Stories for September 2002

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Friday, September 27

CMC Launches First Vendor Blender

In an effort to introduce building tenants to their neighbors in a relaxed setting, the California Market Center (CMC) presented its first tenant-to-tenant mixer, the Vendor...

L.A. in N.Y.: Jeremy Scott

It would be hard to miss the Los Angeles theme in

Lockout Off

The threatened lockout of cargo terminals on the West Coast was called off by port operators after they were convinced that workers had called off a work slowdown. The Pacific Maritime Association (PM...

Macy's West Heads East

Cincinnati-based retail giant Federated Department Stores announced plans to open a new Macy’s store in Antioch, Calif., east of San Francisco. The twofloor, 110,000-square-foot store will carry appare...

New Look in Store for Lab

It was nine years ago when retail developer Shaheen Sadeghi revolutionized shopping in Southern California’s Orange County with the opening of the Lab in Costa Mesa. Known as the “anti-mall,...

Quiksilver Retail

Huntington Beach-based surf giant Quiksilver has purchased Park City, Utah-based retailer Beach Street, owner of 26 Quiksilver outlet stores in 16 states. Quiksilver, which picked up the stores for $7.5 milli...

TukaCenter Gets Down to the Grass Roots

About a year after its debut, TukaCenter, Tukatech Inc.’s Los Angeles self-service CAD/CAM store, is holding its own....

L.A. Buying Offices Evolve to Adapt to a New Marketplace

As West Coast buying offices face a retail landscape littered with the remains of clients and the belt-tightening of the survivors, their mission for 2002 and beyond should be to provide added value t...

Gap Names Pressler CEO

Gap Inc. hopes to inject a little happiness into its kingdom by naming a veteran Walt Disney Co. executive to serve as its chief executive officer....

Specialty Store Business Strong at Surf Expo

ORLANDO, FLA.—The thunderstorms and the threat of Hurricane Isidora looming in the Caribbean may have kept the crowds away from Walt Disney World but the weather di...

In High Esteem

FIG’s Man of the Year talks about the importance of giving ...

Falling Confidence

The consumer confidence index fell to 93.3 in September from 94.5 in August, according to the Conference Board, a New York-based research firm. This marks the third straight month of decline for consu...

D&A to Expand to Cooper Building

Designers & Agents has outgrown its third-floor space in the New Mart in downtown Los Angeles and will host a second show on the 11th floor of the Cooper Build...

L.A. in N.Y.: Jared Gold

Saleable and safe might be the best way to describe Jared Gold’s

Superba's Johnson Dies

Paul Johnson, vice president and production director of Los Angeles-based Superba Inc., died at his home of a heart attack on Sept. 22. He was 51....

L.A. in N.Y.: Rami Kashou

Los Angeles designer Rami Kashou bowed in New York as one of the

L.A. in N.Y.: Tyler

Designers Richard Tyler and Erica Davies lightened up for their second collection for Tyler, Richard Tyler’s secondary line. The Spring 2003 ...

Suede Fans Hit Barbie K.

Shoppers looking for newness are scooping up washable suede zip-up jackets at Barbie K. in Manhattan Beach, Calif. Made by New York-based Revue, the jackets come in hooded and suede/...

New Space, New Lines for New Mart's M2

The in crowd was out at the recent opening of the new M2 showroom at the New Mart in the Los Angeles Fashion District, where owners Michael Cesena and Dean Merli ha...

Real Estate Icon Yellin Dies

Los Angeles real estate developer Ira Yellin, who was responsible for restoring several area landmarks, has died at the age of 62, reportedly from lung cancer complications....

Friday, September 20

Avery Expands in Latin America

Greensboro, N.C.-based Avery Dennison, which supplies product identification products and services to the retail industry, has signed on Thread & Trim Suppliers (TTS) of Honduras to beco...

