Thursday, April 30
Fashinnovation’s Virtual Event Cultivates Mindfulness in the Garment Industry
Trade Shows
Launched April 20–21, during the first days of Fashion Revolution Week, Fashinnovation’s Worldwide Talks 2020 was held in a virtual forum covering themes including sustainability, social impact, entrepreneurship, business and, of course, innovation.
Kingpins24 Launches as Virtual Complement to Kingpins Brand
Trade Shows
After producing a reported 88 shows together in 10 cities including New York, Amsterdam and Hong Kong, Kingpins founder Andrew Olah and the show’s managing director, Vivian Wang, introduced the brand’s first Zoom-hosted digital event April 22–23.
Supply-Chain Executives Forecast How Technology Amid the Pandemic Can Transform Businesses
Import/Export
The COVID-19 pandemic turned the fashion business upside down and is putting supply chains through a giant stress test, said Neil Soni, vice president of business development and strategy for Omnichain, a Los Angeles–headquartered supply-chain company.
L.A. Companies Make Face Masks Using Sustainable Practices
Manufacturing
Tour Image dba UStrive received a Global Organic Textile Standard certification in November, which gave the Los Angeles–area factory one of the highest ranks in sustainable manufacturing.
Apparel Industry Finds Opportunities to Do Good Making COVID-19 Masks
Fashion for Good
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, scores of Los Angeles designers and apparel companies have shifted gears and started making nonmedical face masks.
Amy Winehouse Anniversary of "Back to Black" Release Observed by Grammy Museum
EVENTS
Downtown Los Angeles' Grammy Museum is observing the 13th anniversary of the release of Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" album with an Instagram live event beginning April 30 and continuing with the virtual unveiling of organization's "Beyond Black — The Style Of Amy Winehouse" exhibition on May 1.
StockX Raffles Against COVID-19
The Detroit-headquartered company recently launched its Campaign for a Cause. Celebrities, star athletes and musicians donated items from their personal collections to raffle to benefit the World Heath Organization's COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund
Fashioning Beauty for the Frontline, Kevan Hall and Malena Ruth Find a New Mission
A Beautiful Defense
For Malena Ruth, working with fellow Los Angeles designer Kevan Hall is part of her design evolution. While Ruth counts Hall among the mentors who have helped forge her path, the two luxury designers have come together on one of their most-important collaborative projects.
Amazon’s “Making the Cut” Win Changed Edgy Designer’s Style
Cota Makes the Cut
Downtown Los Angeles designer Jonny Cota won the first season of Amazon’s reality-competition show “Making the Cut” April 24 with a diffusion fashion line he named Metamorphosis.
Tuesday, April 28
Shop by Shopify Launches Consumer App
RETAIL
After 14 years of growing its e-commerce platform to include more than 1 million businesses, Shopify is expanding to include a consumer-facing component.
Ross Makes $1.5 Million COVID-19 Relief Donation
RETAIL
Ross Stores, Inc.’s fleet of 1,566 off-price apparel emporiums are temporarily closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but the Dublin, Calif.–headquartered retailer’s philanthropy is active.
Monday, April 27
Los Angeles’ Jonny Cota Wins Amazon’s Making The Cut
Jonny Cota forged a career of being on the outside. He recently was named the winner for the first season of Amazon's fashion competition reality show Making the Cut, and he might as well been officially been bequeathed the title of fashion insider.
Friday, April 24
President Signs COVID-19 Relief Bill, Fed Expands Main Street Program
FINANCE
President Donald Trump signed a $484 billion COVID-19 relief package into law on April 24.
Gap Inc.’s COVID-19 Survival Measures: Stop Paying Rent
RETAIL
Gap Inc. disclosed that it was taking a number of extraordinary measures to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis.
Minimalist Costuming Brings Life to HJFilmworld's "Synthetic Souls"
COSTUME DESIGN
A story line centered on the potential capabilities for the artificial intelligence of advanced cybernetic organisms challenges HJFilmworld to capture the creation of human-like machines along with their development into individuals that are self-aware.
Thursday, April 23
Skechers Prioritizes Welfare for Shelter Animals During COVID-19 Pandemic
MANUFACTURING
The increased number of employees working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a pleasantly surprising trend—a rise in pet adoptions and fosters.
Wednesday, April 22
Earth Day 50: Fashion Makes Pledges and New Products
MANUFACTURING
Earth Day turned 50 on April 22. Fashion groups celebrated with promises to be better environmental citizens and introduction of sustainable styles.
Tuesday, April 21
A Tree-Planting Initiative Grows at Robbins Brothers
RETAIL
On the eve of Earth Day 2020, jeweler Robbins Brothers is providing eco-friendly gem options through its lab-grown E3 diamonds and a tree-planting partnership with the National Forest Foundation.
