Friday, November 24
Melrose Place: Off the Beaten Path and on Designers' Radar
Is Los Angeles’ Melrose Place on the verge of becoming the next Rodeo Drive?...
FGI-SF Talks Trends
More than 200 San Francisco fashionistas, designers and industry insiders were given a preview of Spring trends from Paris, Milan, London, New York and Los Angeles at a recent Fashio...
International Bean
Outdoor lifestyle retailer L.L. Bean opened a new retail store in Japan as part of the Freeport, Maine–based catalog and bricks-and-mortar company’s international expansion efforts. The company recently opened ...
Steve Madden Gets Cold
Long Island City, N.Y.–based Steven Madden Ltd. has inked a deal with Cejon Accessories for a line of cold-weather accessories such as hats, gloves, mufflers, wraps, capes and ponchos under the Steve M...
Anti-Sweatshop Center Marks Fifth Annivesary
One of the first sweatshop cases the Garment Worker Center ever tackled as a new organization was pretty much a slam dunk....
Guess Who's Coming to Retail
On the heels of a record third quarter, Los Angeles–based apparel maker and retailer Guess? Inc. announced plans for a new apparel/retail venture, G by Guess. The new, mall-...
Forever 21 Sued by Jewelry Designer
Los Angeles jewelry company Christie Martin Designs Inc. filed suit Nov. 17 in Los Angeles Superior Court against the fast-fashion retailer Forever 21. The suit from the Hollywood-ba...
Happy Birthday, XLarge
Los Angeles–based XLarge Clothing marked its 15th year with a party and fashion show at Hollywood’s Vanguard on Nov. 16. The urban streetwear brand launched in 1991 with the backing o...
Lucky Brand Merchandiser Survives 'Survivor'
Lucky Brand’s Brad Virata is back in Vernon, Calif., working on the company’s Holiday ’07 men’s line after spending several weeks in the Cook Islands, where he competed for $1 million on...
Gianni and Donatella Versace to Be Honored on Walk of Style
Gianni and Donatella Versace will be the next recipients of the Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award, the 3-year-old award launched by the Rodeo Drive Committee and the city of Beverly Hi...
Gaylord Joins GMAC
Longtime financial executive Fred K. Gaylord has joined the Los Angeles office of GMAC Commercial Finance as senior vice president and senior business development officer for GMAC’s commercial...
Sustainable Stake
Stratham, N.H.–based footwear and apparel maker Timberland has issued a factory-specific sustainability report, which will be available to company stakeholders, industry leaders and consumers. The report detai...
New Deals for Iconix
New York–based Iconix Brand Group Inc. struck three new licensing agreements for its London Fog brand. Cincinnati-based Totes Isotoner landed the license for London Fog umbrellas. New York–based Leisure Merchandising C...
Off-Price Retailers Find a New Online Resource
Industry veteran Robert Libby is using the power of the Internet to connect buyers to the world of off-price retailing. Libby has launched Offpricemark...
Friday, November 17
From Vanilla to Unique, Retailers Do-It-Themselves
When Alan Hall drives his commercial truck, he has to tell people that he is not a handyman. Despite his truckload of heavy tools, he is a retailer of fashionable, often fri...
The Color Mustard: Classic Cashmere With a Modern Freshness
Cashmere is no longer for just the rich. The luxury knit can now be had at a price tag not far off from a pair of premium jeans or an embellished and complicated T-shirt....
On the Town
A buyer’s guide to shopping and dining in America’s market centers ...
Hana at $1 Billion
Los Angeles–based Hana Financial Inc. hit $1 billion in factoring volume last month....
Agenda Adds a Day, ASR Shuffles Schedule
Come January, surf and skate companies won’t sacrifice an entire weekend to do business for the upcoming Summer season....
Forever 21 Adds Heritage
L.A.–based fast-fashion retailer debuts concept store Heritage 1981...
A Niche in Time...
Regional marts re-tool to build market share Regional markets are undergoing tremendous change, from a growing emphasis on the contemporary and higher end of the apparel market to even re-imagining ho...
Eddie Bauer Sold
Redmond, Wash.–based lifestyle retailer Eddie Bauer Holdings Inc. will become part of Eddie B. Holdings Corp., a company owned by affiliates of Sun Capital Partners Inc. and Golden Gate Capital. Eddie B. Holding Corp....
