More Uncertainty over the ‘Made in USA’ Label
Manufacturing
A second federal judge’s ruling is making California apparel makers think twice about how they use their “Made in USA” labels.
Quarterly Report: Finding the Secret Formula to Luring in Cautious Consumers
Finance
In the last year, gas prices in California have fallen 26 percent and the state’s unemployment rate has shrunk 1.3 percent, but skittish shoppers are still acting like there is a recession.
Two True Religion Apparel Sub-Contractors Arrested for Fraud Scheme
Manufacturing
Two sisters who ran separate garment factories working for True Religion were arrested with their accountant on April 15 for allegedly trying to defraud the state workers’ compensation insurance funds.
Frederick's of Hollywood Closes All Stores
Retail
Frederick's of Hollywood ceases to exist in the world of bricks and mortar.
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th Expands in Northern California
Retail
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th opens a new store near Sacramento.
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th to Beverly Connection
Retail
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th is opening its first store in Los Angeles County.
Highlights Trends for Fall 2015 in Runway Show
Directives West
Scores of store buyers filled the Fashion Theater in the California Market Center in Los Angeles for a runway show that outlined some of the emerging Fall 2015 trends presented by the buying office Directives West.
Sean Jean Signs Licensing Agreement With Evy of California for Childrenswear
Manufacturing
Evy of California has signed a design, production and distribution licensing agreement with Sean “Diddy” Combs to produce his Sean John collection for girls and boys.
L.A. Apparel Maker Invests in New York SoHo Hotel
Manufacturing
It isn’t exactly Hotel California. Instead, it’s the NoMo SoHo hotel in lower Manhattan, which is under new ownership and a new name.
Garment Factory Manager Indicted for Alleged Bribery of Labor Inspector
Manufacturing
A federal grand jury in Los Angeles indicted the general manager of a clothing factory for offering to bribe a labor investigator in exchange for closing down a wage-violation investigation.
Big-Name Retailers Turn Out for L.A. Majors Market
Trade Show
The Los Angeles Majors Market at the California Market Center kicked off on April 7 for its three-day run with a flurry of activity drawing buyers from department stores and specialty chains.
BNKR Flagship to Downtown LA
Retail
Australian retailer opening its U.S. flagship near the Ace Hotel.
American Apparel Hires New Menswear Designer
Weeks after firing creative directors Iris Alonzo and Marsha Brady, American Apparel made a big hire in March by bringing on board Joe Pickman, a graduate of Parsons School of Design in New York and the former men’s design director of the Band of Outsiders label.
Sequential Brands Buys Major Stake in Jessica Simpson Brand
Sequential Brands Group announced it is purchasing a majority stake in the Jessica Simpson brand, including the Jessica Simpson Collection master license and other rights. No purchase price was given for the deal that should close in 90 days.
ILWU Delegates Approve Tentative Agreement for Members’ Vote
West Coast Ports
The five-year tentative contract agreement between longshore workers and their employers has been given the thumbs up, paving the way for a vote that will set the contract in stone.
Targeting Women Who Want a Touch of Edginess
Ethereal
Designer Anita Rinaldi-Harnden is a big believer in garment-dyed clothes. For the past 20 years, she has worked with this special dyeing technique and fell in love with the endless possibilities it renders.
The U.S. Dollar Is on Fire: The Pros and Cons for U.S. Apparel Manufacturers.
Finance
The U.S. dollar is sailing at a 12-year high. A strong greenback means that if you travel overseas, hotels and restaurant dinners are cheaper. It also means raw materials produced overseas, such as fabric, zippers and buttons, have suddenly gone on sale.
Patagonia Hits the Road Repairing Clothes
Environment
Patagonia's mobile worn-wear tour will repair used clothing to wear longer.
American Apparel Reducing Work Force
Manufacturing
Some 180 workers are being let go by the Los Angeles apparel maker.
Jeff Rudes Launches Luxury Menswear Collection
More than two years after selling a majority share of his Los Angeles premium-denim label, J Brand, to Japanese retailer Uniqlo for nearly $300 million, Jeff Rudes is back in the clothing business with a new line of high-end menswear.
BCBG Founder Puts Holmby Hills House Up for Sale
Fashion Real Estate
Max Azria and his wife, Lubov, put luxury mansion up for sale after many renovations.
Michael Cohen, co-founder of Michael Stars
Obituary
Michael Cohen, co-founder of Michael Stars apparel line, passes away at age 79.
Fashion and Design Students Take Their Creativity to the Runway
FIDM Gala
Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport was packed with 700 people who showed up for the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s annual Debut show, which tops off the academic year for its fashion, costume and interior-design students.
Dov Charney Seeking $40 Million in Wrongful-Termination Complaint Against American Apparel
Manufacturing
Three months after Dov Charney was dismissed from American Apparel as its chief executive officer, the founder of the Los Angeles clothing company is seeking $40 million in damages stemming from his termination.
