California Apparel News

Amazon.com, Inc. has a new chief executive officer. On Feb. 2 it was announced that Jeff Bezos, Amazon’s founding CEO, will assume the role of the Seattle-based retail giant’s executive chair of the board. He also will spend more time developing his other interests, which include The Washington Post newspaper and nonprofits such as the Bezos Earth Fund, according to a letter Bezos sent to his staff and workers. Andy Jassy, CEO of Amazon Web Services, was tapped to lead the influential company. He will start his new job in the third quarter of 2021. Bezos said that he felt the time was right to make a change. “Amazon is what it is because of invention. We do crazy things together and then make them normal,” he said in a statement. “Right now, I see Amazon at its most inventive ever, making it an optimal time for this transition.”

Boardriders Inc., the parent company for some of the action-sports market’s most popular brands including Quiksilver, Billabong and RVCA, announced a new CEO on Feb. 3. Arne Arens, the former global brand president of The North Face label, is scheduled to start leading the Huntington Beach, Calif.–based company on March 1. Arens will succeed Dave Tanner, who will remain on the action-sports company’s board of directors. Tanner led the campaign to restructure Boardriders’ predecessor company, Quiksilver Inc. He also oversaw the 2018 acquisition of Billabong, one of Quiksilver’s major rivals.

Kendra Scott, an Austin, Texas—based accessories retailer, announced Feb. 1 that Tom Nolan, its company president, has been promoted to CEO. Kendra Scott, the company’s namesake and founder, will continue to serve as executive chairwoman and majority owner and will lead design, customer experience and philanthropy. Nolan worked on brand initiatives including developing omni-channel retail, rolling out physical stores and increasing the brand’s wholesale presence.

Minnetonka Moccasin, the Minneapolis-based heritage footwear brand, is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2021 by releasing remastered versions of some of the brand’s most popular styles. The 75th-anniversary styles will include its sheepskin slippers, white leather moccasins and Two Button Boots, which were seen on actor Brad Pitt’s feet in the 2019 film “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood.”

YKK Corp., best known for its production of zippers and plastic hardware, announced Feb. 3 a new initiative for its YKK Group Environmental Vision 2050 campaign. The new initiative will measure CO₂ absorption rates in the company’s e-kakashi system at a company facility in Japan. Meteorological data and environmental data will be collected by e-kakashi sensors to visualize CO₂ absorption rates in real time. A YKK statement said that the initiative’s information will be used in YKK’s greening activities across the world as well as in promoting awareness of CO₂ absorption in green spaces.