Melrose Avenue's New Crowd
Art, celebrity and commerce can take some unique turns on the west end of Los Angeles’ Melrose Avenue. During the second week of November, a crew of laborers put up an art installation made of...
Rolling Hills Mall Sold for $95m
The Avenue of the Peninsula, a 375,000-square-foot lifestyle shopping center based in tony Rolling Hills Estates, Calif., has been sold for $95 million to Stoltz Real Estate...
Gerber Debuts Fashion Lifecycle Software
Tolland, Conn.–based Gerber Technology has released its long-awaited Fashion Lifecycle Management (FLM) product development software to the general trade. The multi-tiered suite falls...
CFA's Poker Tournament Returns
The California Fashion Association will hold its second annual “Hold Em” charity poker tournament Jan. 26 at the Cooper Design Space in downtown Los Angeles....
Texting l.e.i.
Juniors denim label l.e.i., a division of New York–based Jones Apparel Group, has launched a new service to put fashion tips and trends right in consumers’ hands. To have the trend sent directly to their phone,...
New Maternity Trade Show Comes to Cooper
Amy DeCamillis, owner of Denver-based maternity skin care line Bella Mama, is gearing up to debut Mom2B, a maternity-focused trade show. ...
ISAM Returns to MAGIC
The International Swimwear/Activewear Market will join the MAGIC Marketplace in Las Vegas Feb. 13–16 for the first time ever....
Defaults Decrease on Commercial Loans
The California Commercial Loan Delinquency Ratio has fallen to below one-half of 1 percent, according to the most recent “Quarterly Delinquency Survey” conducted by the California Mortga...
City National Expands Export Products
Los Angeles–based City National Bank has added two new export finance products designed to help California’s small- and mid-sized companies....
Core and Fluke
BEST OF THE BASICS: Claudia DeLaVega is getting back to basics. DeLaVega originally started her clothing line, Core, as a collection of active sportswear in 2004. She relaunched the ...
Organizers Fine-Tune MB Fashion Week
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios may have been around for four years, but it is still a work in progress....
Papering L.A.
New York–based Paper magazine once again headed west for its second annual Paper Project L.A., during which the magazine hosts a round of fashion, music and art events that are then ...
Get Outerwear
Quiksilver and Roxy previewed their 2007/2008 his and her’s outerwear collections Nov. 8 at the Quiksilver Inc. headquarters in Huntington Beach, Calif....
Knitting for Home
Los Angeles–based sweater and knitwear designer Suss Cousins kicked off the book-signing tour for her latest book, “Home Knits: Luxurious Handknits for Every Room of the House,” ...
Fast Fashion, PLM Are Hot Topics at Tech Conference
NEW YORK—Fast-fashion retailing and an increasingly savvy consumer are pushing traditional retailers and their vendors to adopt new technologies at a rapid rate, but those companies need to examine the...
Supima Gets Own Show
Luxury cotton growers will launch a new biannual trade show highlighting pima cotton this January in New York....
Paul Frank Fetes Store, Collaborations
Starting Nov. 17, Paul Frank Industries will celebrate the opening of its new Melrose Avenue store in Los Angeles with a three-day party complete with band performances and limited-edition of...
Bella to Debut Performance Line
Los Angeles–based Bella, which specializes in blank tees and other sportswear for the imprinted market, will debut a performance apparel line called Alo at the 2007 Promotio...
Alms: Translating Style Into Design
Mixing the right elements in an outfit has always been natural for Isabelle Carter, the designer of Alms, whose personal style helped her climb the ranks as a stylist in Los Angeles....
Beverly Center Set for Revamp
Los Angeles’ Beverly Center will be 25 years old in 2007, and navigating the shopping center will be a much easier task in the upcoming year....
Go to the Head of the Class
It’s easy to lose your focus at a trade show, between the frantic and exhausting working of the show floor, followed by blowing off steam at parties afterwards. Whether you’re an exhibitor or attendee, ...
Inspiration: Paris, Location: Hollywood
Los Angeles–based designer Angela Dean debuted her Spring 2007 line of Deanzign evening and cocktail dresses Nov. 11 at the Scientology Celebrity Centre in Los Angeles. Dean, whose mu...
PacSun Announces Comeback Strategy
Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. announced on Nov. 9 that same-store sales for its third quarter declined 6.7 percent, compared to an increase of 4.6 percent over the same period in the previous ye...
