On-Demand Printer and Drop-shipper Printful to Open Larger L.A. Facility
ON-DEMAND PRINTING, DROP SHIPPING
On-demand-printing and drop-shipping-fulfillment business Printful is scheduled to open a 93,000-square-foot facility in the Los Angeles area this fall, said Dairis Zarins, Printful’s director of operations.
NRF Forecasts Robust Retail Rally by Mid-2021
RETAIL
U.S. retail sales are forecast to make a big rally this year. Sales are expected to grow between 6.5 percent to 8.2 percent to more than $4.33 trillion, according to the National Retail Federation.
Fred Segal to Open Boutiques in New Las Vegas Casino
RETAIL
Resorts World Las Vegas will be the first new casino resort to open on the Las Vegas Strip in more than a decade. It was recently announced that Fred Segal was selected to develop and run boutiques at the casino.
NTWRK Platform and The Hundreds’ Family Style Festival to Support LA Restaurants With Virtual Show
EVENTS
In 2019, The Hundreds streetwear brand produced the inaugural Family Style Food Festival to showcase the tastes and cuisines of independent Los Angeles-area restaurants. Fast forward to a Los Angeles struggling under pandemic restrictions. The Family Style Food Festival will go on, but it will be a virtual festival that will be produced under the moniker of Family Style To Go.
Joor to Make Payment Features More User-Friendly on Its Platform
e-FINANCE
Joor, a digital-wholesale platform that serves as the technology partner for the Liberty Fashion & Lifestyle Fairs trade show, recently announced that its platform was going to become more user-friendly for financial transactions.
Honey, an E-Retail Company, Gets Into LA Galaxy’s Jersey Game
PARTNERSHIPS
Los Angeles-based e-retail company Honey announced a multi-year agreement to place its logo on the right sleeve of LA Galaxy’s home and away jerseys, which will take the field at the team's home, Dignity Health Sports Park, in Carson, Calif., when the MLS season starts on April 17.
Social-Media Star Laura Lee Unveils Fashion Line
INFLUENCER FASHION
Social-media influencers have captured the imaginations of many consumers by acting as the ambassadors for brands and fashion lines on Instagram and YouTube. A handful of these influencers also are taking the leap into designing their own fashions.
Offprice Show Produces Smaller Show to Solid Traffic in Orlando
Trade Shows
The COVID-19 pandemic inspired the Offprice show, a biannual Las Vegas trade event for value-priced women’s, men’s and kids’ apparel as well as footwear and jewelry to a new town and a new situation, where it shared convention space with the WWIN Orlando Showcase and MAGIC Pop Up Orlando Feb. 9–11 in Orlando, Fla.
MICAM Americas Places Footwear Options at MAGIC Pop-Up
Trade Shows
MICAM Americas offered a footwear source at a group of trade shows that ran Feb. 9–11 as the MAGIC Pop-Up at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. Footwear ran the gamut from casual shoes to fashion styles with stiletto heels. Brands exhibiting included Bed|Stü, Matisse, Tamaris and Shu Shop.
Mohamed Amin Dadabhoy, AST Sportswear Inc. Co-founder, 62
Manufacturing
Mohamed Amin Dadabhoy, one of the pioneers in manufacturing T-shirt blanks domestically, died of a heart attack on Jan. 14. He was 62.
Post-COVID Recovery Needs To Include People of Color, LAEDC Said
Manufacturing
With COVID-19 vaccines being rolled out, economists are charting what happens after one of the most dramatic economic shocks in American history.
Louis Vuitton Unveils Shop on Wheels, LV By Appointment
FASHION
Louis Vuitton is literally on the go.
Outerknown to Unveil Collection With New Denim Project
SUSTAINABILITY
Working with sustainable manufacturers is central to the mission of Outerknown, a Culver City, Calif., fashion brand started by surfing champion Kelly Slater. It recently announced a collaboration with one of the rising stars in the community of sustainable vendors.
GAIA By Attract Magazine Pops at Westfield Century City
RETAIL
"Selling Sunset," a Netflix reality series, looks for the fabulous in Los Angeles’s real-estate scene. Cast member Amanza Smith and Lisa Lafferty, who also appeared on the show, are taking a dive into beauty with pop-up shop Gaia by Attract Magazine.
True Religion Co-Founder Kym Gold Unveils Spring Collection for Home Line
INTERIOR STYLE
Denim heads know Kym Gold. She was a co-founder of denim brands such as True Religion. Gold has been building the homewares line Style Union Home.
Third Street Promenade, Joor and Others Unveil Black History Month Projects
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Retail District Third Street Promenade and Joor, a wholesale platform, are among the fashion businesses observing Black History Month.
Simon Property Group CEO Remains Bullish on 2021
RETAIL
After a year when its business was battered by stores shuttering and temporary mall closures, the shopping-center giant Simon Property Group on Feb. 8 reported results for its fourth-quarter and year-end revenues.
