L.A. Fashion District Fire Destroys Three Storefronts
Retail
An all-encompassing blaze that broke out at 4:20 a.m. on July 11 destroyed two stores that occupied three spaces on Wall Street in the Los Angeles Fashion District.
Talon Develops New Style of Zippers
Textiles
The Talon zipper has been around for more than 100 years, used in military uniforms, leather jackets, denim pants, dresses, shirts and skirts.
Happy Socks Treads Into the Swimwear World
Happy Swim
More than a decade ago, a Swedish advertising executive and an illustrator banded together in Stockholm to start Happy Socks with the goal to make the world a happier place with some crazy-looking socks with colorful prints.
A Touch of Italy in Monique Lhuillier Collection
Italian Spring
For Spring 2020, Los Angeles designer Monique Lhuillier traveled to northern Italy and Lake Como for a setting that influenced this season’s collection.
Levi Strauss & Co. Sees Revenues Rise in Second Quarter
Denim
Levi Strauss & Co. reported that second-quarter revenues were up across all brands, regions and key product categories with sales rising 5 percent to $1.3 billion.
Hammitt Opens First-Ever Retail Store in South Coast Plaza
Retail
Handbag brand Hammitt decides to open its first store ever.
Sidway Swim: Looking to the Glamour of the 1990s for Inspiration
Swim/Surf
The path to creating Sidway Swim had a lot of twists and turns that took designer Sarah Sidway Godshaw on a long learning experience.
U.S. Economy Expands, but Tariffs Wait in the Wings
Finance
With the United States entering into a historic economic expansion period, tariffs and the threat of more tariffs on Chinese imports could be the bump in the road to financial good times.
Gump's to Reopen in San Francisco
Retail
After filing for bankruptcy in December, the new owners of Gump's will open a store in San Francisco once a new location has been found.
Los Angeles Sock Maker Increases Production With Licensed Socks
Manufacturing
When Alex Ryu founded Soxnet Inc. in 2002, his main business came from making private-label socks for big retail chains and brands including Forever 21, Old Navy, Aeropostale, Gap, Calvin Klein, Costco, Target and JCPenney.
Obituary: John Marshall, Owner of JM International Group
Textiles
John Marshall, a longtime Los Angeles resident and president and owner of JM International Group, passed away on June 15 from natural causes. He was 52.
Organization Urges Trump Administration to Include Apparel and Made-Up Textiles in Next Round of Chinese Tariffs
Import/Export
As the trade war between the United States and China intensifies, members of the National Council of Textile Organizations have been urging the Trump administration to include apparel and certain textile items in the next round of tariffs.
Fashion Students at Santa Monica College Present LA Mode 2019
Asian Boho
The fashion students at Santa Monica College showcased an eclectic mix of styles that was heavy on recycled denim.
New Brand Is the Next Chapter for Lubov Azria
Manufacturing
For more than 25 years, Lubov Azria was the creative force behind the well-known California contemporary label BCBGMaxAzria.
Three Dots Acquired by Los Angeles Manufacturer
Three Dots, the Southern California brand of women’s contemporary knit tops and other apparel that abruptly closed its doors in April, has been acquired by FAM Brands.
Fabletics Has a New Dance Partner
Athleisure
Fabletics taps dancer and celeb Maddie Ziegler for a new capsule collection.
Mexican Tariffs Are Off for Now but Manufacturers Still Cautious
Import/Export
The Trump administration’s threat to impose a 5 percent tariff on all goods imported from Mexico did not go into effect on June 10 as threatened.
Moschino Does the Monster Mash for Its Men’s and Women’s Collections
Moschino’s Monster Mash
Creative director Jeremy Scott did his own interpretation of Resort and Spring for the Italian brand Moschino.
Southern California Ports Tell a Tale of Two Traffic Stories
Import/Export
Business at Southern California’s seaports has been looking a little schizophrenic.
Guess Sees Net Loss With Revenues Increasing in the First Quarter
Retail
Carlos Alberini, the new chief executive of Guess?, Inc., was celebrating more than four months on the job with financial news from the Los Angeles company’s first quarter of 2020.
Black & White Ball Honors Two Outstanding Individuals at Fund-Raising
Events
Some 450 guests gathered June 1 at the recently opened InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown hotel for a fund-raising event benefiting the respiratory hospital National Jewish Health in Denver.
Los Angeles Apparel Contractor Fined for Underpaying Employees
Manufacturing
After a six-month investigation, the U.S. Department of Labor issued a nearly $54,000 fine against a Los Angeles garment sewing contractor for underpaying 21 employees.
True Religion Names a New Interim CEO
Another new interim CEO is named at True Religion.
UCLA Anderson Forecast Sees a Slowing Economy Amidst Trade War
As the economists putting out the UCLA Anderson Forecast were writing their quarterly report released on June 5, the Trump administration had not yet announced its 5 percent tariff on all Mexican goods being imported into the country.
