Friday, March 29
Guess? Eco Capsule Collection Uses Environmentally Friendly Manufacturing
FASHION
During its Spring 2019 campaign, Guess? unveiled its new Guess Eco capsule collection that relies on ecologically sound materials and manufacturing processes.
Consort 62 takes ArtHeartsFashion Runway With Multiculti Styles
Kimono fabric, Chinese silk, blanket material made in Korea; these are some of the fabrics that Kenneth Chang uses in his fashion line Consort 62.
Thursday, March 28
Skingraft to Close DTLA Store & Open Multi-brand Shop
March 29 will be the last day of business for the flagship store for Skingraft, which was one of downtown Los Angeles' retail pioneers.
A Look at Fall Fashions on the Runway
Los Angeles Fashion Week
The runways were full for Los Angeles Fashion Week with styles being seen in two locations this season.
Rue21 to Open a Buying Office in Los Angeles Fashion District
Retail
Rue21, the fast-fashion enterprise that now has more than 700 bricks-and-mortar stores across the country, is opening a West Coast buying office in Los Angeles to be closer to clothing manufacturers that supply the company.
Rent the Runway Sued by Competitor FashionPass
Legal
Rent the Runway was started in 2009 by two East Coast women who hit upon the idea of renting out clothes to a broad range of women who like to mix up their wardrobe but may not have the money to buy a full closet of clothes.
A Squad of Female Executives Takes Over at Manhattan Beachwear
Women Take Manhattan
Inside the two-story industrial office building that houses the vast Manhattan Beachwear operations in Cypress, Calif., a mini revolution is going on.
Global Icons Licensing Buys Majority Stake in Fred Segal
Retail
The Fred Segal boutique company is on the move. A new Fred Segal store will open in Malibu, Calif., on April 6, and the retailer has a new owner.
LA Men’s Market Makes ‘Under Construction’ Show For Holiday Market
LA Men’s Market
The March 26–27 edition of LA Men’s Market, which was founded in 2013 with a focus on men’s streetwear, opened on the 10th floor of the California Market Center with yellow tape and work barricades set up to emphasize the trade show’s theme of “Under Construction.”
Kornit Digital to Unveil New Capabilities During 'Kornit Discover' in New York
Technology
Digital textile-printing-technology provider Kornit Digital has announced its latest offering, Kornit Discover—events that include educational workshops, networking opportunities, product demonstrations and sessions with guest speakers.
Small Apparel Boutiques Stay in the Game With Hands-On Owners
Retail
The secret sauce for store owners to be successful is often very simple—all they have to do is be on-site to give a sense of personality to the outpost and provide personalized service to make clients feel special.
Artisan Cloth Creates Greatest Innovation Show in L.A. Arts District
Manufacturing
Bringing together brands, mills and denim veterans, Artisan Cloth, along with partner Lenzing, the sustainable Austrian manufacturer of Tencel, recently co-hosted The Greatest Showroom Innovation Celebration—a circus-themed combination of a party and sourcing event based on the film “The Greatest Showman”—in the Arts District of Los Angeles.
Wednesday, March 27
GrooveNStyle Unveils Virtual Showroom Powered by Showroom Professionals
Virtual showrooms and e-markets have enjoyed a lot of success, but Eme Mizioch, founder of fashion sales company Joken Style Showroom said that that the e-showrooms missed a human touch.
Monday, March 25
RAW Parties for its 10th Birthday with Merlin Castell Fashion Show
For the past 10 years, the RAW artists' group has been producing showcases for independent artists in more than 70 cities . On March 20, RAW celebrated its decade with a big party at Exchange Club in downtown Los Angeles.
Friday, March 22
Beauticurve X Lane Bryant Preview Event Held With Rochelle Johnson in Culver City
FASHION
Beauticurve founder Rochelle Johnson previewed the Beauticurve X Lane Bryant collection during an event held at the retailer's location at the Westfield Culver City shopping center.
Thursday, March 21
Karsan Stakes Claim for Refined Style in Men’s Basics
Manufacturing
Rahim Karsan has had a dual life. During the week, he has been assembling marketing campaigns for growing tech and higher-education clients.
Art Institute Fashion Students Scramble After Their College Shuts Down
Art Institute Closure
For 150 fashion students at the Art Institute of Hollywood, their future now hangs in the balance after their college closed without warning earlier this month.
Grayson Debuts as the More Affordable Sibling of Premium Shirting Brand Frank & Eileen
Manufacturing
Upon the 10-year anniversary of her premium-shirting brand Frank & Eileen, Audrey McLoghlin wanted to create a new product exclusively for women who work hard for luxurious products but might not be able to spend $250 for a single shirt.
