California Apparel News

Rue21 announced that it will be tripling the size of its Los Angeles Fashion District buying office. The fast-fashion retailer will run a 3,000-square-foot office after operating from a 1,000-square-foot space, said Michael C. Appel, Rue21’s chief executive officer. “As a leader in on-trend fashion at affordable prices, we have made the decision to strategically and aggressively expand Rue21’s collection of plus-size clothes for teen girls and young women,” he said. “To accommodate this growth, we are adding a fully focused dedicated merchant team for plus in our Los Angeles office.”

Klarna recently announced that it would start working with MVMT, a New York–headquartered premium-watch and accessory brand. Klarna, which was founded in Stockholm, offers buy-now-pay-later financing options for digital commerce. Other companies offering Klarna with digital commerce options include H&M, Abercrombie & Fitch and Timberland, said Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski. “With Klarna, we hope to bring brands’ visions to life by lifting constraints between the item and the shopper, which is exemplified through our partnership with MVMT,” he said.

Exponea, a New York–headquartered consumer-data platform for online retail, has developed a focus on General Data Protection Regulation. It’s an influential European Union consumer-privacy law that has addressed the transfer of personal data outside of the EU. Exponea announced Jan. 22 that Scott McNabb was named senior vice president and general manager for the company’s Americas region. McNabb will direct commercial aspects of Exponea’s U.S. expansion. McNabb said that his company engages customers and can help navigate an increasingly complex technology market.

Snapper Rock, a swimwear brand that was founded in New Zealand., recently released Oceania, its first sustainable swimwear collection. The colors of the new capsule are inspired by coral-reef colors. The capsule’s fabrics are made out of sustainable materials such as Econyl and Repreve. The swimwear also will offer protection for the sun’s ultraviolet rays, according to a Snapper Rock statement. The brand makes swimwear for babies and kids in addition to women and men.

IBank, the California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank, headquartered in Sacramento, Calif., has a focus on small businesses. It recently announced that Scott Wu would join as its executive director. Wu most recently served as partner and head of investments for the nonprofit Omidyar Network, which was founded by Pierre Omidyar, who also founded eBay. Wu also served as a presidential innovation fellow during the Obama administration, said Lenny Mendonca, who serves as chairman of the IBank board. “IBank is experiencing continued growth in financing infrastructure projects and supporting small businesses throughout California, and we know that Scott’s experience can help identify and create further opportunities that will help communities throughout the state,” Mendonca said. Mendonca also serves as director of the California governor’s office of business and economic development.