Hot Topic Announces Declines and a Promotion
On Nov. 15, Hot Topic Inc. reported that comparable sales for its third quarter decreased 6.8 percent. On the same day, Chris Daniels was promoted to president of Hot Topic’s Torrid c...
H&M Flagship Lands in L.A.
Los Angeles got its first H&M flagship store, which opened on Nov. 9, almost one year after the Swedish-based retailer selected San Francisco as the site of its first California store....
Golden Gate Purchase
San Francisco–based private equity investment company Golden Gate Capital completed the recapitalization of Jacksonville, Fla.–based Venue Swimwear, Madison, Wis.–based WinterSilks LLC and New York– based Venus Manufacturing. Venus manufactures...
Friday, November 10
Apparel Turnaround Specialists Form New Company
After several years as top executives at the Buxbaum Group, twins David and Richard Ellis have left the turnaround and consulting firm to form their own Lo...
Style Is in the Details
There always seems to be another detail to be placed on the back pocket of a denim pant. The extra details on the Meg pant, designed by Los Angeles–based Taverniti So Jeans, are helping make ...
Lisa Kline to Address TALA Students
The Textile Association of Los Angeles will host its 50th annual scholarship luncheon on Nov. 29, and Los Angeles retailer Lisa Kline, owner of the Lisa Kline and Lisa Kline...
Cassette: Street Chic
One year after his departure, former
Wilen: Knitting Another Path
Knitting started as a relaxing hobby for Brooke Wilen. She didn’t expect it would become a career until she realized what she didn’t want to do with her life. Wilen previously worked as an assistant to...
Liz Buys Kate
New York–based manufacturing giant Liz Claiborne Inc. bought Kate Spade LLC for approximately $124 million. New York–based Kate Spade produces women’s and men’s accessories under the Kate Spade and Jack Spade lab...
True Moves
Los Angeles–based premium-denim maker True Religion Apparel Inc. signed its first licensing agreements for True Religion–branded footwear, headwear, scarves and gloves. Italy-based GMI Corporation landed the exclusive rights to produc...
Bathurst Joins Howe
Former Quiksilver exec John Bathurst has joined Hause of Howe as president of the Huntington Beach–based menswear line, which was recently acquired by Seattle-based Seattle Pacific Industries. In addition to Q...
Licensing Linea Pelle
Van Nuys–based Cherokee Inc. has reached an exclusive representation agreement with Linea Pelle Inc. to help the Los Angeles– based accessories maker pursue strategic licensing opportunities in the Unit...
In-Store Concept in Asia to Focus on L.A. Designers
The lineup of labels that will fill exclusive L.A. designer stores within department stores in Shanghai and Seoul is still being worked out....
Nap: Lounging as a Lifestyle
The founders of Nap clothing are always lounging. Even when working, Rafi Ashkenazi’s and Eyal Partush’s attitudes exude laidback surfer vibes with a cosmopolitan maturity. The social lazing-around lifestyle, ...
PinkCaddi: Changing the Look of Golf
Cathy Le’s background characteristics don’t add up to the stereotypical golfer. Le’s family does not belong to a country club. The daughter of Vietnamese immigrants, Le was the first in her family to gra...
Juan Carlos Obando: Building a Fashion Brand
Juan Carlos Obando, a relative newcomer to the fashion industry, made waves in the Los Angeles fashion community when he presen...
Residential Developers Eying More Retail Properties
The hot housing market, which lately has been trickling into metropolitan areas, has led residential developers on an all-out search for available land, but with little available, they are starting to...
New Clients for ApparelMagic
Glendale, Calif.–based Murphy & Associates, developers of ApparelMagic business software, has signed a number of new licenses with West Coast apparel resources....
Cool Jeans, New-School Marketing
Vernon, Calif.–based premium-denim maker Iron Army caters to the young, hip Myspace generation with skinny “sewn wrong” jeans and an irreverent attitude. Owners Steve Dubbeldam...
Retailers Find Mixed Results for October '06
Retail sales for department stores were up in October, yet sales for many specialty stores went down, according to the New York–based International Conference of Shopping Centers....
Jill Roberts Opens in Marina Del Rey
Los Angeles–based retailer Jill Roberts opened a third multi-line boutique on Nov. 1. The 1,200-square-foot boutique debuted at the Waterside Marina Del Rey shopping center ...
Vietnam Joins WTO
Vietnam received its official invitation on Nov. 7 to join the World Trade Association, which would make it the 150th member of the organization. The National Assembly has a month to ratify the accord...
