Friday, June 28
Tracking Trade
The trade gap got a little wider in May, according to the Commerce Department, which found a $35.9 billion gap between imports and exports of goods and services. The trade gap was $32.5 million in Apr...
California StudentsMake First Cut ofDuPont Competition
Students from California Design College, the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) and Los Angeles Trade-Technical College were among the finalists...
Greenblatt Buys Guilford Plant
New York-based converter H. Greenblatt & Co. has purchased a print plant from Greensboro, N.C.-based Guilford Mills for an undisclosed sum....
Frederick's Plus Bows Online
Lingerie maverick Frederick’s of Hollywood has begun selling its plus-size wares on the Web site
Skate Scoop
Australian shoemaker Globe International picked up El Segundo-based skateboard company Kubic Marketing, owner of World Industries, in a $46 million deal. Once the acquisition is finalized, Globe is expected t...
Slow and Steady
Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, are predicting a slow recovery for the U.S. economy but see no signs of a sudden drop-off, according to the quarterly UCLA Anderson F...
Slow Opening for Extreme Action Sports Show in Long Beach
The Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif., was host to the newest show for action sports, the Extreme Action Sports Show (EAS), June 21–24. In a presentation div...
California's Next Generation: Otis College of Art and Design
Designer legends and budding designers came together for Otis College of Art and Design’s...
Unifi, BASF and Ge-Ray Team for Liquidity
Textile fiber producers Unifi and BASF and converter Ge-Ray have joined forces to launch a new collection of circular knits called Liquidity....
Lectra Hits the Virtual Classroom
The recently held Lectra Technology Week, which was a series of production-oriented seminars, meetings and conferences, raked in one of the biggest and broadest audiences for the Atlanta-based techno...
Wet Seal TV
Juniors and young men’s retailer Wet Seal has inked a deal with Warner Brothers Records to feature the label’s recording artists the Goo Goo Dolls on Seal TV, the in-store network the retailer launched ...
Lack of Confidence
The Consumer Confidence Index fell in June to 106.4 from 110.3, according to the Conference Board, a New York-based research firm that monitors consumer confidence and other economic indicators. The f...
Tommy Bahama Opens at the Grove
Tommy Bahama opened its fifth Southern California location at the Grove near Farmers Market in Los Angeles on June 24. The 4,400-square-foot unit carries the retailer’s entire collection of ...
Indicators Up
In another sign of recovery, the Conference Board released favorable leading economic indicators—a measure of the economy over the next three to six months—for May. The Indicators index rose 0.4 percent...
Edgy BoutiquesTest New Territory: Local Malls
Retailer Ron Herman, who knows a thing or two about selling hip clothing as the owner of Ron Herman/Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, plans to open a 4,000-square-foot eponymous boutique featurin...
California's Next Generation: Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
The Los Angeles Trade-Technical College (LATT)
Hartenstine Leaves Gerber for Consulting Venture
Gerber Technology executive Warren Hartenstine has left the company to join the consulting firm of Walter Wilhelm Associates LLC....
California's Next Generation: Academy of Art College
About 2,000 fashion industry people gathered in San Francisco for the Academy of Art College Fashion 2002...
Low Riders
Low-cut socks for men—so low they barely peak over the tops of shoes—are the new growth area for such sock makers such Chicago-based Sara Lee Corp., according to a recent report in the Wall Str...
Labor Commissioner Turns Out for CFA Summit
Labor law enforcement and pressing issues regarding labor in California were some of the topics of the recently held “Apparel Summit,” organized by the Califor...
Africa Trade Mission Comes To L.A.
The California Fashion Association (CFA) and the Department of Commerce recently hosted a group of African manufacturers at a breakfast meeting to discuss opportunities in the California mark...
O.C. Musician Debuts New Line
When Save Ferris frontwoman Monique Powell isn’t belting it out on stage with her bandmates, the Orange County, Calif., native is designing for her new couture label called M Squared....
California's Next Generation: Woodbury University
Woodbury University of Burbank, Calif., harked back to the couturiers of post–World War II Paris to mark the theme for its...
California's Next Generation: Long Beach City College
The students of Long Beach City College played up the glamour and glitz for the school’s 26th annual fash...
California's Next Generation: American InterContinental University
American InterContinental University (AIU) dubbed this year’s
California's Next Generation: California Design College
California Design College’s (CDC)
Quiksilver Launches Entertainment Division
Surf giant Quiksilver has started a new entertainment division, Quiksilver Entertainment, with plans to cash in on the Huntington Beach, Calif.-based company’s expertise in action spo...
