Monday, November 30
Scanatic 360 Body Scanner Unveiled in Stockholm and Chicago Area
3D BODY SCANNING
The Scanatic 360 Body Scanner device recently made a debut that spanned the globe.
Tony Hsieh, Former Zappos CEO, 46
OBITUARY
Tony Hsieh, the celebrated entrepreneur who built the online shoe retailer Zappos.com into a $1 billion footwear-and-clothing company and spearheaded a revitalization of downtown Las Vegas, died Nov. 27.
Wednesday, November 25
Faherty to Abbot Kinney
RETAIL
Faherty, a beach lifestyle brand, recently opened a shop at 1338 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Will the COVID Surge Affect Black Friday?
Holiday 2020
COVID-19 cases have surged in Los Angeles County, putting the area’s residents and businesses on edge just before Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday-shopping season.
Tuesday, November 24
Coterie Names Courtney Bradarich VP of Events
TRADE EVENTS
The contemporary womenswear trade show Coterie announced the appointment of Courtney Bradarich as its new vice president of events. Coterie is part of the Informa Markets Fashion portfolio.
Nicholas Mayfield Introduces E-commerce, as Second Coachella Collaboration Launches
FASHION
Prior to the most-important shopping season of the year, designer Nicholas Mayfield announced his entrance into e-commerce with a new website and a fresh Coachella collaboration celebrating the festival's 20-year anniversary.
Holiday Sales Forecast Strong, According to NRF
RETAIL
Holiday retail sales will increase between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent, to between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion compared to the 2019 holiday season, according to a forecast released Nov. 23 by the National Retail Federation trade group.
Monday, November 23
For the Holiday Shopping Season, eBay Invests in Small Businesses With Grants
RETAIL
As part of its Up & Running small-business-accelerator initiative, eBay announced the launch of its Up & Running Grants program to provide aid that will help sellers from the holiday selling season into 2021.
Google Unveils Plex Digital Banking Service
TECHNOLOGY
Technology company Google recently announced a digital banking service called Plex, which it will officially introduce in 2021.
Rodeo Drive Starts Its Holidays With 'Visions of Holiday Glamour'
RETAIL
Rodeo Drive kicked off its winter holiday season Nov. 21 when the installation “Visions of Holiday Glamour” was unveiled on the luxe street.
Thursday, November 19
Planet Blue to Close Its Bricks-and-Mortar
Retail
Since 1995, Planet Blue has sold swimwear and contemporary, beach-inspired styles with a bohemian edge for women at its bricks-and-mortar stores and on its digital channel, shopplanetblue.com. Earlier this month, the shop announced through email and its social-media channels that it would be closing its 12 physical shops while maintaining an e-commerce presence.
NuOrder Survey Finds Brands Committed to Wholesale
Retail
Produced by NuOrder, a Los Angeles–headquartered wholesale e-commerce platform, the recently released “Future of Wholesale” survey reported that wholesale will continue to be an important market, said Adam Schneider, NuOrder’s chief operations and financial officer.
Railcar Fine Goods Opens New Factory and Headquarters
Manufacturing
After 10 years in business, the denim brand Railcar Fine Goods is gambling on growth.
With Its Latest SustainaSole Collection, Sanuk Unveils Its Eco-friendliest Shoe Yet
Sanuk’s Eco-footwear
Founded on “good vibes” and promoting a mission of environmental responsibility, the Goleta, Calif., footwear brand Sanuk recently unveiled its second SustainaSole Collection of shoes for men and women.
Despite Challenges, October Retail Sales Increase
October Retail Sales
With good news from the retail front regarding October sales numbers, economists are optimistic that consumers, who have been actively shopping—such as those pictured at Commerce, Calif.’s Citadel Outlets—and spending, will continue this momentum throughout holiday 2020.
Port Traffic Up, Port Officials Warn of Trade Imbalance
Import/Export
The Port of Los Angeles announced that October ranked as the busiest month in its 114-year history. A surge of container traffic also was experienced last month in Northern California, according to a statement released by the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif.
