California Apparel News

SwimOutlet.com has announced the relaunch of Sporti, its top-performance private-label swimwear line along with a series of design collaborations with top athletes and influencers including Stef Corgel; artists Tyler Wallach, aLILscribble, Mat Chavez, Damian Orellana and She Is This; Olympians Emma Weyant and Alex Walsh; and swimmers Gretchen Walsh and Shaine Casas. The first collaboration, the Stef Corgel x Sporti Collection, launched June 1 and features prints named after iconic Southern California destinations. The second collection, with Tyler Wallach, launched June 8 and features a selection of swimwear for LGBTQ+ swimmers and allies alike. The Sporti x Tyler Wallach collection is donating a portion of the proceeds to the It Gets Better Project, a nonprofit aimed at empowering and uplifting LGBTQ+ youth around the world. Upcoming collaborations will be launched throughout the rest of 2022 and into 2023 with a special highlight on partnerships with college athletes.

Left on Friday, a premium active swimwear brand, has launched its newest color, a retro red hue named Camp. Consumers can purchase the Offshore and Sunday tops, the Hi Hi and Hi Tide bottoms, and the Sunday Suit and Peak Suit one-pieces in the new color. To celebrate summer and showcase the newest shade, Left on Friday captured cheerleaders and gymnasts on the move wearing the products. Left on Friday was founded by two former Lululemon executives and is a fan favorite among active celebrities such as Jessica Alba, Maria Sharapova and Kate Upton. Products are designed in Vancouver and made in California using high-quality Smoothing Dream Fabrics from Italy.

The 5th Annual Wonder Woman Initiative is set for July 16, during Miami Swim Week, at the Kimpton Angler’s. The theme for this year’s event, “Metanoia: The Crowned Mind,” will be hosted by Brazilian model and actress Karmel Bortoleti and is set to highlight the creative vision of positive transformation through the shift of mental and physical states. Honorees at the event include Victoria Vesce, a Sports Illustrated Swim finalist who is also a brain-tumor survivor; business strategist and author Gloria Ward; and Renee “Stichiz” Casseus, philanthropist and iHeartRadio host. Featured designers showcasing during the event include Tayo Ishola of Eido Swimwear, Jennifer Nicole Lee with her VIP Queen Collection, Judith Gaffney of Culture Trees, Maranatha Novembre of Allure Novembre, Gina Marie Xocal of Xocal Biquini and Jnaba Diallo of Dieo.

Mimaki USA, a manufacturer of inkjet printers and cutters, has announced the launch of its new online store for the U.S. and Canada markets, Mimaki eShop, which represents the first time in the company’s history that products are available for sale directly to consumers. Mimaki eShop offers a curated selection of “experienced” machines, accessories inks and overstock products, with an ever-changing lineup of available merchandise. The online store is easy to navigate and was built with customer use as a priority. “Whether it’s to satisfy an interest in trying us for the first time or for the seasoned Mimaki user looking to expand their lineup, our new online store has something for everyone,” said Vernon Jones, Senior Marketing Manager at Mimaki.

The NPD Group, in its new Inclusive Apparel Market Trends report, found sales revenue for women’s plus-size apparel grew by 18 percent in 2021, three-times faster than consumer spending on the remaining women’s market. After casual apparel, basics make up the largest share of units sold in plus-size apparel, at 27 percent compared to 19 percent for the rest of the market. Jeans, tops and swimwear are the top categories consumers want more options in sizing. “Plus-size is a booming yet underserved area of the apparel industry,” said Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry analyst at NPD. “The intimate-apparel market has been a pioneer in inclusive sizing, proving that the consumer will spend on categories where she feels well-represented.”

Bold Metrics Inc. has announced an $8 million Series A financing round led by Bessemer Venture Partners with other participation from Lytical Ventures, ValueStream Ventures and Nanban Ventures. The latest round brings the company’s total funding to $12.3 million. The AI-first SaaS solution already has a global presence and will use the funds to accelerate expansion into new markets while also scaling research and development. Bold Metrics provides apparel brands and retailers the most accurate AI Body Modeling technology to help reduce returns, boost conversion rates and quantifiably improve sustainability efforts while making shopping easier. With an ever-growing supply of 45 million body models, the company continues to lead the market and adds more than 2 million body models per quarter. In addition to its core capabilities, Bold Metrics unveiled the world’s first Body Data NFT technology, which offers a streamlined experience for shoppers buying clothing online, in-store or in the metaverse.

The Milliners Cotton Organic Project has harvested its first-ever certified organic cotton, which is also the first batch of certified conversion cotton harvested from Kohlu, Baluchistan. Artistic Milliners and BESTSELLER have collaborated to help provide more transparency in the value chain of organic cotton. As part of the project, seeds were distributed to farmers who were then taught organic-cotton-farming techniques. In 2019, Artistic Milliners, BESTSELLER and the WWF became the first private-sector investor in organic-cotton cultivation in Pakistan, with that project now encompassing over 2,000 farmers and nearly 9,300 acres of land. “This season’s harvest will be a game-changer in the cotton industry of Pakistan. We are here to bridge the gap between organic-cotton supply and demand,” said Omer Ahmed, CEO of Artistic Milliners.

La Plage Miami has announced its formal presence as a boutique trade show at Miami Swim Week July 15–18. My Fashion Agent founder Marc Merklen is working with the French government to expand the presence of French swim- and resortwear brands globally, building on the success of the La Plage Showroom. La Plage Miami will take place in multiple penthouses of the Boulan South Beach Hotel and feature 20 brands including Beliza, CAMALYA, MAIÔ Paris and more. Merklen decided to expand the showroom concept to a boutique trade show after receiving feedback from buyers that his suites offered a break from the traditional booth experience.