Angel of Fashion Descends Upon Cooper Building
Los Angeles’ popular “Community of Angels” public art exhibit has finally reached the Fashion District, as the Cooper Building at Ninth and Los Angeles streets has agreed to spon...
ASAP Shifts to Las Vegas Hilton
ASAP, the apparel industry sourcing show that debuted last February in Las Vegas during MAGIC International, is moving its exhibition from the Mirage Hotel & Casino to ...
California's Next Generation: Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising
The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) presented its...
California's Next Generation: Brooks College
Designer Cornell Collins, an alumnus of Brooks College in Long Beach, Calif., was a special guest at the school’s March 30...
Friday, June 21
P.J. Salvage Founder Opens Venice Store
P.J. Salvage founder Mickey Sills has returned to the intimate apparel biz with his month-old Venice, Calif., store, Scanty....
Foot Fight
A bid to capture California market share has landed shoe retailer the Athlete’s Foot in a bitter court battle with former employee Blair Taylor, hired in the mid-’90s to recruit minority franchisees in Californ...
Emma Gold Rings Up Sales With L.A. Designers
Angeleno looks are selling strong at the Emma Gold boutique in Los Angeles, according to owner Mark Goldstein, who notes the success of two local designers....
DOL ComplianceInitiative TargetsSmall Businesses
The Department of Labor (DOL) is proposing a new initiative that encourages small-business owners to have a more proactive role in the workplace while protecting workers under federal labor laws and r...
Wins Trustees Lose Fight for Lock Box
The U.S. Bankruptcy Court has ruled in favor of the Department of Labor (DOL) having control over a “lock box” that was set up to reimburse 240 former Wins of California employees who w...
Rock-Influenced Design: Mia Gyzander
Mia Gyzander has been involved in the fashion industry in one way or another for more than 20 years in her native Sweden as well as her new home, Los Angeles. After planning for three years, ...
Gift Action
Phoenix, Ariz.-based action sports licensing company Action Performance Cos. announced plans to purchase Canada-based licensed gift manufacturer Trevco Trading Corp. for $5 million in cash plus an earn-out ba...
Industry Watchers Brace for PotentialDisruption at Ports
Threats of disruption in import/export activity, port security and the local and national economy are becoming more and more ominous as a potential port strike resulting from the longshoremen’s contrac...
Fasturn Names New Vice President
Redwood City, Calif.-based Fasturn Inc., which markets networking software to the apparel industry, has named Lisa Kennedy Crooke vice president and chief financial officer. In her new positi...
Cosmo en la Televisioacute;n
Cosmopolitan magazine, a division of the Hearst Corp., has launched a TV venture with PRAMER SCA, a subsidiary of Libert Media International. Cosmopolitan Television Latinoameacute;rica will ...
AEG Backs Away From Stadium Plan, San Pedro Street Slated for CRA Zone
Plans to build a stadium to host National Football League games just west of the Los Angeles Fashion District were recently tabled once again after the principal financing group, Ans...
Quiksilver Makes Roxy Donation to City of Hope
Huntington Beach, Calif.-based surfwear giant Quiksilver has donated 1,000 of its Roxy brand scarves to the City of Hope’s Positive Image Center. The scarves were given to m...
Hot Kiss to Launch Kids
Los Angeles-based juniors manufacturer Hot Kiss has added a kids’ collection to its growing list of licensed lines. Los Angeles-based private-label manufacturer L and L Manufacturing ...
Spending Stalled
Consumer spending fell 0.9 percent in May, according to the Commerce Department, which credited sales of cars and car-related services with leading the decrease. The department found a drop-off in auto sales and sale...
Hot Topic Relaunch
Juniors and young men’s retailer Hot Topic has relaunched its Web sites [
Hertz Sells Banco Building
Hertz Investment Group, owner of the California Market Center, which houses the California Mart, has sold one its landmark holdings in downtown Los Angeles to rival...
L.A. Elegance
There are worse ways to spend a late, sunny morning in Los Angeles than at a designer atelier viewing elegant gowns, dresses and evening ensembles while sipping orange juice and snac...
Burgess to Leave Cal Mart
Longtime California Mart executive Mary Burgess has resigned from her position as director of sales and special events after 14 years with the center....
Industry VolunteersClothe At-Risk Youth
Volunteers from a variety of Los Angeles-based fashion companies were on hand to help feed and hand out clothing to more than 1,000 children and their relatives at the sixth annual C...
Bebe Rolls Out Casual Concept
Bebe Stores is letting its hair down with the launch of its casual wear concept store, Bebe Sport. The Brisbane, Calif.-based contemporary retailer will roll-out 8 to 10 Bebe Sport l...
No-Name Denim: Anoname Jeans
Anoname Jeans is a new Los Angles-based men’s and women’s denim line that doesn’t try to overwhelm the consumer with the designer’s name.
