California Apparel News

On Oct. 23, it was announced that Mandy Fry, co-founder of the Amuse Society brand, was named president of Z Supply, LLC, an Irvine, Calif.–headquartered manufacturer of contemporary women’s styles. Z Supply brands include its namesake Z Supply as well as Rag Poets, White Crow and Others Follow.

This is a new position for the company, and Fry will take over some tasks formerly directed by Greg Garrett, who currently serves as a co–chief executive officer for Z Supply. Fry started in her new role immediately after the announcement. She reports to Garrett and co-CEO John Zhao. Fry’s responsibilities include design, merchandising, marketing, e-commerce and sales for all of the company’s brands, Garrett said.

“Her proven track record, strong business acumen and innovative leadership skills made her a natural choice for the company,” Garrett said in a statement. “Her passion for branding and design, her depth of experience, and our aligned goals will help as we push the brand portfolio into the next phase of growth.”

Before becoming the company’s president, Fry spent six months consulting for Z Supply, which sells to e-commerce and boutique specialty retailers such as Polkadots & Moonbeams in Los Angeles and Jack’s Surf Shop in Huntington Beach, Calif. She started her career as a swimwear designer for Quiksilver/Roxy in 1997, later serving as a senior design director for Billabong and a vice president of the women’s division at Volcom. From January 2014 to March 2018, she worked as president and creative director for Amuse Society.

“After six months of consulting for Z Supply, it was refreshing to see how innovative their operational structure was,” she said in a press release. “I am very impressed with the streamlined infrastructure, sourcing relationships and overall backend operations. Greg, John and I are aligned on our vision for the future of the Z Supply portfolio of brands and are excited to work with the talented team to take the brands to new heights.”

In December, Z Supply will move to new headquarters, according to a company statement. The 23,000-square-foot space is located in Costa Mesa, Calif., which is a hub for surf, skate and action-sports brands.