The Dawn of New Design Trends as Apparel Consumption Is Reassessed
Spring/Summer 2022 Preview
The times we’re experiencing—the sign of profound transformation—questions the excess of yesterday and pushes us to take a new look at how we consume. Conscious of society’s upheavals and changes in the environment, we see a return to reassuring, enduring values and a desire for transparency and ethics to help us consume less and better.
High Traffic and Expanded Reach Mark Success for Informa Markets Fashion Digital
Trade Shows
Launched with the wholesale e-commerce platform NuOrder on Sept. 1, Informa Markets Fashion’s digital trade event established itself as a channel integral to the apparel industry’s success.
L.A.’s Matrushka Construction Unveils Limited Line of Bowie-Inspired Pajamas
MANUFACTURING
David Bowie has long been a cultural touchstone and obsession, and Los Angeles' Matrushka Construction wants fans to cozy up with its pajamas that feature a sketch of the rock star's face.
Tuesday, November 17
Dockers Unveils New Store at Citadel Outlets
RETAIL
Levi Strauss & Co’s Dockers brand opened a 1,801 square-foot shop at the Citadel Outlets retail center on Nov. 13.
Monday, November 16
Wrangler and Adult Swim Join Forces on 'Rick and Morty' Apparel
MANUFACTURING
Denim brand Wrangler and animated adult television-programming network Adult Swim recently entered into a collaboration paying homage to the "Rick and Morty" series.
Epson Unveils Printer for Direct-to-Consumer Biz
TECHNOLOGY
The direct-to-consumer business has skyrocketed in the past few years, and, in response to this boom, the Los Alamitos, Calif.–headquartered Epson has sought to support this segment of the apparel market with new technology.
Friday, November 13
Shop Collaboré Makes A Debut
SUSTAINABILITY
Sustainability has been a buzzword in the fashion industry for the past few years, but its news still needs to be spread into the mainstream.
Thursday, November 12
Trina Turk Reflects on 25 Vibrant Years of Design, Remains Optimistic
Trina Turk at 25
As 2020 comes to a close, Trina Turk reflects on her brand’s 25 years, discusses her new book, reveals her source of inspiration and shares her Spring 2021 collection.
What lessons have you learned through producing virtual trade events?
Trade Show 2021
After months of developing methods to bring the industry together during the COVID-19 pandemic, many apparel-trade-show producers invested in digital-platform virtual shows, while others waited to safely produce onsite events.
NRF, AAFA, RILA Trade Groups Issue Statements About the Election
Retail
National trade groups representing retailers and apparel manufacturers sent congratulations and pledges to work with the incoming Biden-Harris administration shortly after last week’s election in the United States.
Moving Toward Greener Freight and Logistics, Flexport Seeks to Offset Carbon
Freight and Logistics
For technology-focused freight forwarder Flexport, creating a more streamlined approach to global trade has been the company’s goal since the introduction of its cloud software and data-analytics platform in 2013.
3DLook Pumps Up Digital Body Measuring Technology
Technology
After winning a fashion-technology prize in 2019 from the luxury conglomerate LVMH, the parent company of Louis Vuitton, 3DLook, headquartered in San Mateo, Calif., intends to take its digital body-measuring technology a step further.
Broadway Trade Center, a Major DTLA Project, for Sale
Retail
The Broadway Trade Center was one of the most ambitious projects for revitalizing downtown Los Angeles and bringing high-end retail to a once-blighted urban center. But after COVID-19 and civil unrest, the project has been put up for sale.
Solid Holiday Sales Forecasted by NRF and Deloitte
Retail
2020 has been a year like none other in recent memory, but despite the big issues of a divisive election and an economic slowdown driven by a pandemic, economic forecasters working with the National Retail Federation and Deloitte are predicting solid business during the 2020 holiday season.
