Forever 21 Opening Three New F21 Red Stores
Retail
Forever 21's new concept store expanding nationwide.
Alo Yoga to Open First Flagship Store Soon in Southern California
Retail
The Los Angeles-based label is staking out its first retail foray in a high-end neighborhood.
2015 RETROSPECTIVE: Retailers Are Returning to Popular Shopping Streets
Retail
Retail on the high-end streets around the Los Angeles area are starting to buzz with shopping crowds not seen since the economy took a dip in 2008.
2015 RETROSPECTIVE: China Stays on Top as U.S. Clothing Factory
Import/Export
China’s exports of textiles and apparel to the United States saw a 1.5 percent increase over last year, meaning that the nation of 1.35 billion people and nearly 20,000 apparel and textile factories sent $43 billion worth of goods to the United States for the 12 months ending Oct. 31.
Super-Sized Mega-Ship Making Its Way to California Ports
Import/Export
The largest container ship ever to call in the United States will be arriving at three California ports to test the waters on how the facilities handle a megaship of this size.
T-shirts Designed by West Africans for American Apparel
Fashion
Artisans in Sierra Leone design T-shirt collection for American Apparel.
Retailers Fined for Bamboozling Customers by Mislabeling Rayon Products
Manufacturing
Four large retailers have been fined $1.3 million for mislabeling apparel and textile products as bamboo when in fact they were made from rayon.
Magazines That Rank at the Top of Model Diversity
Fashion
Fashion magazines get slightly better at putting non-white models on the cover.
American Apparel Hits Financial Headwinds
The largest clothing factory in the United States had a mountain of debt that pushed it into bankruptcy court in October, filing for Chapter 11 protection.
Newsmakers 2015: Mammoth Free-Trade Agreement Talks Concluded
Import/Export
After seven years of negotiations, trade representatives from 12 countries hammered out a final agreement this year on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which could change free-trade as we know it between the United States and Asia.
Newsmakers 2015: Joe’s Jeans Undergoes a Metamorphosis
Manufacturing
It was a topsy-turvy year for Joe’s Jeans, the Los Angeles premium-jeans maker launched in 2001 by designer Joe Dahan.
Newsmakers 2015: Otis Fashion Design School to Leave Downtown L.A.
Fashion
Many can’t imagine that the fashion design department of the Otis College of Art and Design could be any other place but in the heart of the Los Angeles Fashion District.
Newsmakers 2015: Lengthy Negotiations End in New Longshore Workers Contract
Import/Export
The beginning of the year was a challenging time for shippers, who found their merchandise delayed for weeks at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.
Newsmakers 2015: Los Angeles Minimum-Wage Laws Prove Challenging to Apparel Industry
Manufacturing
A patchwork of new minimum-wage laws were passed in Los Angeles this year, setting up cities to compete with each other for businesses that want to skirt paying the higher salaries.
Store Inventory Levels Remain Stubbornly High
Cargo Increase
The total number of cargo containers coming into the nation’s major ports will increase approximately 5.5 percent this year compared with last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
American Apparel Founder Dov Charney Ups Fight to Regain Company
Manufacturing
Dov Charney was ousted as the head of American Apparel one year ago. Now, the founder of the company is making a concerted effort to mount a financial army that will help him acquire the company out of bankruptcy.
Joe’s Jeans to Seek Approval of Reverse-Merger Agreement
Manufacturing
Joe’s Jeans, the publicly traded company in Los Angeles that makes blue jeans and other clothing, will be holding a stockholders’ meeting in January to approve a reverse merger that will see the company become the Differential Brands Group and traded on the Nasdaq.
Growing Economy Will Lead to Rising Interest Rates Soon
UCLA Anderson Forecast
The long-awaited moment may be here. The U.S. government is expected to boost federal interest rates this month.
American Apparel Rejects Million-Dollar Offer to Buy Oak Stores
No Sale
The founders of the high-end Oak stores, acquired by American Apparel two years ago, really want their stores back.
Hale Bob Closing Robertson Boulevard Store
Retail
Hale Bob store closing after four years on Robertson Boulevard.
Macy's Preserves Its Old Wooden Escalators
Retail
Macy's remodel of its Herald Square flagship keeps some of the store's original wooden escalators.
U.S. Trade Representative Visits Port of Long Beach
Import/Export
With 40 percent of the nation’s cargo-container traffic arriving at Los Angeles–area ports, trade has become a very important economic engine for the area.
Vince Taps Founders to Boost Label’s Business
Manufacturing
Sometimes you have to take one step back to move two steps forward. That’s the philosophy the contemporary label Vince is taking. The now New York–based company has hired the label’s two founders—Rea Laccone and Christopher LaPolice—to help develop the brand’s products, merchandising and creative efforts.
