Tuesday, March 31
Le Slip Français to Venice
French fashion means couture, right? Oui! ---Mais non. In the case of Le Slip Français, French made-clothes can be tighty whitey underwear, or just simple briefs. Le Slip Français will open a pop-up shop in Venice Beach at 604 S. Venice Blvd. at Abbot Kinney. Apparently it is the French brand’s first foray into U.S. retail.
Monday, March 30
Wildfox’s Dolce Vita
Ciao Bella! L.A.-based brand Wildfox called its Fall '15 collection La Dolce Vita. It produced a presentation for their Fall looks March 26 in New York's Little Italy.
BCBG Founder Puts Holmby Hills House Up for Sale
Fashion Real Estate
Max Azria and his wife, Lubov, put luxury mansion up for sale after many renovations.
Rook Pops On Fairfax
Looks like there’s some revolving real estate on Fairfax Avenue, which is Rodeo Drive for streetwear fashions. Odd Future is out of the boutique space at 410 N. Fairfax Ave. A pop-up for the Rook boutique moved in.
Saturday, March 28
Michael Cohen, co-founder of Michael Stars
Obituary
Michael Cohen, co-founder of Michael Stars apparel line, passes away at age 79.
Friday, March 27
Welcome to ADBD’s Los Fairfax
Sports and music celebrities, as well as tourists from around the globe, come to Los Angeles’ Fairfax Avenue to shop at the flagships of some of America’s top streetwear brands. But for Adam Derry, the street has an undeniable creativity that is becoming more important to Los Angeles’ identity. Call it 'Los Fairfax.' On March 26, Derry introduced a capsule collection called "Los Fairfax."
Guerilla Atelier's Cojones
Guerilla Atelier defied expectations by selling luxe fashion in Los Angeles’ gritty Art District. But on March 26, the boutique put a focus on brash art. It held a reception for artist Knowledge Bennett and his provocative art show Cojones.
Mooney Exits Quiksilver, Agnes Promoted to CEO
Andy P. Mooney, chief executive officer of Quiksilver, is leaving the Huntington Beach, Calif.–based surf giant.
Thursday, March 26
Fashion and Design Students Take Their Creativity to the Runway
FIDM Gala
Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport was packed with 700 people who showed up for the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising’s annual Debut show, which tops off the academic year for its fashion, costume and interior-design students.
Swarovski Celebrates 120th Anniversary and Spring/Summer 16 Trends in L.A.
Events
To celebrate Swarovski’s 120th anniversary, Markus Langes-Swarovski, executive board member at the Austrian crystal maker and great-great grandson of company founder Daniel Swarovski, was in Los Angeles to introduce the company’s Spring/Summer ’16 collection.
Dov Charney Seeking $40 Million in Wrongful-Termination Complaint Against American Apparel
Manufacturing
Three months after Dov Charney was dismissed from American Apparel as its chief executive officer, the founder of the Los Angeles clothing company is seeking $40 million in damages stemming from his termination.
Matiere: Avant Garde Brand Tries Denim.
Manufacturing
Matiere, headquartered in Newport Beach, Calif., has aimed to serve as an alternative for men’s wardrobes.
Is the Retail Exclusive Disappearing—or Is it Changing?
Retail
E-commerce can bring out the worst in some shoppers, said Sandy Lew-Hailer, owner of the Seattle boutique Sandylew.
Giving a New Home to Sexy Tomboy
Canvas Woman
Malibu fashion has seen chic bohemian, surfer girl and premium-denim looks, but the profile of the sexy tomboy is rising.
Atlanta’s March Apparel Market Brings in the Buyers
Trade Show
The March Apparel Market returned to the Americasmart with an expanded temporary exhibitor section and an earlier schedule.
Abbot Kinney Beach House Opens in Venice
Retail
Single-brand boutiques increasingly dominate high-profile shopping street Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Los Angeles, but one of the newest boutiques on the street, Abbot Kinney Beach House, is a multi-brand shop.
C&C California Sold to Los Angeles Licensing Company
Manufacturing
Perry Ellis recently announced it sold C&C California’s intellectual-property rights and trademark to Los Angeles licensing company ACH C&C Inc., a newly created venture by members of ACI Licensing, a Los Angeles licensing agency for personality chefs, TV programs and brands.
