-and-ozone-based wash process for its denim brands that will reduce water consumption by up to 99 percent.
Imbōdhi Owners Embody Sustainable Activewear Mission
Upcycling in Activewear
In 2017, Carolina Saboya and Ariel Dubov, who are dancers and acrobatic yoga teachers, launched Imbodhi in San Francisco.
Wednesday, November 7
Lafayette 148 New York To South Coast Plaza
The New York–headquartered Layfayette 148 New York label recently opened its first West Coast boutique in South Coast Plaza.
Monday, November 5
ComplexCon Becomes Launch Pad for Fashion Lines
ComplexCon is both a hip-hop concert and massive pop-up market for high-end sneakers and streetwear. When the third-annual ComplexCon ran Nov. 3-4 at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif., it also served as a place to launch new fashion lines.
Friday, November 2
Dolls Kill Does dELiA*s
Dolls Kill will release its dELiA*s line with a debut party at its Los Angeles flagship on Nov. 3. It's open to the public
Thursday, November 1
ModCloth Helps Hello Kitty Celebrate 44th Birthday
FASHION
For her 44th birhtday, Hello Kitty is being honored by San Francisco-based brand ModCloth with a full line of apparel.
Connecting to the Connected Consumer Through Mass Personalization
Technology
Understanding and connecting with customers directly is as important to brands and manufacturers as it is to retailers today. Where retailers have traditionally leveraged customer data and intelligence to drive email campaigns and experiences, brands and manufacturers have not possessed the customer data to understand who their customers really are—until now.
DC Shoes Founder Builds Up Latest Apparel Brand
DC Founder Goes Beastie
More than 20 years ago, Damon Way and Ken Block launched DC Shoes and built it into one of the skate category’s most influential brands. It was later acquired by Quiksilver, now called Boardriders, for $87 million.
Snapbac’s Performance Wear to Ice Down and Warm Up
Manufacturing
Icing down sore muscles is part of a typical pain-management regimen.
Bebe and Bluestar Acquire Gifts Retailer Brookstone
Retail
Bebe Stores Inc. announced it has partnered with Bluestar Alliance to acquire the brand name and related assets of beleaguered gifts-and-gadgets retailer Brookstone for an undisclosed price.
Study Offers Clarification on Consumer-Purchasing Priorities
Retail
As consumers rely on more e-commerce options and the threat of increased tariffs on goods from China grows, cloud-based technology firm First Insight, Inc. noted that retail executives are not accurately informed about the impact of pricing.
California Denim Leaders Head to Amsterdam to Discuss the Industry’s Future
Trade Shows
Descending upon Amsterdam for the city’s jeans-focused, event-filled week, leaders from the world’s denim industry met to share ideas, unveil innovations and work together to make a better supply chain.
Dame Launches to Blend Chic Fashion With a Sustainable Lifestyle
Dames of Eco-Design
Starting with a friendship that has grown for more than 10 years and apparel-industry experience that has spanned their entire careers, Alexx Monkarsh, Molly Levin and Wells Butler wanted to create a positive impact through clothing.
Lace and Fringe Infuse the Spring/Summer ’19 Collection by Kevan Hall
Luxe Fringe and Lace
For his latest collection, Los Angeles designer Kevan Hall introduced a new split-pant silhouette in stretch crepe for day and accented it with a tuxedo sequin stripe for night.
Differential Brands Group Now Has a New Name
Manufacturing
Differential Brands Group, the Los Angeles apparel company whose labels include Hudson, Robert Graham and SWIMS, is changing its name to Centric Brands Inc. after acquiring a significant part of Global Brands Group’s licensing business in North America.
New Tariffs on Chinese Goods Have Apparel Manufacturers Worried
Import/Export
When U.S. tariffs were levied in September on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports, some apparel companies saw the writing on the wall even if they wanted to erase it.
True Religion Names an Interim CEO
Manufacturing
Los Angeles denim company True Religion said it has appointed Chelsea Grayson as its interim chief executive officer while a search for a permanent CEO takes place.
