What’s in Store for the Factoring Business With Fewer Stores on the Retail Landscape?
Finance
The retail boneyard is piled high with store doors that closed last year, and many more may be on the way.
Levi Strauss Sees Profitable Year After Turn-Around Campaign
Manufacturing
Levi Strauss & Co. is planning to open 100 new stores this year, mostly outside of the United States, as it concentrates on international sales and building markets in China, India and the Americas.
Exhibit Opens of Costumes Nominated for Academy Awards
Fashion and the Movies
All five of the nominated costume designs up for Academy Awards are on display at FIDM.
Epson Asks Designers to Create Fashion Prints With New Printing Technology
Technology
Epson is holding its fourth annual “Epson Digital Couture Project” on Feb. 6 in New York leading up to New York Fashion Week, which begins Feb. 8.
Twin Designers From Mexico Highlight Indigenous Fabrics in Their Collection
Indigenous Influence
Twin sisters Paulina and Malinali Fosado grew up in Mexico with an anthropologist father who collected popular art and passed on his love of Mexican culture and art.
Trans-Pacific Partnership Could Be a Done Deal by March
Import/Export
The new and improved Trans-Pacific Partnership is going forward without the United States as the other original members of the accord hashed out their differences in January, with a new free-trade pact expected to be signed as early as March.
Search Called Off for Boardriders CEO Missing at Sea
Swim/Surf
Rescue operations in the south of France were called off in the search for Pierre Agnes, the 54-year-old chief executive of Boardriders Inc., the parent company of Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes in Huntington Beach, Calif.
NAFTA Local Experts Debate the Pros and Cons of the Free-Trade Agreement
Import/Export
Free trade between the United States, Mexico and Canada has become a hot topic lately as negotiations to revamp the North American Free Trade Agreement have been going on since last year.
Fashion Market Northern California Sees Upbeat Retailers
Trade Shows
Warmer weather and a better economy were two bright spots at the Fashion Market Northern California show, where buyers found an easy-to-navigate exhibition space at the San Mateo County Event Center.
Pierre Agnes, CEO of Boardriders, Missing at Sea
Authorities send search helicopters and boats to find missing CEO off the coast of France.
Big Lineup of Asian Fashion Designers at Hong Kong Fashion Week
Feminine Elegance
Hong Kong label Gregorius Vici, with feminine creations, was one of the first on the runway during Hong Kong Fashion Week.
Band of Hong Kong Designers Heading to New York Fashion Week
Fashion
Designer Harrison Wong is in love with black. He has been wearing the same color for the past 20 years, and it is the go-to color in his men’s and women’s collection, which is always on the forward edge of fashion.
Hong Kong Fashion Week Downsizes to One Hall This Year
Trade Shows
Amidst the endless rows of lacy evening gowns, printed dresses, puffy jackets, ripped blue jeans and fur coats lined up inside the Hong Kong Convention Centre, exhibitors were seeing a shift in buyers.
Customs Confiscates Thousands in Fake Nike Air Jordans
Import/Export
U.S. Customs and Border Protection suspected that the Nike Air Jordans inside seven parcels that landed as air cargo near Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., weren’t the real thing.
Booming Economy in 2018 Means Smart Retailers Will Profit
Retail
With tax cuts in place and unemployment at a record low, 2018 is shaping up to be a banner year for the economy.
Hong Kong Fashion Week Kicks Off for Fall/Winter
Fashion
Hong Kong Fashion Week introduces a more compact version of its show that highlights Fall/Winter 2018.
Large Japanese Second-Hand Store Opens on Melrose
Retail
2nd Street opens first U.S. store on Melrose Avenue.
Texworld USA Launches ‘Explore the Floor’ Series
Textiles
An added feature this year at Texworld USA is the new “Explore the Floor” series, which features tours for attendees to walk the show floor with industry experts.
UBM Fashion Partners with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to Help Emerging Designers
Fashion
UBM Fashion, organizers of the various MAGIC trade shows in Las Vegas and other apparel events, is working with the Council of Fashion Designers of America to promote the growth of emerging talent in the fashion industry.
Shoppers Favor Stores That Have Technology
Retail
Shoppers may be letting their fingers do the walking by snapping up fashions online, but a recent survey shows that consumers are willing to hit the stores if time-saving technology is involved.
Flora and Fauna Infuse the Latest Collection by Kevan Hall
Lacing Up
For his latest collection, Kevan Hall looked back to the 1970s with jumpsuits infused with sophisticated lace and flared pants.
A Father-Daughter Team Launches a Los Angeles Denim Line
Father’s Daughter
The constant whir of sewing machines and the drumbeat of downtown LA traffic echo through the second-story design studio occupied by Su Kim and her father, Jim Kim.
Free Bella: Sustainable Swimwear at a Reasonable Price Point
Swim/Surf
Francesca Lagudi was still in fashion school when she launched her swimwear line, called Free Bella, two years ago.
Lolli Swim: All Things Gidget and More
Swim/Surf
As a kid growing up in Upland, Calif., Vy Nguyen swam practically every day. If she wasn’t in a swimming pool, she was at the beach. “I was just obsessed with swimming and the beach,” said the founder of Lolli Swim.