Revolve Acquires Alliance Apparel Group
Retail | Manufacturing
Internet clothier Revolve recently announced that it has acquired Alliance Apparel Group, headquartered in downtown Los Angeles.
Nasty Gal’s 2nd Shop Opens in Santa Monica
Nasty Gal is scheduled to open in its second physical shop on March 27. The store will be located at 1254 Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif. The Nasty Gal herself, Sophia Amoruso - the retailer's founder, will be making appearances at the Santa Monica store this weekend.
Amour Vert Pops in Palo Alto
Amour Vert opened a permanent store in San Francisco’s Hayes Valley last year. Earlier this month, the brand opened a pop-up shop at 441 University Ave. in Palo Alto. Amour Vert's CEO said that the company intends to roll out a handful of boutiques by the end of the year.
360Cashmere to Malibu Lumberyard
360Cashmere, a Los Angeles-based premium knitwear company, opened its first retail store earlier this month at Malibu Lumberyard.
Wednesday, March 25
Trina Turns 20
20th Anniversary Capsule Collection
Trina Turk, the California contemporary brand with the Mid-Century, Palm Springs aesthetic, is turning 20 this year. To celebrate, designer Trina Turk launched a 20th Anniversary collection of dresses, sportswear, swimwear, accessories and jewelry featuring Turk’s signature original prints.
Insight’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Party
The Insight brand unveiled the new look for its Venice flagship with a rock ‘n’ roll party on March 19. Performing was buzz worthy band La Sera. Rivers Cuomo of Weezer made an appearance too.
Nouveau Riche…the Brand…Coming To Your Town
The Los Angeles brand Nouveau Riche made a debut this month at the Art Hearts Fashion Show. Nouveau Riche’s first line is called Melrose Meets Robertson, and it was designed by a guy who made his fashion chops in Los Angeles.
Tuesday, March 24
Hot Topic Introduces "Orphan Black" Collection
Retail
Hot Topic has developed a limited clothing collection inspired by the TV thriller "Orphan Black."
Monday, March 23
Ashton Michael at Style Fashion Week
Consider the Ashton Michael Fall 2015 line, Blood, Sweat & Tears, one of the most brash looks of the Los Angeles-headquartered label, which made its runway debut at Style Fashion Week on March 20.
Carjamming: Crooks & Castles X Chain Gang L.A.
Streetwear kings Crooks & Castles honored car club culture with a collaboration with Chain Gang LA. The outfit is one of a handful that makes iconic traditional chain-stitch embroideries for car clubs. They held a debut for the collaboration at Crooks' Los Angeles flagship store on March 20.
Here Comes the Squibblez
A cute doodle can go a long way. In the case of Japanese pop-art brands, clothing lines and business empires can be made out of them. For Elisabeth Rosenwasser, cute scribbles she made in college turned into Squibblez, a proto-collection. Squibblez showed a preview of its line March 22 at the Astroetic Studio in downtown Los Angeles.
Nike x Sacai Collab: Fashion x Function
Athletic giant Nike teamed up with designer Chitose Abe, founder of the Japanese brand Sacai, to launch Nike x Sacai, a new collaboration that adds a fashionable twist to athletic apparel.
Friday, March 20
Thread & Bone at Cooper
In 2010, The Stylist Project art series by Kimberly Brooks made a debut. It piqued the interest of a lot of L.A. fashion people because it offered portraits of some denizens of the Los Angeles fashion scene such as Rose Apodaca and Rachel Zoe. Five years later, Brooks is back to fashion. On March 19, she dropped by the Cooper Design Space which held a reception for her Thread & Bone art installation for the showroom building’s Gateway Gallery.
Thursday, March 19
Orders, Out-of-Town Buyers and Mixed Traffic Reports
L.A. Market
Traffic appeared lighter than usual for March at the recent run of Los Angeles Fashion Week, but exhibitors said traffic was steady and reported landing orders from local and out-of town retailers.
Georges Marciano Files Lawsuit Against Guess Over Name
Manufacturing | Legal
Georges Marciano, who founded Guess 35 years ago, filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles clothing company run by his brothers to be able to use his name for new clothing labels he wants to develop.
Moda 360 to Take a Bow at New Mart
Trade Show
Moda 360, a trade show for independent designers, will make its debut at The New Mart showroom building in downtown Los Angeles April 24–25, said Debora Pokallus, the founder and chief executive officer of the show.