Forever 21 Closing Huge Store in Central California
Retail
Forever 21 said it will be closing its 120,000-square-foot store in San Luis Obispo, Calif., in January and laying off scores of employees.
BCBGMAXAZRIA Expands to China
Manufacturing
BCBGmaxazria is looking to the Chinese consumer to boost business. The Los Angeles womenswear maker recently announced it has partnered with VoyageOne to sell its clothing online in China.
Taking Advantage of the Push for Made in USA
Manufacturing
When Jack Chang invested in an apparel business in 1988, a good number of California labels were still making their clothes in California.
LA Fashion Designer Joins Forces With Pottery Barn Kids
Fashion
Bridalwear designer Monique Lhuillier to design children's furniture for Pottery Barn Kids.
Massimo Dutti Opens First West Coast Store in Southern California
Retail
Zara stores seem to be in every major U.S. city, but its more-upscale sister store, Massimo Dutti, had been a stranger to this country.
LA Private-Equity Firm Buys Specialty Store Chain
Retail
Classic styles with a touch of fashion have been the mainstay of J.McLaughlin, a small specialty-store chain founded in New York by two brothers in 1977.
Men’s Sock Trend Leads to Sale of California Sock Company
Manufacturing
Men’s socks have been one of the bright spots on the retail scene as dudes—hipsters or not—are finding they can dress conservatively for work but maintain a subtle splash of rebellious color by sporting bright socks under dark suits or khaki pants.
Swarovski Unveils Spring/Summer 2016 Collection in Los Angeles
Fashion
Swarovski gives a glimpse of what is in store for Spring/Summer 2016.
How to Dress Up While Dressing Down
Fashion
Fruit of the Loom introduces a special holiday collection that should keep many men happy.
Cargo Container Imports Grow Except in Southern California
Import/Export
Import volumes at most of the nation’s ports are on the upswing as retailers bring the last of their goods in for the holiday season.
American Apparel Reports Shrinking Sales in Third Quarter
Manufacturing
American Apparel filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in early October, but it still must report its revenues and earnings for the third quarter, ending Sept. 30. In a preliminary filing, the troubled Los Angeles clothing company said its third-quarter sales plummeted 19 percent to $126 million, compared with nearly $156 million in the same period last year.
MAGIC Marketplace Owner Reshuffles Top Executives in Fashion Group
Trade Shows
Nearly one year after UBM PLC acquired California-based Advanstar Communications, the organizer of MAGIC and several other apparel trade shows, UBM is making some significant adjustments to its executive lineup within the fashion group division.
Shifting More Showrooms Onto One CMC Floor Boosts Business
Manufacturing
When Guddi Bedi and her husband, Baljit, moved into their third-floor California Market Center showroom some 15 years ago, they had to pay $50,000 key money just to garner a coveted spot. Now the Bedis’ small Krishma Overseas showroom is surrounded by a vast desert of empty spaces as everyone around them is picking up and moving from the B side of the CMC’s third floor to open spots on the A side.
AAFA Chief Stepping Down After More Than One Year on the Job
Manufacturing
The American Apparel & Footwear Association is looking for a new president and chief executive to take over for Juanita Duggan, who is leaving.
COS Opens Pop-Up Store in Downtown LA
Retail
COS, a division of H&M, is testing the waters for its stores.
Final Text Released for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Deal
Import/Export
After years of negotiating a trade agreement between the United States and 11 other Pacific Rim countries, the U.S. government released the final text outlining the deal.
American Apparel May Shutter Its Oak Stores in LA and NY
Shuttered Stores
Two years ago, American Apparel founder Dov Charney snapped up a small high-end specialty-store chain called Oak. With Charney ousted last year as the company’s chief executive and American Apparel now in bankruptcy, the struggling Los Angeles clothing company has decided to shutter its Oak stores to save money.
Port Clerks Get Early Start on Contract Negotiations
Import/Export
It seems like only yesterday that the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach were clogged with container ships after contract negotiations with the workers of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union dragged on for nine months.
Oaktree Capital Working on Buying Quiksilver
Retail
Oaktree Capital Management, the Los Angeles–based investment firm, is ramping up its effort to buy Quiksilver Inc. out of bankruptcy.
BNKR Flagship Now Opening in Early 2016
Retail
Opening date for BNKR flagship in downtown LA gets pushed back again.
Which Stores Will Open on Thanksgiving Day?
Retail
The lineup of stores open Thanksgiving Day is starting to form.