Gerber Names New West Coast, European Posts

Tolland, Conn.-based Gerber Technology has named Rodney Harrelson to the position of senior sales executive replacing Malcolm Gullish, who recently left the company to join Los Angel...

Designer Henry Duarte at Otis

Designer Henry Duarte (right) is constantly searching for new venues to expose his work. On Sept. 17, the Los Angeles-based designer tackled his most recent project when he worked with Otis S...

Cal Claims Drop

The unemployment rate in California dropped to 6.2 percent in August from a revised 6.4 percent in July. The dip translated to an addition of 11,700 jobs to the state’s count, the largest monthly incre...

California Leading the Way in the Tech Age

California is among the states that will lead the country in technology-driven business in the coming years, according to a recent study by the Santa Monica, Calif.- based economic think tank...

Cotton Inc. Celebrates Anniversary in Osaka

Cotton Inc. is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its office in Osaka, Japan. When the New York-based company first opened the Osaka office, it was the first of its kind for the cotton indus...

C-TPAT: Seaboard Marine Joins Anti-terrorism Program

Seaboard Marine, a Miami-based ocean carrier, has become one of the first shipping lines to be accepted into the U.S. Customs Service’s new Customs- Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT...

Attorney Hobart Joins GCA

The Garment Contractors Association of Southern California (GCA) isn’t just for contractors. The Los Angeles-based organization, which boasts about 200 members, has tapped attorney Jean A. Hobart as...

Wins Workers Rally for Support

About 200 former Wins of California garment workers and supporters gathered at Huntington Square Park in San Francisco on Sept. 17 to demand that action be taken by U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine Cha...

St. John and Bloomingdale's Tout Partnership

In celebration of their new partnership, St. John and Bloomingdale’s at the Westfield Shoppingtown Century City shopping center in Los ...

FIG Event Sold Out

The Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center has announced that tickets are sold out for “An Evening Honoring Richard Clareman,...

Island Pacific Inks Licensing Deal With U.K. Firm

Irvine, Calif.-based retail software provider Island Pacific has signed a licensing agreement with United Kingdom-based retailer Ethel Austin Ltd., which will use Island Pacific...

Findings and Trimmings Suppliers Count On Technology for Speed

Findings and trimmings suppliers and contractors have been relying more than ever on technology to speed up the production process as time-to-market remains the key ingredient to competing locally and...

Ports May Slow

Members of the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) threatened the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) with worker lockouts after union slowdowns were reported in Long Beach and Oakland. ...

Finding Newness in Novelty

The trim and sendout business has enjoyed a boom in recent seasons as novelty details have driven sales at retail across several categories from contemporary and missy to juniors and tweens....

Wage Warrior

Living-wage law advocate Madeline Janis-Aparicio has been named to the Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) by the Los Angeles City Council. Janis- Aparicio was one of several candidates nominated by Mayo...

So Cal Comeback

Southern California’s economy is already in recovery, while Northern California’s economy continues to suffer. That’s the word from the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. (LAEDC), which recent...

Urban Fashion Expands at CMC's Urban Suburban Show

Urban Suburban, the California Market Center’s (CMC) young men’s urban apparel trade show, will expand to include more junior lines as well as footwear and accessories for its...

Lectra Teams With Leslie Fay

Atlanta-based Lectra Systems has locked up one of its larger apparel contracts by teaming with the Leslie Fay Cos., which is buying Lectra’s produ...

Fashion District Developer Buys L.A. Properties

Los Angeles real estate executive George Peykar, who owns a number of Fashion District properties, has purchased two Los Angeles Financial District buildings, which he plans on turning into livework a...

Tarrant Acquires Twill Facility in Mexico

Los Angeles-based private-label denim maker Tarrant Apparel Group is expanding its south-of-the-border operations....

Friday, September 13

Seasonal Online Retail Traffic Turns Sales

As reported last month, a spike in traffic to e-commerce sites was noted during the late spring/early summer period. Whether traffic would translate into sales was the unanswered question. Hard figure...