American Apparel Resolves Lawsuits Against Ousted CEO Dov Charney
Manufacturing | Legal
Months after firing Dov Charney, two lawsuits against the founder and former chief executive of American Apparel have been settled.
Letter to the Editor: In Response to Coverage of the Otis Creative Economy Report
Manufacturing
There is an issue of data vs. substance, and clarity continues to be required when gathering and reporting on the diverse industry that is called “fashion.”
Simon Makes 'Best and Final' Offer for Macerich
Retail
The board of directors for the Macerich Co. unanimously rejected an unsolicited bid from mall giant Simon Property Group Inc. on March 17. Simon made its "best and final" offer for Macerich on March 20.
Dripped’s Underground LA Fashion Week
The Dripped Fashion Soiree produced the biggest gala of its multi-year run on March 18. More than 500 people checked out runway shows from four emerging designers at Dripped, which showcases new designers with an underground edge.
Va Va Voom Glam Factory's Big, New Showroom & High End Dress Line
Va Va Voom Glam Factory introduced a sprawling 10,000 square foot showroom in Los Angeles' Warehouse District on March 18, and showed its new Summer/Holiday '15 high end dress line.
CALA Doubles Attendance at Show in New S.F. Location
Bursting at the Seams
CALA exhibited the latest ready-to-wear Fall 2015 fashions at its new location in the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion, shifting the atmosphere from a hotel-room show to an open-floor format for the first time in its 20-year run in San Francisco.
Wednesday, March 18
Austere's Fashion Week Design Party
The LA Fashion Market, which wraps up March 19, is a good excuse to throw a party. Austere, located at 912 S. Hill St. just a couple of blocks away from the showroom buildings where the Fashion Market is going on, held a reception March 17 for collections from emerging designers. With treats such as wine and chocolate being served, revelers got to see new looks by brands by Cuero & Mør, Echo + Air, Jill Aiko Yee and Stella Proseyn.
Tuesday, March 17
Michelle Blade For RVCA Takes a Bow
After five years of doing art for RVCA, Michelle Blade collaborated with the brand to do a capsule collection. It is called Michelle Blade for RVCA Spring/Summer 15, and it is based on her watercolors.
LASC & the Radical Element
LASC has long served the city of West Hollywood as a place for men’s fashion and a place to party. It produces major events such as the boutique’s famous Halloween and Gay Pride parties. But this good retail citizen has embraced a Radical Element. New men's brand, Radical Element took a bow at LASC on March 14.
Monday, March 16
Walk Tall in Style
Special Sizes
Long Tall Sally is a retail chain specializing in fashion for women 5’8” and up.
Cooper Flies Old Glory…and Peace Flag
Look toward the top of Cooper Design Space in Los Angeles’ Fashion District. There’s the U.S. Flag proudly flying the red, white and blue…and a purple flag with a greyish, blue peace sign flying under it. The peace flag has been flying above the Cooper showroom building since beginning of the year, said Steve Hirsh, the general manager of the building
Friday, March 13
Cross Colours Star of Hip Hop LAFW Party
With the motto ‘Clothing without prejudice,’ the Cross Colours brand started business in 1989 as hip hop started to be taken seriously as a cultural force. The brand which was recently re-introduced to the fashion market, was honored March 12 by some of the many people it influenced at a Los Angeles Fashion Week event in downtown Los Angeles. We heard some hip hop, saw some Cross Colours clothes and witnessed a lot of fashion imagination. Take a look.
Thursday, March 12
Activewear: From Fitness Trend to Lifestyle Uniform
Activewear
Just like the “casual Friday” trend, which evolved from a weekly break from professional attire to an everyday uniform, activewear has spread beyond the gym, yoga studio or dance class.
Beach Riot Bows First Contemporary Line
Fashion
The Beach Riot label makes garments for the endless summer, and Nicole Hanriot, owner and designer of the label, believes that women should be able to wear swimwear everywhere.
Maui & Sons Opens Flagship
Retail
The Maui & Sons brand is taking on more surf in Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood.
Karma Activewear: Taking Yoga From Hot to Haute
Manufacturing
When Nasim Tyab launched his Karma activewear brand in 2002, his goal was to “capture the spirit, beauty and athleticism of yoga” in a clothing collection designed specifically for practitioners of Bikram yoga.
