Platinum Equity Takes Controlling Stake in Mad Engine
Manufacturing
It was announced on Jan. 4 that Platinum Equity, a Los Angeles–headquartered investment firm, acquired a controlling stake in Mad Engine, a San Diego–based apparel and accessories company that designs, produces and distributes licensed, branded and private-label products.
Performance Brand Athleta Unveils Sleep Line
ACTIVEWEAR
Gap Inc’s Athleta brand has been devoted to women’s performance apparel for more than 20 years. On Jan. 5, the San Francisco-headquartered brand unveiled a line made for rest.
LRG For Coca-Cola Collaboration Line Unveiled
FASHION
Lifted Research Group was considered as one of the pioneers of the California streetwear scene after starting business in 1999. It wrapped up its 21st year in business by releasing a collaboration line—The LRG for Coca-Cola Collection.
Louis Vuitton x Urs Fischer Capsule Makes a Debut
FASHION
The Louis Vuitton fashion house started off 2021 by releasing a capsule handbag line reflecting its latest collaboration—Louis Vuitton x Urs Fischer.
Viva LA! Brand Makes a Debut
FASHION
Pop artist Andre Miripolsky’s work has graced murals in the Los Angeles area, as well as logos and graphics for bands such as The Rolling Stones. His latest venture, a brand called Viva LA!
As New Workplace Rules Go Into Effect, SB 62 Is Introduced
LEGAL
As the year ends, the California legislature started on a new round of bills for the 2021–2022 session, which includes SB 62, a bill that could change the way garment workers are compensated.
Fashion-Tech Startup StyleScan Aims to Disrupt Fashion Photography
TECHNOLOGY
After two years in development, the Los Angeles–headquartered fashion-technology startup StyleScan will officially emerge from stealth mode and make a debut in the business-to-business market, said Larissa Posner, the company’s founder.
Digital-Commerce Gains Through Passport and Whatnot Funding
TECHNOLOGY
For two California digital-commerce companies, the year is ending with venture-capital funding.
Businesses Chart Next Steps After Congress Approves Stimulus Bill
COVID-19 FINANCIAL RELIEF
After months of wrangling, Congress passed a $2.3 trillion COVID-19 relief stimulus bill Monday, which will include $600 checks sent to individuals earning less than $75,000 annually and a second round of payment protection plan funds for small businesses.
Lakai X Black Sabbath
FASHION
Skatebrand Lakai started business in 1999, the year pioneering metal band Black Sabbath produced an important comeback tour. About 21 years later, Lakai and Sabbath are collaborating.
Canada Goose Pops Up at The Grove
RETAIL
The Canada Goose brand cultivated a reputation for making outerwear to take on harsh Canadian winters. But it is showing outerwear and goods made for Los Angeles weather.
Organized Retail Theft Surges, Study Says
Retail
Organized retail crime—or shoplifting and cargo theft committed by professional thieves—has been surging, according to the 16th annual Organized Retail Crime study released Dec. 15 by the National Retail Federation trade group.
Super Saturday to Mark the Final Sprint in an Unpredictable Holiday Season
Retail
The 2020 holiday-retail season is preparing for its final run on Dec. 19, or Super Saturday. The Saturday before Christmas has traditionally been one of the busiest shopping days of the year.
Tukatech Unveils On Demand 3D Services
Technology
The Los Angeles–headquartered fashion-technology company Tukatech has been rolling out services that help designers create garments virtually on a 3D platform. On Dec. 15, Tukatech announced that its TUKAcenter locations and its web-services portal, TUKAweb, will offer services to create 3D garments on demand, with Tukatech staff helping designers create clothes virtually.
Newsmakers 2020: Garment Workers Center Was In Reach of Major Goal
Manufacturing
For 19 years, downtown Los Angeles–headquartered labor advocates from the Garment Worker Center have been seeking to change the way the industry does business. In 2020, the group came the closest it has ever come to reaching its goal.
Newsmakers 2020: Ilse Metchek, Fashion Insider, Continues to Make Changes
Fashion
Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association trade group, has long been one of the insiders of California fashion, along with being an advocate for the industry. She’s uniquely qualified to be called an insider’s insider and an industry advocate because there are few who share her track record of working in almost every area of fashion.