Surfing Girl Relaunches With Snow and Skate

Surfing Girl magazine is relaunching sg: Surf Snow Skate Girl, according to New York-based PRIMEDIA, publisher of more tha...

Gaslamp Quarter Grows With Boutiques

Once a haven for bordellos, San Diego’s Gaslamp Quarter, whose history dates back to the late 1800s, has now fashioned itself into a hip hangout for locals and tourists alike...

Africa in Miami

The Corporate Council on Africa (CCA) will be on hand at the upcoming Material World Trade Show in Miami Beach, Fla., to promote sourcing in sub-Saharan Africa....

Saks and Mercedes Gear Up for Shopping Cause

Saks Fifth Avenue and Mercedes-Benz USA will run the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer shopping event Sept. 18–21. At each of its stores, Mercedes will display a Special-Edition ...

Fasturn Names New Vice President

Silicon Valley-based Fasturn Inc., which provides B2B software for the apparel industry, has named Greg Doyle as senior vice president of field operations....

Consumers Leave Department Stores Out in the Cold

Even retail stalwarts Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Target Corp. failed to muster impressive sales figures in August as most consumers kept a firm grip on their wallets. Low inte...

New E! Shows to Bow During N.Y. Fashion Week

E! Entertainment’s Style Network will debut “Style Star” and “Fashiontrance,” two new fashion series to coincide with Mercedes-Benz Fash...

Retailers Turn to Technology

Retailers expect to maintain or boost their spending on technology in the coming year, according to a new survey by investment banking firm SoundView Technology Group Inc., based in ...

Martin Joins Gap Board of Directors

San Francisco-based Gap Inc. announced that former Wal-Mart executive Bob Martin has joined the specialty retailer’s board of directors....

Unemployment Dip

The national unemployment rate fell to 5.7 percent in August from 5.9 percent the month before, according to the Labor Department, which said the figure translated to a net increase of 39,000 jobs. Ho...

Hard Lessons

A U.S. District Court judge in California has issued a temporary restraining order and seizure order for more than 20,000 counterfeit items bearing the School of Hard Knocks label. The New York-based ...

CMC Hosts Gift/Apparel Vendor Meetings

The California Market Center (CMC) will host the first of a series of “Vendor Blender” networking meetings from 4 to 6 p.m. on Sept. 19 in suite B-271....

TALA Plans Play Day Schedule

It’s still summer in late September for the Textile Association of Los Angeles (TALA). The organization will host its 58th annual Summer Play Day o...

West Coast Fashion Summit Presents quot;Masqueradequot;

The fifth annual West Coast Fashion Summit presented its fashio...

Port Talks Continue

Talks between West Coast dockworkers and shipping companies continue following a breakdown over the Labor Day weekend. The Rev. Jesse Jackson joined the fray when he spoke at a union rally in Los Ange...

Fashion Week Calendar Entries Sought

The Los Angeles Fashion Week Committee has begun preparations for Spring 2003 Fashion Week, which is set to run Nov. 1–5, and is requesting submissions for the Los Angeles Fa...

Surf, Juniors Strong at ASR in San Diego

The Spring 2003 edition of the Action Sports Retailer (ASR) Trade Expo, held Sept. 5–7 at the San Diego Convention Center, got off to a slow start but picked up momentum and...

Standard Confirms IMG's Fashion Week Plans

New York-based IMG, producer of the 7th on Sixth runway shows, has signed a contract with the Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, with plans to stage runway sh...

Gerry Building Opens Doors

The Gerr y Building in the Los Angeles Fashion District officially opened its doors on Sept. 10 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and reception....

CLAD Show Set for DMLA Event

The Coalition of Los Angeles Designers (CLAD) will host a fashion show called “Zendurance” at the annual architecture and interior design fund-raiser ...