Colosseum Activewear: Support For Your Sport
Manufacturing
Colosseum Activewear was launched in Spring 2012 under the parent company Colosseum Athletics Corp. as a fashion-inspired, contemporary performance collection.
Cozy Orange: Taking Eco Active Beyond the Gym
Manufacturing
Carlsbad, Calif.–based Cozy Orange launched in 2013 with a mission to fuse active apparel with a sustainability message. Today, the company continues to evolve its eco-active focus to position the brand as a fashion-driven lifestyle collection.
The Activewear Solution
Fabletics
The last two years have seen streetwear shift from denim to activewear. Everywhere, women are sporting yoga pants, running tights and other clothing once reserved for the gym while running errands or even dressing them up with heels for evening.
Starting a Nationwide Rollout
Planet Blue
Planet Blue, the multi-brand boutique retailer steeped in West Coast beach culture and boho styles, will be taking its act nationwide.
New American Apparel Director on Board After One Board Member Resigns
Manufacturing
Los Angeles–based American Apparel’s board of directors has had several members come and go in the wake of founder Dov Charney being suspended and later terminated as the president and chief executive.
Unicolors Wins Another Copyright Infringement Case Over Fabric Design
Manufacturing | Legal
Nearly one year after filing a lawsuit over a colorful fabric design, Unicolors Inc. has been awarded $164,400 in a case over copyright infringement.
Mall Giant Simon Makes Bid for Macerich
Manufacturing
Simon Property Group Inc. continued its campaign to acquire The Macerich Co.
Jen Awad Goes Disco
When Jen Awad started showing her self-named line at different LA Fashion Week events since 2009, the designer was making clothes with a punk and ‘70s glam vibe. It was exactly what a woman who also gigs with rock bands should be designing. But she changed sides. Jen went disco. We found out the reasons why at her ConceptLA fashion show on March 7.
Elaine Marie's Debut
For Elaine Allen, L.A. Fashion Week was a place to make a debut. She showed her Elaine Marie line at the ConceptLA fashion event on March 7.
California’s Creative Impact
Public TV station KCET has a video released to coincide with Otis College of Art and Design's report on the creative economy that really demonstrates the scope of the industry’s impact—and takes viewers behind the scenes of two local companies.
Spoiled Takes a Bow on Melrose
L.A. has been agog over high end vintage and pre-loved clothes for years. CeCe Hendriks made a career with selling reclaimed, high end clothes for the juniors, ranging from infants to 14-years-old. On March 11, she held a party for the new shop, located at 8178 Melrose Ave. in Los Angeles. Take a look.
Wednesday, March 11
Future's So Bright, Ya Gotta Wear ASIF
Sneaker brand ASIF claims to be from the future. But it touched down in Los Angeles's Venice district on March 6 to produce a pop-up shop.
Otis Report: L.A.s’ Creative Economy Slowly Regaining Jobs, but Fashion Manufacturing Continues to Shrink
The Los Angeles County fashion industry is the second-largest sector in the local creative economy, right behind the entertainment industry and just ahead of the publishing industry.
Tuesday, March 10
Sue Wong Dazzles With Her Designs
Fashion
Sue Wong fashion show kicks off Arts Heart Fashion's four days of runway events.
Monday, March 9
LA Fashion Week
Fall 2015 Runway
After two weeks of runway shows, installations and parties, Los Angeles Fashion Week concluded with the Style Fashion Week shows, held March 18–22 at The Reef in downtown Los Angeles, as well as a solo show hosted by Kithe Brewster.
Odd Molly Pops On Abbot Kinney
We remember Odd Molly’s flagship store on Los Angeles’ Robertson Boulevard from a few years ago. But on March 10, this brand with roots in Stockholm and Hermosa Beach, Calif., will open a pop-up shop at 1306 Abbot Kinney Blvd. It's a return engagement. Odd Molly produced a pop-up shop in Abbot Kinney in Summer 2014.
East Coast Ports Benefited from West Coast Cargo Diversions
In a sign of how bad the port congestion problem grew on the West Coast this January, East Coast ports ended up handling 45 percent of the cargo containertraffic that entered the United States, up from 36 percent during the same month last year.
Pop Parties With Ilse Valfré
The Pop fashion boutique in Little Tokyo celebrated its first anniversary with Ilse Valfré, an artist and fashion designer.
