Ross Stores Supplier in L.A. Ordered to Pay $212,000 in Back Wages
Manufacturing
A Los Angeles manufacturer that supplies garments for Ross Stores has been ordered to pay $212,000 in back wages for employees of 13 of its subcontractors after the labor department found YN had violated requirements for minimum wage and overtime, according to a labor department release.
California Snowboarder Shaun White Partners With Macy's for Capsule Collection
Retail
The new line will be called Wht Space.
Toms to Open Second Los Angeles Store
Retail
The California shoe company is venturing into an upscale mall for its second retail outpost.
Buyers Navigate Multiple Venues, Categories at Las Vegas Shows
L.V. Trade Shows
When visitors arrived at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas for the Feb. 16–18 run of Project, Project Womens, Pooltradeshow, Collective and The Tents, the registration line snaked around the lobby, forcing buyers to wait up to 30 minutes to get their badges and enter the trade show.
California and Nation to See Continued Economic Growth
Finance
The latest LAEDC economic forecast calls for continued growth in California and the rest of the country.
Pantone Unveils a Palette of Colors for Fall 2016
Fashion
Blue is one of the predominant colors for the Fall season along with lots of mustard, red and forest green.
Retail Sales on a Positive Trail for 2016
Retail
Despite an uncertain economic beginning to the year, the National Retail Federation is forecasting that retail sales will be up 3.1 percent this year, which is slightly better than the 10-year average of 2.7 percent.
Chinese Website Promotes U.S. Apparel Brands in China
Technology
China, with a population of 1.4 billion people, is a burgeoning consumer market where shoppers are hungry for American clothing labels.
What Does an Economic Shift Mean for the Factoring Industry?
Finance
The global economy started out this year with a whimper, not a bang.
Everything But Water Opening in Beverly Hills
Retail
Everything But Water to establish an outpost on Beverly Drive in April.
Retail Sales on a Positive Trail for 2016
NRF forecasts retail sales to be up 3.1 percent in 2016.
Oscar-nominated Costumes on Display at FIDM
Fashion
Design school goes all out for motion picture costume display.
American Apparel Emerges From Bankruptcy
After four months in bankruptcy, Los Angeles clothing maker American Apparel announced on Feb. 5 that it had exited Chapter 11 bankruptcy after a reorganization plan was approved days earlier by the U.S. bankruptcy court.
Congressional Vote of Trans-Pacific Partnership Moves Farther Down the Road
Import/Export
Congress may not vote on the Trans-Pacific Partnership deal until sometime after the November presidential election.
California Market Center Makes Big Push to Add More Exhibition Space
Manufacturing
The California Market Center—the biggest apparel showroom complex in the Los Angeles Fashion District—is undergoing a metamorphosis by adding more mammoth exhibition space and consolidating showrooms onto fewer floors.
Third-Quarter Revenues Slip for American Apparel
Manufacturing
Just days after American Apparel was cleared to exit bankruptcy, the troubled Los Angeles clothing maker filed its third-quarter earnings results showing the company is bleeding money.
Paul Frank Returning to the Company He Founded
Manufacturing
Paul Frank Sunich, the man who invented Julius the Monkey and founded Paul Frank Industries—only to be forced out from his namesake venture—is back with the label.
Nordstrom Rack Opening in Orange County
Retail
Nordstrom Rack to open in Tustin, Calif., in a mall owned by the Irvine Company.
Otis Fashion Students Help Design New Lane Bryant Collection
Retail
The fashion students at the Otis College of Art and Design had a special assignment last year: Put together a collection of plus-size work outfits that will be sold at Lane Bryant stores.
Hong Kong Fashion Week Fills the Runway With Diverse Styles
Swift Fashion
Popstar Taylor Swift introduced her new casual line at Hong Kong Fashion Week.
Hong Kong Designers to Show at New York Fashion Week
Fashion
Designers Polly Ho and Andy Wong are known for the painstakingly long process they use to naturally dye their silks in an old-fashioned style that can take days and weeks to produce.
Hong Kong Fashion Week Turns Focus Toward Asia
Trade Shows
The new Taylor Swift collection that has an all-American girl vibe didn’t debut in New York or Paris but launched its first looks in a fashion show at Hong Kong Fashion Week.
Just Don Pop-Up Store Coming to DTLA
Retail
Just Don opens pop-up store this weekend in the Los Angeles Fashion District.