C&C California Sold to Los Angeles Licensing Company
Manufacturing
Perry Ellis recently announced it sold C&C California’s intellectual-property rights and trademark to Los Angeles licensing company ACH C&C Inc., a newly created venture by members of ACI Licensing, a Los Angeles licensing agency for personality chefs, TV programs and brands.
Hot Topic Introduces "Orphan Black" Collection
Retail
Hot Topic has developed a limited clothing collection inspired by the TV thriller "Orphan Black."
Orders, Out-of-Town Buyers and Mixed Traffic Reports
L.A. Market
Traffic appeared lighter than usual for March at the recent run of Los Angeles Fashion Week, but exhibitors said traffic was steady and reported landing orders from local and out-of town retailers.
Georges Marciano Files Lawsuit Against Guess Over Name
Manufacturing | Legal
Georges Marciano, who founded Guess 35 years ago, filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles clothing company run by his brothers to be able to use his name for new clothing labels he wants to develop.
American Apparel Resolves Lawsuits Against Ousted CEO Dov Charney
Manufacturing | Legal
Months after firing Dov Charney, two lawsuits against the founder and former chief executive of American Apparel have been settled.
New American Apparel Director on Board After One Board Member Resigns
Manufacturing
Los Angeles–based American Apparel’s board of directors has had several members come and go in the wake of founder Dov Charney being suspended and later terminated as the president and chief executive.
Unicolors Wins Another Copyright Infringement Case Over Fabric Design
Manufacturing | Legal
Nearly one year after filing a lawsuit over a colorful fabric design, Unicolors Inc. has been awarded $164,400 in a case over copyright infringement.
Otis Report: L.A.s’ Creative Economy Slowly Regaining Jobs, but Fashion Manufacturing Continues to Shrink
The Los Angeles County fashion industry is the second-largest sector in the local creative economy, right behind the entertainment industry and just ahead of the publishing industry.
Sue Wong Dazzles With Her Designs
Fashion
Sue Wong fashion show kicks off Arts Heart Fashion's four days of runway events.
East Coast Ports Benefited from West Coast Cargo Diversions
In a sign of how bad the port congestion problem grew on the West Coast this January, East Coast ports ended up handling 45 percent of the cargo containertraffic that entered the United States, up from 36 percent during the same month last year.
Mission Showroom
Showroom Profiles
Inside the Mission Showroom, the décor is minimalist, but the various brands are not. They range from clunky jewelry and fashion-forward sunglasses to colorful men’s socks and athletic streetwear.
H&M Debuts Exclusive H&M Studio Collection for Fall
Fashion
Retailer unveils its H&M Studio, a limited-edition collection available Sept. 10.
What’s Up for Solving the Ports’ Congestion Problems
Import & Export
Even though a labor dispute has been tentatively resolved, port officials in the Los Angeles area admit it will take at least three months to deal with the traffic jam of goods that has plagued the watery transportation centers since October.
NRF President Calls for a Better Way to Resolve Labor Union Disputes
Retail
Noting that the retail industry is highly reliant on just-in-time delivery of goods, the head of the National Retail Federation said many retailers were economically hurt by the recent West Coast port problems and labor slowdowns that led to imported merchandise taking weeks and even months to be delivered.
Consistently Busy at WWIN
Trade Shows
At the WWIN (Women’s Wear in Nevada) show, tables were filled with buyers perusing collections and taking notes or writing orders.
Stitch, Accessories the Show, MRKT VG
Trade Shows
Just about everybody was happy at the trio of shows organized by Business Journals Inc., except for the Canadian buyers wandering the Sands Expo at Venetian/Palazzo, where the shows were held.
Around the World at Sourcing at MAGIC
Trade Shows | Import/Export
The South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center turned into the United Nations for the semiannual Sourcing at MAGIC show, which ran Feb. 16–19.
Nordstrom Leaving Westside Pavilion for Century City
Retail
Nordstrom saying adios to the Westside Pavilion
Ports Still Clogged With Waiting Ships
West Coast Ports
Hammering out a tentative contract with longshore workers took nine months of negotiations. Now importers are hoping it doesn’t take as long to clear thebacklog of merchandising floating on the water outside the country’s largest ports in Los Angeles and Long Beach.
American Apparel Fires Creative Director and Adds Two New Executives
Executive Shift
Nearly two months after Paula Schneider took over as the new head of American Apparel, she has fired the company’s long-time creativedirector, Iris Alonzo.
The Day After the Oscars
Fashion & Entertainment
The party is over as crews start to dismantle the arrival area outside the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.
Longshore Workers Reach Tentative Agreement With Employers
Import/Export
After nine months of talks, longshore workers reach a tentative agreement with their employers.