Tukatech Gets Chico's Patterns
Fort Myers, Fla.-based retailer Chico’s FAS Inc. is hooking up with Los Angeles-based CAD/CAM specialist Tukatech Inc. and its TukaCAD pattern making system to help the retai...
CMC Adds New Gift/Home Tenant
The California Market Center (CMC), home to the California Mart and the newly formed gift and home accessories marketplace, has added Anne McGilvray and Co. to the tenant li...
Friday, June 14
Local Hotel Owners Look to AttractFashionable Traffic
Los Angeles-area hotel owners have found a friend in the fashion industry....
The Lab: a Work in Progress
Just because it’s the anti-mall doesn’t mean it’s promoting an anti-shopping experience. Open since 1993, the Lab in Costa Mesa, Calif., simply marches to the beat of a different drumme...
More Bon Marche
Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores has picked up two Gottschalks locations, with plans to convert the stores to Bon Marche by the end of the year. The new stores in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, and Kennewic...
Duke Becker, Co-founder of California Mart, Dies
Sydney “Duke” Becker died on June 7 from complications related to diabetes. He was 88 years old....
Message to Sears: Don't Repeat Federated/FingerHut Flop
Sears’ acquisition of catalog and online apparel retailer Lands’ End is expected to close by end of month for a reported $1.98 billion. This represents an abrupt about-face for Sears, ...
Designer Bill Blass Died
Designer Bill Blass died at his Connecticut home on June 12. He was 79. The cause of death was cancer. Blass got his start in the fashion business in 1939, rising to international fame with his eponymous cout...
Still e-Tailing
Most online retailers lost money last year but catalog companies with online e-commerce sites continued to post profits, helping to boost online sales 21 percent to $51.3 billion, according to the State of Re...
Being Fabulous
It’s always about being fabulous for Eva Di Shanni and Tracie May, the two gals behind the California Market Center’s Fabulous showroom. And on June...
Unemployment Overpayment
Fraudulent or overpaid unemployment claims represented 8 percent—or about $2.5 billion—of the total $30 billion in unemployment benefits paid last year, according to the Labor Department....
Retailers Shudder From Cold May '02 Sales
Retailers were singing the blues in May over inclement weather, which stunted U.S. retail sales, especially of Summer apparel, and the shaky economy may prove more troublesome for retailers in the months ahea...
No June Gloom for Fall II/ Holiday Market
Los Angeles Fashion Week in June is typically small compared to the markets during the rest of the year, but exhibitors in the California Market Center (CMC) and the New Mart were r...
State Works to Arrest Escalating Workers' Comp
After a rough-and-tumble year, California’s State Compensation Insurance Fund (SCIF) has been ordered by state insurance commissioner Harry Low to improve its financial reserves, according to apparel i...
Southland Wal-Mart
Bentonville, Ark.-based retailer Wal-Mart announced plans to open a 150,000-square-foot store in the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles. The deal, which has yet to be finalized, is part of the discounter’s expansion p...
Lectra to Conduct Online Tech Seminars
Lectra Systems will host its annual apparel industry conference over the Internet this year, as it will webcast a series of technology seminars June 17–21 dealing with issues including new tra...
New District Maps Won't Affect Fashion District
The Los Angeles Fashion District’s political boundaries will remain intact as the city recently approved a redistricting plan that won’t affect the jurisdiction maps of representing council members Nick...
Mass Merchant
Santa Monica-based mall owner Macerich Co. has acquired Phoenix, Ariz.-based Westcor Realty for about $662 million and announced plans to purchase the Oaks shopping center in Thousand Oaks. Once both ...
AAFA Teams With Material World
Textile and sourcing show Material World has landed the support of the American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA), which announced the two entities have formed an alliance....
Buyer Vernita Bewley Dies
Vernita Bewley, a dress buyer for Los Angeles buying offices in the heyday of department store fashion, died May 21....
Tredwin Joins Tukatech Web Venture
Peter Tredwin has been named chief operating officer of TukaWeb Inc., the Web-based spinoff of Los Angeles-based CAD/CAM producer Tukatech Inc....
CFA to Host Apparel Summit Luncheon
The future of the Los Angeles apparel industry will be the topic of an upcoming forum hosted by the California Fashion Association (CFA)....
Rag Couture Launches
Los Angeles-based Tag Rag is no more. The junior collection has been shuttered and replaced with a more contemporary collection called Rag Couture, according to Orly Dahan, co-owner ...
NRF Seeks Presidential Halt to L.A. Port Strike
The National Retail Federation (NRF) has asked President George W. Bush to intervene in order to prevent a potential longshoremen’s strike, asserting that the strike could disrupt commerce nat...
