Friday, May 31
Kellwood Casual
St. Louis-based Kellwood Co. has signed a seven-year, $400 million deal with Designers Inc., the Needham, Mass.-based parent company of retailer Casual Male Corp. Under the agreement, Kellwood will produce me...
Computer-Aided Design
Texas-based Dell Computers has launched a line of apparel and accessories featuring its advertising spokesman Steven, the character that tells people, “Dude, you’re getting a Dell.” The collection—...
A&F's Latest
Teen retailer Abercrombie & Fitch sparked more controversy by selling a collection of thong underwear in their Abercrombie stores, a retail division targeting girls and boys ages 7 to 14. The American Family Asso...
Tough Times at Vans Lead to Revamp
After enjoying a great ride for the past five years, Vans Inc. has hit the skids....
Recruiters Find Opportunity in New Niche Markets
Though job growth in the local apparel market has been challenged as of late, the search for jobs has ironically become a growth industry in Southern California....
CBI Region Looks Ahead to 2005
The recent passage of the Caribbean Basin Trade and Partnership-Development Act (CBTPA) and implementation of the Caribbean Basin Initiative (CBI) have spurred interest by U.S. companies in...
Energy Investigation
The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) has widened its investigation of West Coast energy providers to include sellers of natural gas. Textile dyers and finishers struggled during California’s...
Fashion With Flavor
Fashion shows and flavored martinis—that was the formula for the Gen Art/Pucker Fashion Designer Tour 2002 that recently stopped in the Los Angeles area for...
Fasturn Making Inroads in Apparel Market
Fasturn Inc. is on the move again. The developer of operations management software, which went through a restructuring last year, has moved its top brass from Los Angeles to Redwood ...
DuPont to Close L.A. Office
DuPont will close its Los Angeles office in the California Market Center, the building housing the California Mart, on July 31, according to Karen Eways, design segment mana...
Canadian Resources Mount U.S. Growth
There’s something about Canada, local retailers and reps are saying, and that something is missy apparel, which has become hard to find at the right quality and price point domestically. Thanks to the ...
Bebe Faces Second Lawsuit, President Exits
Bebe Stores’ surprise announcement of the resignation of its president and chief operating officer, John Parros, may not be such a shocker after all....
Low expectations
Americans’ economic expectations fell in May to 109.4 from 109.6 in April, according to the Conference Board, a New York-based research firm. But the organization found that the consumer confidence ind...
CDC Fashion Show to Salute Film Costumers
California Design College (CDC) will host its 11th Annual Graduation Fashion Show Gala, titled “Trendsetters in Film: A Tribute to Hollywood Icons of the Silver Screen,...
CMC Sets 2003 Dates, June Market Schedule
The California Market Center, formerly known as the California Mart, has set 2003 market dates. Summer ’03 market will be held Jan. 17–21; Fall 1 market will be held April 4–8; Fall 2/Holiday market will be he...
Designers & Agents Takes a Bite Out of the Big Apple
Designers & Agents is adding New York to its list of trade show sites....
Friday, May 24
Narrowing the Gap
American exports grew—slightly—faster than imports in March, according to the Commerce Department, which tracks the trade gap. Exports accounted for $31.6 billion in March (mostly in the form of U.S.-ma...
Restraining Recovery
The leading economic indicators index fell in April, prompting speculation that economic recovery will proceed at a moderate pace, according to the Conference Board. The New York-based research group ...
Mr. Rags Stores Sold to Local Investment Group
An Irvine, Calif.-based private investment group has purchased Mr. Rags, a Long Beach, Calif.-based 154-store chain selling urban, surf, skate and street-styled apparel for young men and jun...
FIG Manufacturers Sale Raises $93,000
Approximately $93,000 was raised through the Eighth Annual Manufacturers Charity Sale presented by the Fashion Industries Guild on May 17 at the California Market C...
Gerber Launches Online Auction Site
Gerber Technology has launched an online auction site for sales of its pre-owned and refurbished CAD/CAM product....
Added Compensation
A recent study found that the state saw a 13.9 percent rise in workers’ compensation benefits to $8.9 billion in 2000 to cover rising health care costs. The study, conducted by the National Academy of Social Insurance, examin...
