Newsmakers 2012: Ilse Metchek, President, CFA
For 17 years, Ilse Metchek has helmed the nonprofit California Fashion Association in Los Angeles, promoting local fashion and textile companies and keeping the industry informed about new laws and regulations.
This year, Metchek led the charge against the newly reintroduced Innovative Design Protection Act of 2012, which would extend copyright protection to new and unique designs of apparel and accessories for three years. It revived the debate about whether fashion designs can or should be copyright protected and what legal impact the bill would have on the industry.
In a position paper published in the California Apparel News in October, Metchek maintained the legislation would stifle the free flow of designs and would cause apparel brands and designers to incur a mountain of legal bills to protect themselves even if they were innocent.
Metchek, a former dress designer and apparel-company owner, is known for her informative seminars, which keep the apparel-manufacturing world on top of business trends. A cutting-edge panel on Proposition 657, known as the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act of 2010, helped companies understand what to do to comply with the relatively new state law.The law requires corporate disclosure of efforts to eliminate human trafficking from supply chains.
For the past five years, the CFA has organized the annual “Crystal Ball” meeting for members, who gather at the City Club at Bunker Hill in downtown Los Angeles to hear the blunt but accurate economic forecasts of Wells Fargo economist Eugenio Alemán and the retail wisdom of analyst Marshal Cohen of forecasting company The NPD Group. Cocktails are served afterwards for one of the industry’s best networking events.
Two years ago, Metchek took over the administration of the Textile Association of Los Angeles, whose membership had dwindled to 71. Today, membership is up to 180.
TALA’s philanthropic activities include the annual scholarship awards luncheon, held every year at the California Market Center, where scholarships are presented to participating design-school students throughout the Los Angeles area, as well as a holiday party for local boys’ and girls’ clubs.—Deborah Belgum