Newsmakers 2020: Tony Hsieh, Beloved Innovator, Dies From Injuries Sustained During Fire
Manufacturing
Tony Hsieh, the pioneering entrepreneur who was the former chief executive of the retail giant Zappos.com, died Nov. 27 after succumbing to injuries from a fire at a house in New London, Conn. Medical examiners have ruled his death an accident, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Newsmakers 2020: Fashion Industry Comes to Terms With Inclusivity
Fashion
In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd in May, businesses around the world, including the fashion industry, responded with statements about Black Lives Matter. They assessed how they treated people of color in their success, and the soul searching was often frank.
Newsmakers 2020: Throughout Pandemic, Fashion Gets Into the Business of Hope
Fashion
As the COVID-19 pandemic dealt a harsh blow to the nation, many designers, retailers, manufacturers and the fashion public rallied, unveiling good works and charitable projects to help their colleagues, their neighbors and their country.
Newsmakers 2020: Fashion Industry Pivots Into PPE as It Awaits Relief Aid
Manufacturing
The U.S. government rolled out the largest relief package in American history after the COVID-19 pandemic shut down retailers and manufacturers earlier in 2020, with many businesses reopening on a scaled-back basis later in the year.
Year in Review: U.S. Approves USMCA Treaty, China Turmoil Heats Up
Import/Export
The United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement was signed into law in the United States, but the adoption of a major trade treaty did not mean smooth sailing for global trade, as U.S. trade disagreements with China increasingly dominated headlines.
2020 Retrospective, Financial Review: Pandemic and Social Unrest Set Stage for Surge in Bankruptcies
Retail
Prominent names in apparel filed for bankruptcy and closed physical stores in 2020 in the face of overwhelming challenges.
UCLA Anderson School Forecasts Economic Growth by Q2 2021
Retail
A good economy is on the horizon for the United States, but it’s going to take a long slog to get there, according to the “UCLA Anderson Forecast.”
Year in Review: Retail Tested By Pandemic and Civil Unrest in 2020
RETAIL
At the beginning of the year, it was predicted that the COVID-19 pandemic and United States politics were going to have an effect on retail in 2020, but there was no sense that it was going be a big shake-up.
Los Angeles' Bohemian Society Helps Maypole Roll Out New Retail Platform
RETAIL
Retail with its store windows and dramatic displays has often been considered a part of theater.
Brazil’s Melissa Brand to Westfield Century City
RETAIL
Brazilian footwear brand Melissa opened its second store in the United States recently with a location at Westfield Century City.
Honey Birdette to Beverly Center
RETAIL
Honey Birdette, an Australian lingerie label, recently opened a new California boutique.
After Being Acquired, Wynd Finesses Fulfillment Model
LOGISTICS TECHNOLOGY
The up-and-coming New York City–based logistics-solutions company Wynd said that it has developed a logistics model that seeks to ease last-mile concerns not only for customers but for the businesses sending goods.
Citizens of Humanity and The Haas Brothers Make T-shirts for Georgia Election
FASHION
Many eyes are on the Georgia runoff election scheduled for Jan. 5, including those at Citizens of Humanity and designers The Haas Brothers, who recently collaborated on a collection inspired by this event.
LA Men’s Market to Produce Digital Trade Show With Liberty Fairs
DIGITAL TRADE EVENTS
After more than a year of not producing in-person events, the LA Men’s Market, the 9-year-old independent, biannual trade show based in downtown Los Angeles, announced that it will be running a digital trade show with Liberty Fairs, a prominent biannual trade event, and its technology partner, Joor.
A Few Years After Running a Malibu Pop-Up Shop, Vuori Opens a Permanent Boutique in Malibu
RETAIL
In 2017, Vuori was a scrappy brand looking to spread the word about its performance clothing with a California look. Fast forward to the present, Vuori opened a permanent boutique at a retail center where it once ran a pop-up shop.
ComplexLand Opens Virtual Gates for e-Festival and Market
TRADE EVENTS
ComplexLand, a virtual fashion, high-end sneaker, music, art and public-affairs festival, took its first cyber steps Dec. 7.
Financial-Technology Company Afterpay Reports Robust Holiday Business
Buy Now, Pay Later
Afterpay, the financial-technology company that provides an online platform for buy now, pay later layaway plans, reported one of its best performances in November, the traditional beginning of retail business for the winter holidays, according to a statement from the Australian-founded company that runs a San Francisco office.