The Gap: Back in the Black?
Is The Gap Inc. making a recovery?...
TraceyRoss.com: Bringing the Boutique Experience
A fashion fixture for over 15 years, the Tracey Ross boutique on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood, Calif., has been in the forefront when it came to showcasing the latest in high-end design...
Interactive Merchandising Grows for Bay Area Company
San Francisco–based Fluid Inc.’s interactive-merchandising technology has been catching on with online retailers and marketers....
DMC Names New Leasing Exec
Former Nordstrom merchandising executive Cindy Mahan has been named vice president of apparel leasing for the Dallas Market Center....
Bella's Boutique, Dos Lagos Debut
Luxury shopping center The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos opened on Oct. 7 in the fast-growing town of Corona, Calif., more than 30 minutes from Riverside, Calif....
Kitson Bows in London, Dubai
Kitson is a fixture on Los Angeles’ stylish Robertson Boulevard, but its concept will be traveling to Harrods in London and to Dubai, said Fraser Ross, Kitson’s founder....
Networking With Local Designers
Designers always seem to be at the center of attention. However, designer Miguel Torres believed that there was no place for fashion’s creative people to share the latest gossip or provide support in w...
Westwood Gets Active
Westwood Village has long been a quiet college neighborhood amid the bustle of West Los Angeles, but Shane Wallace, president of boutique chain Active, believes the place has the potential to...
Hot Kiss Goes to South Korea
Los Angeles–based junior apparel maker Hot Kiss will enter the South Korean market via an exclusive international distribution agreement struck with Korean retailer, marketer and wholesaler YKI Inc. Van Nuys–ba...
Datacolor Offers Certification Program
Atlanta-based Datacolor has launched a universal color accreditation program aimed at standardizing process requirements and grading color performance levels for the apparel industry. The program is ...
Perilman Joins Denim Label
Sometimes cutthroat competition can turn into cutting-edge business partnerships....
Karen Kane, Tadashi Reap Awards in Dallas
Karen Kane and Tadashi were among the Los Angeles–based labels that were recognized during the 31st Annual Dallas Fashion Awards,...
Randy Calls All Party Girls
Main Street in Huntington Beach, Calif., has been called the Rodeo Drive of surf retailing, but Alan Hall thinks an important demographic has been mostly overlooked on this thoroughfare. It’s the night...
Friday, November 3
Game Day With DKNY
DKNY celebrated the launch of its new men’s athletic underwear line with a day of games at the Sky Sport and Spa in Beverly Hills. The new underwear line is athletically focu...
Webster: Feminine Style with a Sense of Theater
Webster designer Alexia Landeau was practically born in the apparel industry. ...
Mango Bows in U.S., Expects More Stores
Barcelona-based affordable-chic retailer Mango celebrated the opening of its first store in stylish South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif., with an Oct. 2...
Hatch, Trina Turk Open Showrooms at FIG Dallas
Owners of Los Angeles–based 10 eleven/Hatch and Trina Turk have signed permanent leases for showrooms at the Fashion Industry Gallery wholesale mart in downtown Dallas....
Waves of Business at L.A.Textile Show
Business always seems to come in waves at the Los Angeles International Textile Show. And the Oct. 30–Nov. 1 run of the show at the California Market Center was no exception,...
Weil in at Ashworth
Peter M. Weil was named chief executive officer of Carlsbad, Calif.–based golf and lifestyle apparel maker Ashworth Inc. Weil is a member of Ashworth’s board of directors and will continue to serve on the board. The ne...
Paige Denim Launches Knits
Paige Adams-Gellar, designer of the Paige Premium Denim brand of jeans, has launched Paige knits, a new line of tops in cotton Lycra-blend, terry and modal fabrics. The lightweight ...
Iconix to Acquire Op, Closes Mossimo Deal
New York–based Iconix Brand Group continues to look west for its acquisitions, this week announcing its plan to purchase Irvine, Calif.–based surf-lifestyle brand Ocean Pacific....
Kitty Goes to Hollywood
Hello Kitty by Victoria Couture hosted a celebrity-studded party and runway show during Los Angeles Fashion Week on Oct. 19 at Hollywood nightclub Element. ...
Susan Cianciolo and Cone Denim
Susan Cianciolo and Cone Denim unveiled “The Woman of the Crowd,” a multi-media art exhibition, on the finale evening of Los Angeles Fas...
