California Apparel News

Isabel Guzman was sworn in on March 17 as the 27th administrator of the United States Small Business Administration. Growing up the daughter of a small-business owner, Guzman earned a Bachelor of Sciences degree from the University of Pennsylvania Wharton School of Business. Prior to her appointment, Guzman was the director of the California Office of the Small Business Advocate. Guzman led initiatives including Get Digital CA, which increased the adoption of e-commerce and technological practices, and Source Diverse Source Local. Guzman was also a leader of the state’s $2.5 billion COVID-19 grant-relief program.

Liberty Fairs and Cabana will produce side-by-side trade shows at the Miami Beach Convention Center July 10–12—the first on-site productions for both brands since the beginning of the pandemic. “As a trade destination, Miami is an amazing opportunity for both men’s and women’s brands and retailers alike, with the beaches, nightlife and amenable weather for social distancing outdoors,” said Janet Wong, co-founder of Cabana. Blending Cabana’s resort and travel-lifestyle focus with Liberty Fairs’ contemporary and lifestyle-event model, the shows will feature a combined roster of nearly 450 brands. “If COVID has taught us anything, it is the power of togetherness,” said Edwina Kulego, vice president of Liberty Fairs. “I believe this collaboration is a step in the right direction, and we are hopeful about the prospects and ideas that will be birthed from this venture.”

Artistic Milliners and Bestseller announced a partnership to increase the use of organic, ethically sourced cotton. The Pakistan-based denim mill Artistic Milliners and the Denmark clothing company Bestseller are incorporating materials from the Milliners Cotton Organic Project, which includes traceability from farm to factory, into the Jack & Jones brand. “We are grateful to our implementation partners WWF-Pakistan for working so passionately on this project and bringing a real, positive impact. Pakistan’s organic cotton sourced via the Milliners Cotton Organic Project is being grown in one of the most underdeveloped communities,” said Omer Ahmed, chief executive officer at Artistic Milliners. “With long-term pre-orders for their cotton, the farmers are seeing a new ray of light. The entire community will prosper.”

The California Retailers Association and the California Organized Retail Crimes Association have announced a partnership through which the two agencies will combat organized retail crime in the state. “ORC [Organized Retail Crime] is a growing problem not only for businesses but also for our communities,” said Rachel Michelin, CRA president and chief executive officer. “ORC fosters a host of illegal activity, including the recruitment of youth, the homeless and others into theft crimes. These networks frequently use their proceeds to finance other illegal activity including drug smuggling and human trafficking.” The partnership between CRA and Cal-ORCA will seek legislation and regulation of crime rings at the community level as a preventative measure against large-scale thefts.