Monday, April 20
Mario De La Torre Shifts From Fashion to Make Face Masks for Farmworkers
MANUFACTURING
Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, Mario De La Torre shifted his Los Angeles design business from making fashion to making face masks. He has donated the masks to grocery-store workers and law enforcement. He recently expanded his efforts to include farmworkers.
Certain Tariffs to Receive 90-Day Postponement Due to Pandemic
IMPORT/EXPORT
Importers faced with financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic can request a 90-day deferment in payments on certain duties, taxes and fees, according to an executive order signed by President Trump on April 18.
Thursday, April 16
Taylor Stitch and Botanical Colors Join Forces for an Earth Day Collection
Earth Day Dyes
While the argument can be made that each day offers opportunities for making new choices to promote environmental responsibility, on April 22, Earth Day will bring the health of the planet center stage.
Under Armour Hires Industry Veteran Collier as CPO
Manufacturing
Under Armour announced on April 15 that Lisa Collier was hired as its chief product officer.
BioCellection Helps Close Loop on Plastics Pollution by Creating New Materials
Technology
Through its efforts to close the loop on plastics pollution, BioCellection has advanced its program from recycling this type of waste by expanding into creating performance materials that could be utilized by the apparel industry.
In Secrecy and Divinity, Nathalia Gaviria Makes Her Confession
Designed Confessions
Inspired by empowerment found in the freedom of revealing deep, dark secrets in the search for redemption, Nathalia Gaviria’s Autumn 2020 NG Gold collection—Confessions—provides insight into temptation and deliverance.
True Religion Files for Bankruptcy
Finance
After emerging from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017, Los Angeles denim brand True Religion filed again this week.
Kingpins Cancels New York Edition, Launches New Online-Retail Offering
Trade Shows
Originally scheduled to take place June 2–3 at Basketball City on Pier 36 in Manhattan, the New York edition of Kingpins, the trade event for denim enthusiasts, has been canceled.
Unemployment Rises and Sales Fall as COVID-19 Takes Hold
Finance
Continued debilitating business obstacles due to the COVID-19 pandemic have grown as the economy enters the second quarter of 2020 with employment and sales figures in the apparel industry decreasing.
Entrepreneur Charles Nelson Enters Athleisure Space With Willy California
Manufacturing
According to serial entrepreneur Charles Nelson, co-founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes and the Pizzana restaurant, the men’s activewear segment is still underserved.
Businesses Look to Government Lifelines in Order to Survive
Finding Financial Lifelines
Like thousands of other businesses, Pocket Square Clothing, a maker of suiting accessories and bespoke clothing, had to furlough its staff because of the COVID-19 crisis.
LifeProof Turns Ocean Plastic into Phone Cases
ACCESSORIES
The world’s oceans continue to be choked by plastic waste. LifeProof, headquartered in San Diego, recently released WĀKE phone cases, which are made from at 85 percent recycled ocean plastic.
Faire Unveils Digital Marketplace for Face Masks
TECHNOLOGY
State and city governments across the nation are requiring that people wear face masks when going out in public. There’s a growing need for face masks, and San Francisco-headquartered online wholesale marketplace Faire wants to make sure that small business gets some of the action.
Two Fashion Brands Use T-shirts to Fight COVID-19
MANUFACTURING
Many Californians are looking for ways to support COVID-19 relief. Two clothing brands, Original Paperbacks and STKY, recently announced campaigns to raise awareness and funds to push back the pandemic
Wednesday, April 15
Fashion Lays Off Hundreds as Unemployment Skyrockets, EDD Said
FINANCE
Unemployment has skyrocketed since the economic freeze bought by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has reached rates that the California Employment Development Department has called historic.
Former Walmart Exec To Lead eBay
RETAIL
Former Walmart Exec To Lead eJamie Iannone, chief operating officer of Walmart eCommerce, was recently named chief executive officer of digital commerce pioneer eBay Inc.
Tuesday, April 14
LA Fashion Festival Chief Takes New Project Virtual
TRADE SHOWS
Stay-at-home orders put the kibosh on public gatherings. But Justin Raymond Merino wants to produce content for a society avoiding contact.
Vans and Tony Hawk Announce Global Partnership
Manufacturing
With a shared skateboarding legacy, Costa Mesa, Calif., action-sports brand Vans and skateboard legend Tony Hawk announced a new brand partnership.
March Volumes Decrease at Major California Ports, but Optimism Abounds
IMPORT/EXPORT
Due to a weak global-trade market resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, loaded container volume declined from 2019 totals during March at the Port of Oakland.