Digital Commerce Grows in a Black Friday Marked by Change
Holiday-Season Retail
The official holiday-shopping season began the day after Thanksgiving with Black Friday on Nov. 27 and continued into Cyber Monday on Nov. 30, with e-commerce experiencing strong gains as retailers and consumers continue to experience challenges.
Promenade 2035 to Offer More Retail in Woodland Hills
RETAIL
A unanimous Los Angeles City Council vote recently gave a green light for final plans of Promenade 2035, a more-than-$1-billion mixed-use project that is scheduled to be constructed on the site of the now-shuttered Promenade retail center in Los Angeles’ Woodland Hills neighborhood.
Impact Fashion Unveils Virtual Holiday Party
SUSTAINABILITY
Since 2015, Impact Fashion has provided a forum for sustainable, ethical and vegan brands. For its 2020 Holiday Pop-up shop and party, it’s going virtual.
Salesforce to Acquire Communications Platform Slack
TECHNOLOGY
Salesforce, the prominent customer-relationship-management platform, announced Dec. 1 that it had acquired Slack Technologies Inc.
Chef Ben Ford Unveils Doorstep Market
RETAIL
Star chef Ben Ford recently unveiled e-market Doorstep Market.
Scanatic 360 Body Scanner Unveiled in Stockholm and Chicago Area
3D BODY SCANNING
The Scanatic 360 Body Scanner device recently made a debut that spanned the globe.
Tony Hsieh, Former Zappos CEO, 46
OBITUARY
Tony Hsieh, the celebrated entrepreneur who built the online shoe retailer Zappos.com into a $1 billion footwear-and-clothing company and spearheaded a revitalization of downtown Las Vegas, died Nov. 27.
Faherty to Abbot Kinney
RETAIL
Faherty, a beach lifestyle brand, recently opened a shop at 1338 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Will the COVID Surge Affect Black Friday?
Holiday 2020
COVID-19 cases have surged in Los Angeles County, putting the area’s residents and businesses on edge just before Black Friday, the traditional start of the holiday-shopping season.
Holiday Sales Forecast Strong, According to NRF
RETAIL
Holiday retail sales will increase between 3.6 percent and 5.2 percent, to between $755.3 billion and $766.7 billion compared to the 2019 holiday season, according to a forecast released Nov. 23 by the National Retail Federation trade group.
Google Unveils Plex Digital Banking Service
TECHNOLOGY
Technology company Google recently announced a digital banking service called Plex, which it will officially introduce in 2021.
Rodeo Drive Starts Its Holidays With 'Visions of Holiday Glamour'
RETAIL
Rodeo Drive kicked off its winter holiday season Nov. 21 when the installation “Visions of Holiday Glamour” was unveiled on the luxe street.
Planet Blue to Close Its Bricks-and-Mortar
Retail
Since 1995, Planet Blue has sold swimwear and contemporary, beach-inspired styles with a bohemian edge for women at its bricks-and-mortar stores and on its digital channel, shopplanetblue.com. Earlier this month, the shop announced through email and its social-media channels that it would be closing its 12 physical shops while maintaining an e-commerce presence.
NuOrder Survey Finds Brands Committed to Wholesale
Retail
Produced by NuOrder, a Los Angeles–headquartered wholesale e-commerce platform, the recently released “Future of Wholesale” survey reported that wholesale will continue to be an important market, said Adam Schneider, NuOrder’s chief operations and financial officer.
Railcar Fine Goods Opens New Factory and Headquarters
Manufacturing
After 10 years in business, the denim brand Railcar Fine Goods is gambling on growth.
Despite Challenges, October Retail Sales Increase
October Retail Sales
With good news from the retail front regarding October sales numbers, economists are optimistic that consumers, who have been actively shopping—such as those pictured at Commerce, Calif.’s Citadel Outlets—and spending, will continue this momentum throughout holiday 2020.
Port Traffic Up, Port Officials Warn of Trade Imbalance
Import/Export
The Port of Los Angeles announced that October ranked as the busiest month in its 114-year history. A surge of container traffic also was experienced last month in Northern California, according to a statement released by the Port of Oakland in Oakland, Calif.
