INDUSTRY ISSUES
The Desktop Revolution: How xTool is Democratizing Industrial-Grade Apparel Printing
| May 1, 2026
In the traditional apparel manufacturing landscape, the bridge between a creative concept and a finished garment has long been guarded by high entry barriers, complex industrial workflows, and prohibitive costs. However, a seismic shift is occurring. xTool, which has rapidly ascended to become the world’s second-largest DTF (Direct-to-Film) brand by GMV, is dismantling these barriers.
Two Friends Create a Local Athletic-Apparel Legacy in L.A.
Upon meeting in 2014, Jordan Cheesman and Micah Tootoo discovered they shared mutual interests regarding sports and fashion. During his career, Cheesman gained fashion experience in styling and retail sales, while Tootoo studied biomedical textiles at North Carolina State University. Though Cheesman hails from Seattle and Tootoo is originally from North Carolina, the men appreciate the work and legacy of the creative professionals who support the artistry and high-quality garment craftwork in Los Angeles.
ULA Aims to Flex Fashion in Activewear & Denim
After working for more than a decade as a personal trainer, Eric Cooper thought it was time to make a statement about the way men dress in the gym.
Before Making Bespoke Suiting For Celebs, Richfresh Founder Bounced Back From Homelessness
There has been an uptick in interest in bespoke suiting over the past decade, and one of the players in this game calls himself “Fresh.”
Guess? Announces New CFO
Katie Anderson was recently named chief financial officer for denim and contemporary lifestyle brand Guess?, Inc., which is headquartered in Los Angeles. She replaces Sandeep Reddy, who will serve Guess until Dec. 1. Anderson will assume the brand’s CFO responsibilities on Dec. 2, said Carlos Alberini, Guess’s chief executive officer.
Contemporary Brand Christina Dienst Forges Its Own Sustainable Path
To mark the official start of her self-named Christina Dienst label, the designer produced a pop-up shop in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District last month.
Crocker Exits Bldwn
It was announced on Nov. 1 that Johnathan Crocker has left the Bldwn label, said Tommy James, the executive vice president and chief financial officer of the denim and lifestyle brand, which maintains its headquarters in Los Angeles. Crocker’s two-year contract expired on Oct. 31, James said.
Scrubs Brand Figs Sued by Competitor
Figs started business in 2013 and made a splash by injecting fashion and contemporary styles into scrubs for medical personnel. Since its launch, it has grown into a company with 100 staffers and recently moved into a 27,000-square-foot headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif.
W-A-S-H Makes a Statement While Flexing Its Creative Muscles
The lifestyle brand We Are Simply Human mixes cut-and-sew T-shirts and a punk, agitprop-style of graphics. It made a debut into the wholesale business at the LA Men’s Market, which ran Oct. 15–16 at the California Market Center.
Hurley Acquired by Bluestar Alliance
Nike Inc. announced that it sold the Costa Mesa, Calif.-headquartered Hurley International to Bluestar Alliance LLC for an undisclosed sum.
Environmental Concerns Create Necessity for Sustainable Practices in Apparel
An early-morning meeting hosted at the City Club in downtown Los Angeles challenged apparel-industry leaders to cease the sustainability lip service and begin making genuine changes in garment manufacturing.
Butterfly Artifact Enters the Market With Fresh Distressed Designs
Furniture designer Eileen Kennedy has enjoyed success through her Pulse Requisite custom-furniture business, Juice line of wood furniture and Rain fire-resistant trivets. Recently she hit the apparel-trade-show circuit to introduce Butterfly Artifact, a direct-to-consumer denim brand that offers a fresh approach to distressed styles.
Lawren Michele Charmed Iris Apfel from Air Force Base Roots
Lawren Cappelletti was happily living at Vandenberg Air Force Base, near Lompoc, Calif., with her husband, Michael Cappelletti, who serves in the Air Force, but in 2016 she thought that she’d make a few changes. She would return to school, pursue an arts degree and start a fashion line. It was no pipe dream.
Garment Worker Center Organizes Nationwide Ross Protests
The Garment Worker Center, a downtown Los Angeles organization that represents garment workers, is planning a protest Oct. 31 outside of Ross Stores Inc.’s Ross Buying Office at the California Market Center.
Fry Named President of Z Supply, LLC
On Oct. 23, it was announced that Mandy Fry, co-founder of the Amuse Society brand, was named president of Z Supply, LLC, an Irvine, Calif.–headquartered manufacturer of contemporary women’s styles. Z Supply brands include its namesake Z Supply as well as Rag Poets, White Crow and Others Follow.
Maui and Sons at 40: Special Tees Planned As Brand Charts Future
Maui and Sons’ Sharkman character and pastel-flecked cookie logo seemed to be on the back of every surfer and beach-culture enthusiast in the 1980s and early 1990s. Decades later, Maui and Sons is observing a rare milestone for a youth-oriented clothing brand as it prepares to observe its 40th anniversary in 2020.