Wrangler Introduces Nearly Zero-Water Denim Dyeing
Sustainability
Wrangler uses foam-dyeing technology to eliminate water when treating denim apparel.
Report Says Forever 21 Holding Debtor-in-Possession Talks
For months, the fashion industry has been talking about Forever 21 being in financial difficulties after it started shutting down all its stores in China and selling its giant headquarters building east of downtown Los Angeles.
Gap Sees Same-Store Sales for Key Brands Fall in First Quarter
Retail
The first quarter of 2019 did not go well for Gap Inc., the San Francisco purveyor of blue jeans and other casualwear.
Otis College of Art and Design Looking for a New President
Fashion
With the departure of Bruce Ferguson, the president of Otis College of Art and Design for four years, the educational institution is looking for a new, permanent president.
Miami Swim Week to Get a New Trade Show for Resort Collections
Trade Shows
Informa Markets, the people behind some of the biggest trade shows in the world, including MAGIC, is organizing a new event for Miami Swim Week this July.
Los Angeles Trade-Tech Students Celebrate Woodstock’s 50th Anniversary
Woodstock at LATTC
Love and peace were in the air at the annual Gold Thimble Fashion Show held May 24 in the south tent on the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College campus.
Monique Lhuillier Moving Her NY Flagship
Retail
The new flagship is not far from her current flagship store on the Upper East Side.
Boardriders to Lay off 40 People in Orange County, Calif.
Retail
Boardriders, the surfwear company, is laying off 40 employees according to records filed in early May with the state Employment Development Department.
Survey Finds Sustainability Affects Clothing Purchases
Manufacturing
The results of a survey of 7,300 men and women in various countries revealed that more shoppers are taking into account the role clothing brands are playing in sustaining the environment and preventing climate change.
Academy of Art University Students Take On Nature and the International Scene for Inspiration in Their Annual Fashion Show
International Inspiration
Students from the Academy of Art University in San Francisco presented their creative interpretations on fashion at their annual student fashion show.
Students in Flagstaff, Ariz., Win Vans Shoe Contest
Fashionable Footwear
The winners received $75,000 in prize money for their arts program at the high school.
Woodbury University Celebrates 55th Annual Student Fashion Show
Architectural Influence
Architecture was the inspiration for this year’s Woodbury University student fashion show, where graduates were able to take what they spent years learning and display it on the runway.
Delta Galil Sees Sales Rise in First Quarter
Manufacturing
Delta Galil, the Israeli-based apparel company whose California labels include 7 For All Mankind, Splendid, Ella Moss and P.J. Salvage, reported a 9 percent increase in sales for the first quarter of 2019.
Proposed Tariffs on Chinese Goods Has the Apparel Industry Scrambling
Import/Export
Robert Jungmann has been importing hemp fabric from China for more than 20 years for the T-shirts he manufactures in Los Angeles.
How Far Will Tariff Expansion Go?
Import/Export
As the Trump administration threatened to again raise tariffs on $200 billion worth of Chinese imports as soon as May 10, many were wondering how far it would go and what it would cost the American consumer.
Trina Turk Celebrates 10 Years of Retail in Northern California
Retail
Los Angeles designer Trina Turk opened her first store in 2002 with a location in Palm Springs, Calif.
Max Azria, Founder of BCBGMaxAzria Group, Passes Away in Houston
Founder of BCBGMaxAzria, passes away.
Halston Goes to the Desert for Pre-Fall 2019
Desert Dreaming
The Los Angeles–based Halston label looked to the desert for some of its pre-Fall 2019 inspiration.
Designers Calvin Klein and Donna Karan Talk About Their Brands at Annual Beverly Hills Finance Conference
Fashion Designers Talk
In 1968, Calvin Klein founded his self-named fashion company and spent years building up a brand that became renowned for style, sophistication, and sexy jeans and underwear ads.
Brokedown Clothing Finds Success With Quirky Phrases
Manufacturing
When Jodi Benavidez started her clothing company, Brokedown Clothing, her collection of T-shirts, tanks and sweatshirts was known for its buttery fabrics and clever graphics that had a beach vibe or a Western feel.
Global Travels Inspire Johnny Was Collection for Fall ’19
Johnny Was World
Johnny Was has always been a leader when it comes to infusing ethnic flair into its collection.
Semi-Finalists Named in Vans 'Custom Culture' Shoe Contest
Fashionable Footwear
Seven high schools in California are among the 50 semi-finalists named in the Vans shoe contest.
Sene Studio Takes Custom-Made Suits in a New Direction
Manufacturing
Athleisure apparel has been at the forefront of a trend that has swept across the country for the past several years.
Bebe Stores Names New Board Member
Retail
Bebe Stores Inc. has named a new member to its board of directors. New to the board is Perry Mandarino, who became a member on April 22. He replaces Kenneth Young, a director who joined the board last year.
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