Tukatech and FK Group Release Premium Fabric Cutter
INDUSTRY 4.0
With a mission of digitizing the apparel industry’s manufacturing capabilities, the Los Angeles–headquartered Tukatech has sought to automate one of the industry’s foundational tools—fabric cutters.
Rewash Flagship To Los Angeles’ LaBrea Avenue
RETAIL
After more than one year of serving as the address for Proconsul, a high-end men’s denim and fashion brand, 144 S. LaBrea Ave. in Los Angeles experienced a change of the guard.
Louis Vuitton Unveils Rodeo Pop-up
LUXURY RETAIL
The Louis Vuitton’s Men’s Spring Summer ’21 collection checked into Beverly Hills for an extended stay.
Levi’s Unveils Black History Month Campaign and Collection
Making Black History
Fashion brands and retailers are observing Black History Month during February with special capsule collections and support for African-American designers and creatives.
What's Checking: Indie Retailers Ramp Up Digital Commerce During Pandemic
What’s Checking: Digital
The COVID-19 pandemic forced retailers across industries to go on a crash course developing and scaling up their e-commerce. For many in the apparel industry, this platform saved their businesses. Applying principles of convenience to allure customers to their shops, including personal styling, shopping-incentive discounts, complimentary delivery and curbside pickup, fashion businesses also relied on selling through digital boutiques.
Project Digital’s Sophomore Run Includes CFDA Partnership, Concierge Service
Trade Shows
Informa Market Fashion’sclassic- and contemporary-menswear trade show Project rolled out its first virtual trade event, Project Digital, during Summer 2020 in reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. On Jan. 19, working with the e-commerce wholesale-platform partner NuOrder, Project Digital started a sophomore run, and show producers will further develop certain programs they started testing during the summer.
NRF Big Show Charts How Retail Survived COVID
Retail
The National Retail Federation’s NRF 2021: Retail’s Big Show—Chapter One, an annual exposition that produces seminars and keynote addresses by industry stars, went virtual because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
MySizeID Brings Virtual Measurement Tool to Footwear Category
Technology
Since 2015, MySize Inc. has built a business on developing technology to enhance smartphone-measurement tools. One of its main products, MySizeID, is a smartphone-based body-measurement tool that was developed to help brands and retailers deliver ready-to-wear products that would best fit their customers.
Patel Named Beverly Center GM
Retail
Taubman Properties recently announced that Elvina Patel was named general manager of the high-profile Los Angeles Beverly Center, a mall that focuses on high-end fashion, such as Balenciaga, Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada.
Traffic Congestion at Ports of L.A. and Long Beach at High Levels
Import/Export
Cargo-ship congestion at California ports and those located around the United States is at some of the highest levels in years due to supply-chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help break up the congestion, on Feb. 1 the Port of Los Angeles started an incentive program to move trucks more efficiently and at a faster pace through its terminals, said Gene Seroka, the port’s executive director.
Vizit Rolls Out Algorithm That Ranks Visual Images’ Consumer Effectiveness
ARTIFICIAL-INTELLIGENCE SOFTWARE
Jehan Hamedi spent the past few years developing artificial-intelligence software that helps understand public opinion. The result of Hemedi’s efforts was a technology company called Vizit
Kitson to Pacific Palisades
RETAIL
Kitson boutiques are on the move, as founder Fraser Ross opened a new, permanent location at 15248 Sunset Blvd., in Los Angeles’ exclusive Pacific Palisades neighborhood on Jan. 28.
AG Celebrates 20 Years With Several New Collections
ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION
The Los Angeles–based denim and knitwear label AG is observing its 20th anniversary in 2021 and will celebrate by rolling out a number of collections throughout the year.
Playboy X Steve Aoki's Dim Mak Unveiled
FASHION
The Playboy magazine mascot of a rabbit wearing a bowtie has been one of the most recognizable pop-culture images of the past 65 years. Recently, Playboy Labs, a new division of Playboy Enterprises, has been finding new ventures for the Playboy Bunny,
NuOrder Unveils New B2B Payment System
DIGITAL PAYMENTS
NuOrder, a Los Angeles–headquartered business-to-business e-commerce platform, announced Jan. 25 that it has introduced NuOrder Payments.
NTWRK Hires Colby Black of Urban Outfitters
RETAIL
NTWRK, a Los Angeles-headquartered mobile-first video-shopping platform, has aimed to be a pioneer in digital commerce since launching in 2018. It announced on Jan. 13 that it had hired Colby Black, an executive from Urban Outfitters, to be its first chief merchandising officer.
After 81 Years Selling Hat Supplies, Unique DTLA Shop May Close
Retail
The California Millinery Supply Co., located at 721 S. Spring St. in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District, sells hat-making supplies and accessories. For decades, film, television and theater productions, fashion designers and craftspeople have purchased hat frames, feathers, ribbons and veiling to make period headwear as well as new styles.