Shima Seiki Debuts a Collaborative Apparel-Technology Space in Los Angeles
Apparel-Tech Showcase
Shima Seiki, the nearly 60-year-old Japanese machine manufacturer and technology firm, recently unveiled its new showroom in the Arts District where it can take advantage of the neighborhood’s roots in the apparel-manufacturing industry and its place in fashion’s future.
NCTO Elects Glen Raven CEO to 2019 Chairman Post
Manufacturing
During its 16th annual meeting, the National Council of Textile Organizations elected its 2019 officers.
Levi Strauss & Co. Closes Above IPO Pricing With Unexpected Investors
Finance
Following the initial public offering price of $17 per share, San Francisco’s Levi Strauss & Co. closed at $22.41 per share on March 21, up $5.41, a 31.82 percent increase.
Guess? Inc. Reports Solid Earnings for Fiscal 2019
Manufacturing
Guess? Inc. has been undergoing a lot of executive changes this year, but that didn’t hamper its bottom line.
Trina Turk Visits the Vine for Her Fall 2019 Collection
Trina Turk Collection
For her Fall 2019 collection, Trina Turk took a trip to California’s wine country for her inspiration and colors.
New Shared Workspace Going to The Bloc in DTLA
Retail
For those who like to be able to shop in the same space where they work, then a new co-workspace at The Bloc in downtown Los Angeles might just be the place.
Koral Expands Into Men’s Activewear
Manufacturing
For several years now, Los Angeles designer Ilana Kugel has been the creative drive behind the Koral label, which has been producing high-end, stylish activewear for women who value quality and design.
S&S Activewear Shutters California Warehouse, Opens New Facility in Nevada
Manufacturing
S&S Activewear, the 31-year-old distributor of wholesale apparel, is laying off 136 employees as it prepares to close down its large warehouse in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
Independent Brand Seea Makes A Big Splash at SIMA Awards
The SIMA Awards is the name for the annual honors that the California’s surf industry gives some of its most dynamic players. When the 15th Annual SIMA awards were presented on March 20, an independent brand, Seea, took some of the big honors.
Wednesday, March 20
Grayscale's Khala Jones Unveils the Exhibit: Gray Show
Khala Jones placed her Grayscale label at retailers such as Urban Outfitters and Dolls Kill. But she wanted to produce an event for her brand.
Monday, March 18
Christian Siriano Honored with Fashion Visionary at Fashion Los Angeles Awards
Daily Front Row's Fifth Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards were presented on March 17 at the Beverly Hills Hotel.
Maggie Barry Opens SetSpace
Maggie Barry has been a big deal in Los Angeles costuming and fashion. Barry has long run a studio in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District. On March 16, It’s a permanent showroom/styling space.
Polymer: Out of the Van, Into New Offices
The Polymer brand celebrated its new offices with an art party on March 16. The new digs are near downtown Long Beach, Calif.
Friday, March 15
False Alarm Upends Westfield Century City Mall Shopping
A false alarm of a gunman disrupted shopping at Westfield Century City mall in Los Angeles on March 15.
Banana Republic Partners With Los Angeles Rams' Jared Goff as New Brand Ambassador
FASHION
Paying homage to its California roots, Banana Republic announced its partnership with Los Angeles Rams' quarterback—and Golden State native—Jared Goff.
Thursday, March 14
Retailers Find Soft Sales in February
Retail
February sales were soft for retailers including Zumiez Inc., The Buckle Inc. and Cato Corp.
The Doneger Group Appoints Michelle Evans to New EVP of Merchandising Role
Manufacturing
Fashion- and retail-strategy firm The Doneger Group announced the appointment of Michelle Evans to the newly created role of executive vice president of merchandising.
New Executive Vice President of Sales at Jerry Leigh
Manufacturing
Jerry Leigh, the Los Angeles apparel manufacturer and brand-management company, announced the promotion of Michelle Roback to the role of executive vice president of sales, juniors and the David Lerner brand.
LA Textile Offers an Experiential Show to Generate Buyer Interest
An Experiential LA Textile
This season, the LA Textile show blended experiences with business to make the event more than a showcase for materials and manufacturing.
The Sustainable Fashion Forum Provides a Tech Focus for Green Apparel Manufacturing
Sustainable Fashion Tech
Working toward a cleaner and greener apparel industry was the mission of the Sustainable Fashion Forum, held at the California Market Center on March 7during the March 6–8 run of the LA Textile show.