Obituary: Jack Berger, Textile Converter, 94
Textiles
Jack Berger, the cofounder of The Print Works, a swimwear textile converting company, passed away on Dec. 16, 2017, of cancer. He was 94.
The Trina Turk Collection Is Infused With Latin America Vibes and Color
Latin Influence
For her pre-Fall collection, Trina Turk turned her design eyes to Latin America for an infusion of brilliant colors and prints that say “Olé.” Cross-hatch chambray is heavily represented as are fringed tops and ruffles.
Fabletics and Demi Lovato Join Forces for Third Collection
Fashion
Capsule collection inspired by life on the road and active lifestyle.
Thierry Mugler Sketches on Display at FIDM Orange County
Fashion
Exhibit at FIDM Orange County includes sketches and garments.
Alstyle Apparel Closing Distribution Center in Anaheim
Manufacturing
T-shirt and sweatshirt company Alstyle Apparel is shutting down its distribution center in Anaheim, Calif., and laying off 81 employees, according to notices filed with the state Employment Development Department.
Sam Edelman Looks to Los Angeles to Develop New Blue-Jeans Line
Manufacturing
Sam Edelman is known for the cute and fashionable shoes the New York company has been making for more than 10 years.
New California Laws Change Workplace Rules
Manufacturing
Starting off the New Year means getting to know the new laws recently passed by the state Legislature. Most of them go into effect on Jan. 1.
Paris Baguette Coming to the Fashion District
Retail
Pastry and sandwich cafe coming to the heart of the Los Angeles Fashion District.
Perry Ellis, With a Few California Labels, Celebrates 50th Anniversary
Manufacturing
George Feldenkreis, an immigrant from Cuba, founded Perry Ellis 50 years ago.
Neighborhood Kids Meet Santa and Receive Gifts at the Annual Holiday Party by CFF and TALA
Celebrating the Holiday
The top floor of the Cooper Design Space in Los Angeles was filled with 200 children who met Santa Claus, ate typical kids’ food and celebrated the holidays with gifts.
Year in Review in Trade: The Year of Breaking UP and Getting Back Together Again
Import/Export
Some relationships last forever. Others need to be restarted.
Fashion Market Northern California Gets a New Executive Director
Trade Shows
The five-times-a-year Fashion Market Northern California trade show, held at the San Mateo County Event Center, has a new executive director.
CMC Unveils New Trade Show
Trade Shows
At the upcoming Los Angeles Fashion Market in March, the California Market Center is taking the wraps off a new trade show, which will be on the building’s top floor.
Fashion Students Getting Better Tools to Increase Their Tech Skills
Technology
New cloud-based technology is popping up everywhere, and the world of fashion and design is no different.
Hudson Jeans Going to Canada
Manufacturing
Differential Brands—the Los Angeles company whose labels include Robert Graham, Hudson Jeans and SWIMS—has entered into a partnership with Throat Threads Apparel to relaunch Hudson Jeans in Canada.
Charlotte Russe Heads for Choppy Waters After Restructuring Debt
Retail
Charlotte Russe, the San Francisco–based teen retailer that got a lifeline by restructuring its debt without filing bankruptcy, is now headed for a tough time as it tries to convince shopping-mall owners to give it a break on store rents.
Allen Schwartz Redesigns Santa Monica Flagship
Retail
A grand relaunch party was held to celebrate the redesign of the Allen Schwartz flagship store in Santa Monica.
CMC Unveils New Trade Show for High-End Brands
A new trade show called Label Array will be held at the California Market Center.
Fashion Students from Los Angeles Trade-Tech Take an Imaginative Journey in Their Designs
Future designers show off
The graduating fashion-design students at Los Angeles Trade-Tech College showed off their creations at the recent Gold Thimble Fashion Show.
2017 Retrospective: China’s Dominance in U.S. Apparel Imports Is Slowly Declining
Import/Export
China’s reign as the apparel powerhouse to the United States continues as sourcing agents find this go-to region a reliable manufacturer of anything related to clothing.
2017 Retrospective: Retailers Starting to Emerge From Their Shells and Look for New Outposts in Los Angeles
Retail
During the first half of the year, retailers were still in a cautious mood and on the fence about setting up new shops on some of Los Angeles’ prime shopping streets.
2017 Retrospective: Higher Minimum Wages Contribute to Loss in Apparel-Factory Employment
Manufacturing
The beginning of the year started on a down note as some 3,500 workers at the American Apparel factory in Los Angeles got pink slips after the company sold its brand name and shuttered its vast factory.
2017 Economic Retrospective
Finance
The stock market is at an all-time high. Unemployment rates have hit rock bottom, and Southern California housing prices have surpassed their all-time high in 2009.
A Bit of Ho Ho Ho for the Retail Industry
Retail
Seasonal hiring by retailers hits a healthy level in November.
Surf Expo Adds New Category to Trade Show
Surf Expo Adds New Section
Surf Expo, known for showcasing all kinds of apparel and accessories related to surfing and other water-related sports, is adding a new section called Bluewater.
2017 Newsmaker: American Apparel Reaches the End of an Era With Sale to Gildan Activewear of Canada
Manufacturing
The American Apparel brand was born in Los Angeles when Dov Charney set out to make a basic T-shirt manufactured in Los Angeles by workers who received a fair wage and benefits.