2020 Holiday Sales Beat NRF Forecasts
Retail
The National Retail Federation reported on Jan. 15 that business for the 2020 holiday season was surprisingly strong. Sales grew 8.3 percent to $789.4 billion, beating the prominent trade group’s forecast of 3.6 percent to 5.2 percent growth.
At CMC Uploaded, Dan Jablons of Retail Smart Guys Discusses Plans for 2021
Retail
Dan Jablons moonlights as an actor and appeared on the television show “Curb Your Enthusiasm” as the lawyer for comedian Larry David. But for more than 15 years he has run the Los Angeles–headquartered consultancy Retail Smart Guys.
Biden Proposes New COVID-19 Lifelines
Finance
Before becoming the 46th United States president, Joe Biden unveiled the American Rescue Plan on Jan. 14, a proposed $1.9-trillion program that his incoming administration said will put the U.S. economy back on its feet after 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Digital Commerce Surging, Social Media Looks for Its Place in Retail
Technology
Social media has minted its own internet celebrities, but many entrepreneurs are trying to judge whether platforms such as Instagram and Facebook will make fortunes for retailers.
Buyers and Brands Work Together During L.A. Market Week to Protect Businesses
Trade Shows
As Los Angeles County continued to grapple with surging COVID-19 numbers, apparel businesses worked together to fortify their operations. During L.A. Market Week, which was held Jan. 10–14 in downtown Los Angeles, showrooms welcomed buyers to view lines in person while they also afforded the option of online meetings via Zoom.
Liverpool Los Angeles Unveils Hope Chest
HOPE IN FASHION
Homelessness is one of California’s most-critical issues. Fashion-lifestyle brand Liverpool Los Angeles has developed a charitable initiative, Hope Chest, where proceeds from Liverpool sales will be donated to the non-profit Downtown's Women's Center.
Etnies at 35
SKATEWEAR
Thirty-five years ago, Pierre-Andre Senizergues was a French skateboarder looking for a sneaker that was going to be durable, while feeling good and looking good. When he couldn’t find one, he vowed to make his own.
Maison Margiela Makes Sneaker With Reebok
FASHION
The split-toe Tabi shoe has been one of the signatures of the Maison Margiela fashion house. But this unique style will be getting a sportier look.
Shopify Shares Surge 177.6 % During 2020
E-COMMERCE
One of the digital companies that reported a robust performance during holiday 2020 was multichannel e-transaction focused platform Shopify.
M.Fredric Puts Bricks-and-Mortar Stores on Temporary Hiatus Due To Pandemic
RETAIL
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spike in Los Angeles County, contemporary chain M.Fredric announced Jan. 12 that it would temporarily close its eight physical stores until the retailer’s owners deem it safe to reopen.
LA Gear Announces a New Chapter With Alexander-John
FASHION
LA Gear was one of the most-popular sneaker brands of the 1980s and 1990s. Decades later, LA Gear is still in the footwear business. On Jan. 12, the Los Angeles-headquartered brand announced a new creative director.
GiveAwae, a New Digital Platform, Aims to Bridge E-Commerce Gap
RETAIL
There is a digital divide in the business world, said entrepreneur Daniel Ejekwu, who is changing the digital landscape for small and medium-sized businesses when he launches GiveAwae on Jan. 13.
Fashion Medical Scrubs Label FIGS Hires CFO from Domino’s Pizza
Manufacturing
FIGS, a fashion medical-scrubs label headquartered in Santa Monica, Calif., gained notice for selling stylish medical uniforms to healthcare professionals with a direct-to-consumer model. In the past few years, it has also rolled out fashion label–style media campaigns that featured prominent billboard ads for its products in trendy Los Angeles neighborhoods.
Swim Line Zonarch Jumps Waves to Make Debut
Swim/Surf
For years, Geneviève Andre de la Porte dreamed of bringing a sustainable, direct-to-consumer swimwear brand to market. She was originally scheduled to unveil Zonarch in March, but as state and local governments issued stay-at-home orders she thought it prudent to postpone the launch date, not the least because her sources for regenerated nylon fabrics had to close their factories, and other factories she worked with shifted gears to making personal protective equipment.
Swiminista Ready to Roll Out New Collection for Post-COVID-19 World
Swim/Surf
Andréa Bernholtz, founder of the Calabasas, Calif., Swiminista brand of women’s swimwear, forecasted a post-pandemic boom as she prepared to roll out the second collection of her brand’s collaboration line The House of Christian Lacroix x Swiminista.
With Holiday Sales Up, Now Retailers Must Strategize for 2021
Retail
Initial reports from the 2020 holiday season were recently released, and retail sales experienced growth during a year fraught with challenges. Retail sales charted from Oct. 11 to Dec. 24 grew 3 percent, according to Mastercard SpendingPulse, which researches consumer spending on the Mastercard payments network.