Disappearing Rains Help Buyer Traffic at LA Market
LA Market Brightens Up
A Los Angeles winter of heavy rains and unprecedented cold weather lifted for buyers attending the March 11–13 LA Market Week.
L.A. Drops in Retail-Real-Estate Investment Index
Retail
Los Angeles County commands global attention for its entertainment glitz, health-conscious lifestyles and bustling malls, but its ranking for retail-real-estate investment dropped in the recently released 2019 forecast from influential commercial-real-estate brokerage Marcus & Millichap.
How Retailers Can Navigate the Changing Social-Media Scene
Retail
Fashion trends come and go, and the way to communicate with customers has been turned upside down.
Statewide Fur Ban Introduced in California Legislature
Retail
A growing number of California cities have passed ordinances banning the sale and manufacture of new fur garments. Now the state of California is getting involved.
Wednesday, March 13
UCLA Anderson Forecast Sees a Downshifting in the Economy
Slower economy sees slower housing starts this year and next.
Tuesday, March 12
Jackie Bartolo To Velvet Heart
After a 16-year run as an independent sales rep, Jackie Bartolo closed her self-named Jackie B Showroom at the end of February. She took her sales team and moved into the corporate showroom for the Velvet Heart label,
Fashion Designer Mossimo Giannulli and Wife Accused of Paying Bribes to Get Daughters Into USC
Los Angeles fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and his wife were named in a massive federal indictment accusing wealthy individuals of paying bribes to get their children into prestigious universities.
Monday, March 11
Dolan Brand's Laundry Truck LA Hits the Streets
Jodie Dolan is a fashion success. But when it came to dealing with one of the biggest issues in her town, homelessness, she felt that she had fallen short.
Friday, March 8
The Compassion Project Gala Brings Out Fashionable Brands and Celebrities
PARTIES
The Compassion Project Gala, hosted by the AH&W Foundation with Animal Hope in Legislation, included a cruelty-free fashion show and silent auction.
Thursday, March 7
Made-to-Measure Brand Indochino to Santa Monica
Canadian company Indochino recently announced that it will be opening more of its omnichannel showrooms in the Los Angeles area.
Buffalo Exchange Celebrates 45 Years With Select Vintage and Unique Finds
Retail
The resale fashion house is celebrating with pop-up shops.
S-Team: Looking for an Active Difference
Active Difference
When Leo Leedy founded S-Team in 2015, he thought the label should have something for everyone. So it was only logical that the Los Angeles brand would expand on its vast collection of eveningwear, ready-to-wear and accessories to design an activewear line to keep in step with the growing demand for that category.
The Top 10 Messages for Fall 2019 With an Eye Toward Fall 2020
Fall Trends
Fall collections are considered the most exciting of the fashion calendar because of the many more clothing options the cooler season offers. The lush materials, the chunky sweaters, the outerwear pieces, the mix of textures, the opportunities for layering—all add up to a season rich in expressive possibilities.
Gap Inc. Acquires Janie and Jack Stores
Retail
One week after Gap Inc. said it would be splitting into two separate, publicly traded companies, the company announced it had purchased the Janie and Jack retail chain from children’s retailer Gymboree Group Inc. for $35 million.
Big Challenges for Shipping Industry in 2020
Import/Export
Apparel and textile importers have spent the last year challenged by rising shipping rates and tight vessel space as cargo owners scrambled to bring in merchandise earlier than normal to beat an expected tariff rise on certain Chinese goods.
Salesforce Releases ‘Trends in Retail and Consumer Goods Marketing’ Report
Technology
Marketing professionals in retail and consumer goods are harvesting tons of data to monitor consumer habits, but that data often remains unorganized and unused.
Entrupy Expands Its Reach to Combat Counterfeit Goods
Technology
With counterfeit goods estimated to carve out $461 billion in global trade, technology firm Entrupy has an anti-counterfeiting solution that proves authenticity for luxury resale outlets and decreases return fraud.
Measuring Omni-shopper Habits Brings Together Nielsen and The NPD Group
Technology
Shifting consumer behavior has left many retailers and brands wondering how to develop the perfect formula for successfully engaging shoppers.
After Bankruptcy Filing, Charlotte Russe Is Closing All Stores
After a 44-year run, young women’s clothier Charlotte Russe is going out of business with a liquidation sale starting March 7 at all its stores.
O’Neill Dumps Drawstrings With No-Tie-Fly
“Drawcords are a thing of the past,” Lorin Ely-McGregor, an O’Neill boardshort senior designer and creator of the No-Tie-Fly.