Outerknown Finds a Natural Stretch Fabric For Its Iconoclast Jean
Outerknown’s Natural Stretch
The Outerknown brand was started by surf champion Kelly Slater and creative director John Moore in 2015 to introduce a new surfwear line to a market that had been dominated by a group of major brands for years by creating a brand that was devoted to sustainability.
Michael Tomson’s Life to be Celebrated with a Paddle Out
EVENTS
Michael Tomson, a pioneer in the competitive sport of surfing and the surfwear business died last month at age 66 from throat cancer.
Beverly Center to Unveil Pop-Ups from Black-Owned Brands
RETAIL
During 2020, as calls to action were made regarding promoting equity in the United States, part of these messages included challenging major brands to become more serious about diversity and supporting Black-owned businesses.
Wednesday, November 11
Forever 21 Unveils Holiday Hub to Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of America
RETAIL
Forever 21 is planning on a holiday season focused on raising funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
Trinidad3 Drops Holiday 2020 Collection on Veterans Day
Trinidad3 Holiday 2020
As a military veteran–led brand that manufactures its goods in the United States, the Los Angeles–based denim label Trinidad3 has established itself as a source of pride in the industry and throughout the country.
Tuesday, November 10
Zendesk Takes Customer Relations to Social Media
TECHNOLOGY
As digital commerce has skyrocketed during the COVID-19 pandemic, analysts have forecasted that doing business online will become even more important during the 2020 holiday season.
Monday, November 9
Social-Shopping Tools From Verishop Blend Social Media and E-Commerce Features
TECHNOLOGY
The social-shopping platform Verishop announced new features for its iOS application Nov. 9. The platform allows users to tag products, create and upload content to share on their own collection boards, as well as follow fellow users and brands.
Psycho Bunny to Roll Out California Bricks-and-Mortar
RETAIL
In 2005, menswear mavens Robert Godley and Robert Goldman started Psycho Bunny, a menswear company focused on the irreverent graphic of a rabbit’s head and crossbones. They made T-shirts, ties, polo shirts, golf apparel, socks and other items bearing a bunny Jolly Roger logo. Years later, the brand is still on the move.
Friday, November 6
Holiday 2020 at Citadel Outlets to Start With Christmas-Tree Lighting Nov. 14
RETAIL
Every winter holiday season, Citadel Outlets, just south of downtown Los Angeles, aims to go big with holiday decorations.
Thursday, November 5
PacSun Enters Activewear Category
ACTIVEWEAR
PacSun Active has entered the market as retailer Pacific Sunwear of California's effort to expand into fresh categories that promote wellness, inclusivity and an active lifestyle.
Guess Tries Cute Culture With Little Cloud Line
FASHION
Over the years, Guess? cultivated its reputation as a go-to brand for editorial with sex appeal and star models such as Anna Nicole Smith and Kate Upton. With a new limited-edition capsule collection, it is going for cute.
Wednesday, November 4
DC Swim Week Makes a Miami Beach Debut
FASHION
After a few months’ worth of scheduling delays because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the DC Swim Week produced its Miami Swim Week debut.
Ace Rivington Unveils New Santa Barbara Flagship
RETAIL
The Ace Rivington brand is taking its flagship to a bigger stage.
Tuesday, November 3
Surf Expo to Produce In-Person Show in January
TRADE SHOWS
The Surf Expo coastal-lifestyle and water-sports trade show announced Nov. 2 that it is planning to produce an in-person event in Orlando, Fla., scheduled to run Jan. 6–8.
Retailers Board Up Shops to Guard Against Potential Riots
RETAIL
Police chiefs, merchant groups and business improvement districts have urged retailers to cover store windows with plywood for protection against possible rioting during this week's presidential election.
Ortery Unveils StylePad to Support Fashion E-Commerce
TECHNOLOGY
Photography is an important part of selling any product in digital commerce and Ortery Technologies, which runs offices in Irvine, Calif., and Taiwan, has focused on developing automated-photography tools such as desktop photo booths, camera-control software and other items that allow digital-commerce entrepreneurs to take pictures of their inventory.