Friday, June 7
Fashion Finance: Good Customer, Pays Late
Editor’s note: Fashion Finance is a monthly column for California Apparel News in which common—and not-so-common—financial problems are discussed with industry experts. We welcome quest...
Orders Up
Factory orders increased 1.2 percent to $323.9 billion in April, marking the highest increase in six months, according to the Commerce Department. Orders were up for machinery, electrical equipment an...
Rock 'n' Roll Wear Goes Upscale atLip Service, Serious
Los Angeles-based alternative clothing makers Serious Clothing and Lip Service aren’t toning down their alternative looks, they’re just tuning into a more contemporary customer....
Trucking Tribulations
Trucking companies are struggling with a 5 percent cut in transportation rates passed along by shippers who are grappling with their own profits, according to a recent story in the Los Angeles Busine...
Hot Topic Named in T-shirt Lawsuit
Does Hot Topic Inc. have to face the music? That’s the question confronting the City of Industry, Calif.-based chain of stores selling music-related merchandise, which is now a defendant in an...
Owens Recognized by CFDA
The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) presented Los Angeles-based designer Rick Owens with the Perry Ellis Award for Emerging Talent during the organization’s 50...
Blue Cult
After 30 years in the denim business, David Mechaly can attest to the staying power of designer jeans. ...
Hanae on Hold
Tokyo designer Hanae Mori has filed for Civil Reorganization—the Japanese version of Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection...
Skate TV
Ocean Pacific is one of the sponsors of Op King of Skate, a 90-minute pay-per-view event premiering June 28 on iN DEMAND, DirecTV and TVN. The event is a first for action sports and will feature pro s...
Western Moves
Buxbaum Group, the turnaround firm that is currently one of the companies handling the Kmart closures, is moving from its Encino headquarters to a new location in Calabasas. The new headquarters, loca...
Clothestime Steps Out With Marketing Drive
Anaheim, Calif.-based junior retailer Clothestime has launched an $8 million marketing campaign to hype its offerings for the Summer and Back-to-School seasons....
Susana Mercedes
Susana Mercedes draws her inspiration from all things fashion. When she’s not sketching new designs for her company, she attends fashion shows by local designers.Richard Tyle...
CMC Names VP Marketing, General Manager
The California Market Center, which houses the California Mart, has named a new vice president of marketing and a general manager for the center, which includes the Cal Mart’s apparel...
Signs of Growth
The manufacturing index for May rose to 55.7 from 53.9 in April, according to the Institute for Supply Management, which compiles the index. This is the fourth consecutive month of growth and the high...
Tyco Chairman Steps Down
Tyco International’s embattled chairman and chief executive officer, Dennis Kozlowski, recently resigned his position, according to a company statement, which did not disclose any other explan...
Baker Named SIMA President
Ocean Pacific chief executive officer Dick Baker will resume his role as president of the San Clemente, Calif.-based Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) for 2002-03....
A/R Management Services Updates Web Site
San Dimas, Calif.-based A/R Management Services, a credit and collection outsourcing company, recently redeveloped the company’s Web site [
Fashion Benefit to Spotlight Tyler, Guess
Fashion Visual Collections will present an evening of fashion and music called “Light As a Feather” on June 21 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. ...
H. Starlette
For the past year, Los Angeles-based sportswear and swimwear line H. Starlette has incorporated feminine and sexy looksinto its contemporary line of sweats, bikinis and accessories....
LAEDC 2002 Economic Forecast: Mostly Bright
The outlook for the remainder of 2002 is growing brighter, according to a report on international trade trends recently released by the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. [LAEDC]....
POOL Sets Details for Second Showing
POOL will return. The trade show alternative to MAGIC International has released the final details regarding its second event, which takes place August 26–28 in Las Vegas at ...
Fashion Week Gears Up in Hong Kong
A host of fashion shows and trend seminars will be part of the lineup at the Spring/Summer 2003 Hong Kong Fashion Week scheduled for July 8–11 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibiti...
Relic
Alan Del Rosario is about to reinvent himself. The Los Angeles-based designer is getting ready to launch a new contemporary line of novelty denim and knits called Relic....
Pacific Connections Acquires Red Light
Red Light Inc., a Los Angeles-based contemporary women’s sportswear, missy, junior and petites manufacturer, has been acquired by Ontario, Calif.-based leather goods manufacturer Paci...
Hot Kiss Signs Canadian Licensing Agreement
Los Angeles-based Hot Kiss announced that it has signed a licensing agreement with Montreal-based Fame Jeans to produce and distribute the junior sportswear label in Canada....