Friday, March 6
Forever 21 to Desert Hills Premium Outlets
Desert Hills Premium Outlets is the address to outlet stores for Prada, Alexander McQueen, Barneys New York, and on March 7, it will welcome a 7,000 square foot Forever 21.
Thursday, March 5
Stance Raises $50 million in VC Funding
Manufacturing
Stance, a San Clemente, Calif.–based company that helped build a market for fashion socks at streetwear and surf and skate retailers, raised $50 million in venture capital funding, according to media reports.
February Business Toughs Out Pressures
Retail
February was tough for retailers. Freezing temperatures and winter weather kept shoppers inside their homes. There was a labor slowdown at ports on the West Coast, and after receiving a break from high gas prices during the fall, prices at the pump started climbing in February.
Mission Showroom
Showroom Profiles
Inside the Mission Showroom, the décor is minimalist, but the various brands are not. They range from clunky jewelry and fashion-forward sunglasses to colorful men’s socks and athletic streetwear.
Australian Fashion Labels
Showroom Profiles
In the days leading up to Los Angeles Fashion Market, the new U.S. team at Australian Fashion Labels was putting the finishing touches on the 4,100-square-foot headquarters and showroom space on the third floor at the Cooper Design Space in Los Angeles.
The GIG Showroom
Showroom Profile
After representing high-profile underwear Spanx and Calvin Klein, GIG co-owners Stacey and Joel Gossman recently took on some denim and activewear clients. The additional clients demanded more space. GIG moved to a bigger showroom in the building.
H&M Debuts Exclusive H&M Studio Collection for Fall
Fashion
Retailer unveils its H&M Studio, a limited-edition collection available Sept. 10.
Sandy Jang, Sweet Rain and Alice Blue
Showroom Profiles
Sandy Jang has been producing young contemporary fashions for 15 years under the labels Sweet Rain and Alice Blue. For the upcoming March 16–19 run of Los Angeles Fashion Market, Jang will introduce her eponymous premium collection.
Sourcing Show Factory Direct Debuts
The New Mart
Full-package producers, logistics, design consulting and other sourcing resources exhibited at the debut of the Factory Direct trade show at The New Mart March 2–4.
New Format, New Developments
L.A. Textile Show
The threat of rain put a damper on the opening day of the Los Angeles International Textile Show, but traffic picked up on the second and third day of the show’s March 2–4 run at the California Market Center.
What’s Up for Solving the Ports’ Congestion Problems
Import & Export
Even though a labor dispute has been tentatively resolved, port officials in the Los Angeles area admit it will take at least three months to deal with the traffic jam of goods that has plagued the watery transportation centers since October.
Fighting for Greater Market Share
Premium Denim
Premium denim is a staple at LASC, but the West Hollywood, Calif., men’s boutique kept its offerings fairly narrow until recently, when the retailer began adding new labels to its mix.
The Look for Fall ’15
’70s Chic
Blame it on Nicolas Ghesquière, but the ’70s are back—and they are ever so chic.
Los Angeles Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015 Calendar
Fashion Week
Los Angeles Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2015 runs from March 7-22.
NRF President Calls for a Better Way to Resolve Labor Union Disputes
Retail
Noting that the retail industry is highly reliant on just-in-time delivery of goods, the head of the National Retail Federation said many retailers were economically hurt by the recent West Coast port problems and labor slowdowns that led to imported merchandise taking weeks and even months to be delivered.
Wednesday, March 4
Lacoste: New Racquet, New Capsule Collection
Lacoste is getting ready to introduce a performance tennis racquet called the LT12. Get ready for the capsule clothing collection that will accompany it.
Tuesday, March 3
Street Scene: Summer in Rio 2015
Guest Blogger: Estevan Ramos
Los Angeles designer and stylist Estevan Ramos was recently in Rio de Janeiro, styling a shoot for the Athleta brand. It was his first time in Brazil and he says he immediately felt inspired of the beauty, culture and uniqueness of the beach city.
Monday, March 2
El Paseo in L.A.
Fashion Week El Paseo is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary when it hosts its March 21-28 run in Palm Desert, Calif.
Revolveman's New Catalog: Carmen Crest Drive
After a redesign in 2014, the Revolve e-commerce emporium, based outside of Los Angeles, wanted to give its menswear section, REVOLVEman, a higher profile. Looks like plans to add an extra spotlight on REVOLVEman are going full steam ahead. On March 3, REVOLVEman will release its first editorial shoot of brands sold on its website.