Monday, April 13
Fred Segal’s #DaytimeNightclub Challenge Hopes To Knock Out COVID-19 Blues
RETAIL
There’s not been much reason to put a nice jacket or a stylish dress in the past month, but retailer Fred Segal hopes to give people a reason to put on something special, while helping people out with its #DaytimeNightclub Challenge.
Thursday, April 9
Levi’s x Super Mario Launches for Spring/Summer 2020
MANUFACTURING
Levi’s x Super Mario launched as a streetwear-inspired collection based on the denim brand's style and video-game hero's exciting adventures.
NuOrder Survey Finds 63 Percent of Retailers Cancel Orders
Retail
The coronavirus pandemic continues its economic freeze, delivering a major blow to the fashion business, according to a recently released survey from NuOrder.
Wednesday, April 8
Tacori Reminds Customers That Love is Essential
RETAIL
As consumers stay at home, jewelry-design company Tacori shares a hopeful message of that "love is essential," as it hosts a weekly contest to promote this message.
Tuesday, April 7
Trinidad3 Answers Call to Serve With New Collection, COVID-19 Contributions
Manufacturing
As a United States Marine Corps veteran, Trinidad Garcia III still begins his day contributing to the armed services, as a contractor who provides marksmanship training for the United States Navy, but his calling to serve his country doesn’t end there.
Carhartt and Buck Mason Join the Fight to Make PPEs
MANUFACTURING
Fashion brands continue to find new purpose in making personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.
Monday, April 6
Vans’ Foot The Bill Aims To Help Independent Shops
Vans plans to support independent skate shops, music venues and restaurants shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic with a special fundraiser.
Vardagen’s PNDMC Collection: Finding Humor and Giving Help
MANUFACTURING
Jared Ingold wanted his T-shirt brand Vardagen to poke humor at what people were going through during a typical day. But typical changed when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Friday, April 3
CCILU Launches XpreSole Spring 2020 Collection; Donates Footwear to Healthcare Professionals
MANUFACTURING
In the search for greater sustainability, Ccilu announced the launch of its XpreSole Spring 2020 collection, which is manufactured primarily using coffee grounds.
Thursday, April 2
Fashion Week San Diego Announces Comeback and A Sotheby’s Event
EVENTS
After a 2019 hiatus, Fashion Week San Diego plans to roll out a number of events in California and New York City this year.
Major Retailers Furlough Employees
Retail
Some of America’s most prominent publicly traded retailers announced that they would furlough bricks-and-mortar employees as the economy has frozen due to stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
President Signs $2 Trillion COVID-19 Stimulus Package
Finance
President Donald Trump signed into law a $2 trillion stimulus bill on March 27 in response to the impact of COVID-19.
Apparel-Technology Companies Make Connections to Support PPE Production
Technology
As clothing manufacturers, brands and designers create personal protective equipment for medical workers during the continued global efforts to combat COVID-19, apparel-technology firms are facilitating production of masks, gloves, gowns and footwear covers.
Apparel Manufacturers Mobilized by Government to Fight Coronavirus
Manufacturing
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, government agencies and apparel manufacturers have started working together to compensate for a shortfall in personal protective equipment such as face masks and hospital gowns.
Unpublished Unveils Spring/Summer 2020, Adding a Bright Outlook to the Season
Day-dreamy Denim
Taking a brighter approach to the Spring/Summer 2020 collection of Unpublished denim, founding designer Ya-el Torbati created pieces that help generate a luminous glow.
Industry Focus: Finance: Conquering COVID-19 by Weathering the Impact of the Storm
Finance
Industry Focus: Finance
Garment-Industry Veteran Ilse Metchek Provides a Real Take on COVID-19
Fashion
For California Fashion Association President Ilse Metchek, the business of apparel is more than an industry that produces clothing. With a career that has spanned decades, Metchek has served as a resource for many in the field.
Found Los Angeles Uses Cleaner Resources to Grow Local Sustainable-Apparel Mission
Found Los Angeles
With extensive fashion-industry careers, Cinzia Simone and Irene Kim have created a brand that they are building at a slower pace than the fast-fashion norms that were formerly dominating the industry.
Lucky Brand’s Newest Collaboration: Making Face Masks
MANUFACTURING
One of the big fashion stories during the coronavirus pandemic has been how apparel manufacturers, designers and brands have retooled their production to make face masks. Los Angeles’ Lucky Brand has joined the fight.
FaZe Clan x LA Kings’ Slapshot
MANUFACTURING
Los Angeles-headquartered e-sports team FaZe Clan has been mixing good works and commerce recently.
