California Apparel News

    Noveltex at The New Mart
  

Buyers traveled to downtown Los Angeles Sept. 24–27 for the city’s Autumn/Winter 2025/2026 textile events. The New Mart, Cooper Design Space and California Market Center hosted shows to draw in designers, brands and supply-chain experts to explore options in sourcing.

Domestic sourcing central to Los Angeles Fabric Show

The Los Angeles Fabric Show took place Sept. 25–26 at The New Mart, where Jasmine Neely, designer and owner of Charlotte, N.C.–based brand Foxy Christa was in town to find fabric, trims, labels and zippers for jumpsuit designs.

“Zipper Shipper stood out and caught my eye because they specialize in zippers, which is important for my jumpsuits,” said Neely, who was focused on lower minimums and U.S.-based sourcing for her Autumn 2025 collection.

At the Zipper Shipper booth, owner Laura Redelman explained that zipper preferences were dependent on the type of garments designers wished to create.

“If it’s a lighter-weight garment, invisible zippers are really popular,” explained Redelman, whose goods are made in the U.S.

Veteran Los Angeles designer Claire Joseph was interested in local fabrics to support her minimalist, made–in–Los Angeles collection of eponymous womenswear.

“Local Los Angeles jersey is a goldmine compared to other places,” said Joseph.

Noveltex’s Wilma Pascual exhibited the company’s European linen, which is dyed, printed and finished in Los Angeles for attendees who sought short lead times.

“When you import, it takes probably 18 weeks to 20 weeks. Here, since we stock everything in L.A., it takes only a few days,” said Pascual, who is a manager at the company.

The Textile Show collaborates with SpinExpo

The Textile Show Los Angeles, which was held Sept. 24–26 at the Cooper Design Space, produced a show that was co-located with yarn and knits event SPINCLUB by SpinExpo. It featured a full roster of seminars that included “Design for the Future: Fall/Winter ’25/’26” by Peclers Paris and attracted the interest of Laree Washington, designer, educator and founder of Sew Into It, who also took notice of the details showcased at exhibitors’ booths.

“It’s very nice to see the knits and a lot of texture—I am loving the texture—and sheers as well,” said Washington. “And the embellishments—just from the samples—whether it’s pearls, or fringe-type looks.”

Nick Moore, managing director for the U.K.’s Pongees, continued cultivating a growing West Coast business for the company, which specializes in premium silk, tulle and mohair.

“We do a lot with film and TV,” Moore explained. “We sell silk and we have no minimums so you can buy a meter and have it here via FedEx in two or three days.”

Netherlands-based FlexKnit Commercial Director Jeroen Stuurop exhibited at the show to promote the company’s Madagascar manufacturing operations.

“Madagascar is duty free into Europe and also the U.S., and that is a big thing,” Stuurop explained. “We have a lot of Chinese technicians in Madagascar, but we use the local workforce, which is very skilled.”

    TEG at CMC
  

CMC delivers on sustainable, local demand

The California Market Center hosted LA Textile Sept. 25–27 with Fall/Winter 2025/2026–focused educational seminars in addition to sustainable and local resources.

The “Entry Into the Business of Fashion: A Passion for Change” seminar was moderated by Ilse Metchek, former executive director of the California Fashion Association, with panelists TJ Walker, co-founder of Cross Colours, and Jennifer Evans, founder of The Evans Group.

“You have to keep your audience entertained,” Walker explained as he discussed content creation. “Every day, [make] sure you have something for them to see, something for them to like, something for them to buy and variety to keep them coming back to where you are.”

The Southern California branch of the nonprofit Fibershed, led by Lesley Roberts, offered sustainable and regenerative resources that are locally available.

“It’s provocative, so a lot of people stop to ask questions,” Roberts said. “It’s going to be a long road to get people to shift their buying and making practices, but it doesn’t mean it’s not a fight worth making.”

Portland, Ore.–based Pinecrest Fabrics’ Jena Nesbitt, product strategy director for the company, mentioned that attendees wanted more-responsible fabrications.

“Folks are interested in recycled, and anything that has a sustainability feature or certification attached to it is becoming more and more important,” Nesbitt said.

Papa Sweater founder Samantha Myer searched for fabric and manufacturing partners as her L.A. brand continues to scale from a business that began by repurposing blankets.

“It would be easier to produce overseas, but I am so hands on. I started by coming downtown and finding out-of-work tailors at dry cleaners,” Myer said. “My brand is my family and my employees are the same.”