Friday, September 6

Park Avenue Project Aims to Bolster Tahoe's Retail Mix

South Lake Tahoe, Calif., has an abundance of natural beauty, but one thing missing from the scenery for the nearly 2 million tourists arriving yearly and the locals is enough retail— sending citizens ...

Port Talks Stall, Slowdown Looms

Talks between the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) stalled just before the recent Labor Day holiday weekend, with ILWU n...

Federated's Clark Promoted

Cincinnati-based Federated Department Stores has promoted David W. Clark to vice president/human resources, a new position. Clark has been a vice president for the retailer for the past five years and...

Consolidated Canned

Vancouver, Wash.-based trucking company Consolidated Freight announced that it would seek Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and will close its U.S. operations and prepare to liquidate its business. The...

Union-Owned Bank Opens Branch in L.A.

New York-based Amalgamated Bank, a union-owned bank established for workingclass people, has opened its first branch on the West Coast in Pasadena, Calif....

Jill Hires Dakin

Quincy, Mass-based retailer J. Jill Group has hired Robert F. Dakin as vice president of retail store operations. Dakin previously was executive vice president and director of stores for Brooks Brothe...

Golf Buyback

Carlsbad-based golf apparel maker Ashworth Inc. announced plans to repurchase up to $6.5 million in its common stock. The move, authorized by the company’s board of directors, is subject to an assessme...

Flat Factories

The U.S. manufacturing index remained flat at 50.5 in August, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), which compiles the Index of factory business conditions. The August index fell short of th...

FIDM Redesigns Orange County Campus

The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM) has completed a redesign of its Irvine, Calif., satellite campus, set to officially reopen on Sept. 10....

Byrd Ban

The World Trade Organization (WTO) has ruled against a U.S. law enacted two years ago that allowed the U.S. government to share tariff revenue with private companies. The Byrd Amendment was enacted in...

Divine Design Readies for December Event

Divine Design, a fashion and design event benefiting Project Angel Food, which delivers free meals to more than 1,000 individuals in Los Angeles living with HIV/AIDS, is gearing up for its 1...

Horn Owner Debuts Dress Collection

For retailer Susanne Zenker, owner of the Horn boutique on Los Angeles’ Robertson Boulevard, necessity was indeed the mother of invention when her search for a white dress to wear to a white party cam...

Sky Lands on Robertson Blvd.

Like other designers eager to retain their own merchandising stamp, Peter and Jennifer Kaveh, the creative force behind Los Angeles-based contemporary label Sky, are branching out into retail...

Workers' Center to Add Board Members

The Garment Worker Center (GWC) in Los Angeles is making inroads in the region’s multibillion-dollar garment manufacturing industry with the help of its members. The non-profit group, which ju...

Heidhues to Head New Tractor Division

New York-based Tractor Jeans announced that it has hired industry veteran Jay S. Heidhues as president of its junior jeans division, a newly created position at the company....

Irie Denim by Jamaican Style

Jamaican Style wants to reach higher ground in retail by expanding its offerings. The Orange County, Calif.-based swimwear maker is parlaying its laid-back lifestyle into a new sport...

Nordstrom Techs Up Customer Service

Nordstrom is adding another piece of technology to its retail arsenal. The 137-unit retailer is trying out a new software tool that notifies sales associates and managers on the selling floor...

Who's Your Daddy

“Who’s your daddy?”—that saying is one of the hottest catch phrases going. And now, it’s the name of a new Los Angeles-based clothing line that had its first full launch last month...

Exporting Seminar Set for L.A.

The Department of Commerce’s Office of Textile and Apparel will host an exporting seminar on Sept. 26 in the California Market Center Fashion Theater....

Gerber Completes Financial Audit

Apparel industry technology provider Gerber Scientific Inc. completed an audit of its finances and restated its year-end earnings following inquiries by federal authorities over its accountin...

Eyeshadow

Los Angeles-based young contemporary apparel maker Eyeshadow, a division of Stony Apparel, has expanded its range of silhouettes to include a fashion-forward plussize collection for ...