Speedy Revisited: Warner Bros. Seeks New Business With Luxe Fashions
Speedy Gonzales, the animated Mexican mouse character from the 1950s, always seemed to be a second banana in the realm of Warner Bros. cartoons. But he might get a second chance at stardom, w...
Little Black Dress Returns to L.A.
Little Black Dress, the charity gala that launched in Los Angeles in 2002, returns to the city for its fifth edition in L.A. Scheduled for Nov. 18 at the Fleur de Lys estate in Bel-Air, the f...
Volcom Third Quarter Revenues Up, Expands Retailer Base
Warnings about dark times ahead from Costa Mesa, Calif.–based maker of surf and skate apparel Volcom proved unfounded when the company released its third-quarter results on Oct. 26. In its Ju...
Parasuco to Open Robertson Boutique
Montreal-based denim fashion house Parasuco helped pioneer the stretch jean 30 years ago. By February 2007, the company is scheduled to open a boutique on stylish Los Angeles thoroughfare Rob...
Lee Cooper in Joint Venture in China
London-based Lee Cooper Group Limited has formed a joint venture with Hangzhou-based China Ting Group Holdings Limited to form Lee Cooper China (HK) Limited, which will handle brand management, franchising, w...
Luv Designs, Dollface Debut at Celebrity Centre
More than 200 fashion fans and supporters turned out at the Celebrity Centre in Hollywood on Oct. 22 to view the Spring collections of three budding Los Angeles designers who capped ...
New Lingerie Trade Show Curvexpo to Launch in Las Vegas in February
The intimate apparel industry has its eyes set on Las Vegas....
Saja Moves to N.Y.C.
Six years after launching in Los Angeles, contemporary brand Saja has announced it will move its corporate headquarters to New York. The line, known for its feminine dresses and rich embellis...
Nike Names New e-Commerce VP
Nike, Inc. is bolstering its e-commerce plans. The Beaverton, Ore.–based sports and fitness company has named Chris Shimojima to the newly created position of vice president of globa...
Four More Parisians for Bon-Ton
York, Pa.–based Bon-Ton Stores Inc. acquired four Parisian department stores from Charlotte, N.C.–based Belk Inc., as well as the rights to construct a fifth Parisian store. Bon-Ton paid approximately $22 million for t...
Fashion Walk Off
In the spirit of underground DJ turntable battles and freestyle rapping battles, fashion lines Maggie Barry, Elijah Linh, San Paredes and...
Katayone Adeli Designs New Sportswear Collection for 7
As reported in April by California Apparel News, designer Katayone Adeli has signed on to design sportswear for Los Angeles–based premium denim brand 7 For Al...
MK2K: Layering Pieces with Timeless Style
After two years of creating clothes for the junior and young contemporary market under the 213 Industry label, Los Angeles–based designer Michelle Kim launched MK2K, a contemporary knits line...
Nasdaq Hosts Panel Discussion
The Nasdaq Stock Market hosted a panel discussion on the state of the fashion apparel/retail industry to top off Los ...
Delia: Educated Fashion
No-brainer knit tops thrown together with a pair of jeans or trousers epitomize the easy, California way of dressing. Veteran retailer Delia Seaman hopes her customers don’t take the easy way ...
Tukatech Gives Dress Forms the Soft Touch
Los Angeles–based technology provider Tukatech Inc. has released a new generation of its “Soft Flesh” dress forms, which are especially designed for the innerwear and sw...
Trovata Launches Bag Line
Papa’s got a brand-new bag. Jeff Halmos, Sam Shipley and John Whitledge of Trovata, the Newport Beach, Calif.–based brand that has become an industry darling, have co...
Temper Flares in Hollywood
Los Angeles designer Staci Bienenfeld unveiled her latest Temper Tantrum Spring ’07 collection on Oct. 20, opening night of Los Angeles Fashion Market, to a...
Mblem
Actress/singer Mandy Moore seems to have found success as a knits designer. Her line, Mblem, launched in 2005 as a tops line for the jeans-and-T-shirt set. Now, Moore is adding dresses to the co...
Golden Gate Picks Up Haband
San Francisco–based private-equity investment firm Golden Gate Capital acquired specialty retailer Haband Inc., a direct-mail and online retailer for the age-50- and-older baby-boomer market. Haband was acquired by Golden Gate...