Dov Charney Loses in American Apparel Takeover Bid
A U.S. bankruptcy judge rejects Dov Charney's bid to take over American Apparel.
Can Discount Prices Get Retailers Into Trouble?
Legal
California shoppers are filing a flurry of class-action lawsuits against big-name department stores over markdowns allegedly made on “false” original prices.
Focused Buyers Turn Out
LA Market
January market in Los Angeles is typically a low-key affair with retailers looking to fill in depleted inventories after the holiday season or buyers looking to review lines in a more-relaxed setting before the crush of the Las Vegas trade shows in February.
AAFA Names Helfenbein as New President and CEO
Manufacturing
The American Apparel & Footwear Association, the trade group in Washington, D.C., comprising 530 apparel and footwear members representing 1,000 brands, has selected apparel and footwear veteran Rick Helfenbein to become the new president and chief executive of the organization.
New Retailer Heading for Abbot Kinney
Retail
The contemporary line Stone Cold Fox has plans to open its first store in Venice.
Showroom Profile: Now Showroom LA
New Lines
Couture, contemporary and ready-to-wear styles from designers around the world fill the new Now Showroom LA, opened recently by Natasha Greizen, a Los Angeles jewelry designer and entrepreneur.
Retailers Face a Challenging Year in 2016 as U.S. Economy Chugs Along
Finance
Financial gurus and pundits agree that 2016 will probably be an economic twin of 2015. There will be slow but steady growth and unemployment will remain low.
Los Feliz Store Closing Its Doors
Retail
Una Mae's Los Angeles has a going-out-of-business sale with 35 percent off.
Bid to Return Charney to American Apparel Made More Attractive
Manufacturing
At the last minute, two investment companies that bid in late December to buy American Apparel out of bankruptcy and return founder Dov Charney to the company have sweetened the deal to make it more enticing.
Speedo USA Dives Into Innovation and Technology
Manufacturing
Speedo USA has gone through a lot of changes lately.
Billabong USA President Stepping Down
Manufacturing
The president of Billabong USA, Ed Leasure, is leaving the company at the end of January.
Alternative Proposal Submitted to Buy American Apparel
Manufacturing
In the continuing American Apparel saga, two investment funds guided by Dov Charney submitted a proposal shortly before New Year’s Day to buy the Los Angeles apparel manufacturer out of bankruptcy.
CIT Group Appoints New President of CIT Commercial Services
Finance
CIT Group Inc., a provider of commercial lending and leasing services, announced that Marc Heller will be the new president of CIT Commercial Services, a major factor in the apparel industry.
Citizens of Humanity Allegedly a Victim of Embezzlement
Legal
Four men have been arrested on charges they embezzled $8 million from a commercial laundry house owned by Citizens of Humanity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Show Draws Shoe Manufacturers Eager to See New Products
SoCal Materials
For the third season, the SoCal Materials Show has united suppliers from around the world in a two-day trade exhibit in Los Angeles.
Kitson Closing Sale Ends Soon
Retail
Bankrupt Kitson retail chain nears the end of its big blow-out liquidation.
Creative Culver City Shopping Center Shaping Up
Retail
More stores come online for Platform, a high-end contemporary shopping center in Culver City.
Governor Brown Appoints Two New Cal/OSHA Deputy Chiefs
Manufacturing
Gov. Jerry Brown has appointed Debra Lee and Eric Berg as the newest deputy chiefs for the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health, also known as Cal/OSHA.
Indian Garment Company Fined for Stealing Software
Technology
California’s attorney general has won a settlement from a clothing factory in India accused of stealing intellectual property from U.S. software companies.
American Apparel Gets Deadline Extension on Reorganization Plan as IRS Files Objections
Manufacturing
American Apparel has been on a fast track to reorganize after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Oct. 5.
Iconix Being Investigated by SEC
Manufacturing
Iconix Brand Group, which owns a number of labels started in California, announced on Dec. 28 it received a formal order of investigation from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
New California Laws Change Workplace Rules in 2016
Manufacturing
California politicians were busy in 2015 passing a bevy of employment laws that will take effect on Jan. 1.
2015 In Review: Mergers & Acquisitions: Big and Little Companies Join Forces to Grow
Manufacturing
Mergers-and-acquisitions activity was alive and well in the apparel industry in 2015.
Former Owners Taking Back Oak NYC Stores from American Apparel
Retail
After months of negotiations, the former owners of the edgy and hip Oak NYC stores have reached an agreement to buy back their small retail chain from American Apparel.