CBI Sourcing Show Draws Key Players in Global Sourcing
The 11th annual run of the CBI Apparel Sourcing Show in Guatemala City, held May 15–17, drew the show’s highest attendance ever, with a turnout of some 4,130 visitors, a 26 percent in...
Tube Power at Aero & Co.
The 1980s are in full swing at the Aero & Co. boutique in the Los Feliz section of Los Angeles, where Grey Antics tube dresses are leading fashion sales....
State Economy on Rebound
State budget, shipping concerns and wage debates could slow recovery...
Wal-Mart West
Arkansas retail giant Wal-Mart announced plans to open 40 supercenters in California in the next four to six years, although no locations were named. Wal-Mart supercenters carry both groceries and discount go...
Chanel Takes the Stage in Las Vegas
It was Paris again on May 19 at the Fashion Show Mall in Las Vegas with Chanel’s Fall ready-to-wear designs on the runway. Presented by the Rouse Co., the ...
Femme's Anniversary Show Draws 9,000
More than 9,000 exhibitors turned out for the first-anniversary run of Femme, according to the organizers of the triannual New York trade show produced by MAGIC International....
Gap's Future Uncertain With Successor Search
Stock woes and mixed analyst reaction created a swirl of uncertainty in the days following the recent resignation of Gap’s chief executive officer after 19 years with the struggling apparel giant....
Surfers' Suit Stopped
A judge in Los Angeles declared a mistrial in the damage suit levied against Abercrombie & Fitch by seven professional surfers whose images were used in the retailer’s catalog. The judge found that...
ICSC Outlook: Mall Growth to Continue Through Recovery
The consumer may be striking a conservative pose and development deals may be taking a little longer, but retailers and developers are still on the prowl for new opportunities, looking to ex...
Tommy Bahama Names New Vice President
Tommy Bahama’s president and chief executive officer, Tony Margolis, recently announced the promotion of Stephanie McKinney from director of operations to vice president of wholesale operations, marki...
Optimism Remains
Consumer confidence remained high in early May despite mixed economic signals, according to the University of Michigan’s index of consumer sentiment. The index increased to 96 in early May from 93 in l...
A. Testoni Gets Revamped
Italian leather goods maker A. Testoni celebrated the reopening of its newly renovated Beverly Hills, Calif., boutique with a party held May 14....
I.L.U. Launches Tops, Opens New N.Y. Showroom
Los Angeles-based junior pants manufacturer I.L.U. plans to launch a collection of blouses and tees for Fall 2002, according to the company....
Tukatech Updates Software, Cutters
Los Angeles-based Tukatech Inc. has rolled out its latest version of Tukastudio, the company’s textile and apparel design software. The new upgrade, version 3.50.08, offers improved f...
Revlon and Fred Segal Partner
Beauty products company Revlon has unveiled a line of T-shirts to be sold exclusively in the Los Angeles area at Fred Segal Santa Monica. Boutiques Fred Segal Fun and Sharon Segal a...
Aris Reopens Apparel Facility
Aris Industries president Arnold Simon has revived his former apparel manufacturing company Adamson Inc., which will operate as a separate entity from Aris, as well as license the company...
Foot of the Mart Owner Peters Dies
California Market Center (formerly the California Mart) shoe retailer Bill Peters died on May 15 of a heart attack. He was 75....
Kmart Woes
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Securities and Exchange Commission are investigating discount giant Kmart’s accounting practices, thanks to an anonymous tip sent to the retailer, which is c...
Antonio Lopez Illustrations on Auction Block
Fashion illustrator Antonio Lopez’s work will be on display and available for purchase at a June 29 auction at Santa Monica Auctions, located at the Bergamot Station Arts Center in Sa...
DuPont's Evolutionary Studies
DuPont’s Rosann Forde, fashion director of DuPont textiles and interiors, presented her Spring/Summer 2003 trend workshop, titled “Evolution of Style,” recently...
FBI Plans Grand Opening Fashion Show, Fund-raiser
The Fashion Business Incubator (FBI), the Los Angeles nonprofit organization that assists startup and growing fashion companies, will host its annual fund-raiser on June 29 in its ne...
County Opposes Stadium Project Near Fashion District
Plans to build a new football stadium on part of a 900-acre swath of land near the Los Angeles Fashion District are being challenged by the County of Los Angeles’ Board of Supervisors, who voted this w...
American Apparel Taps Bailey for VP
Changes are afoot for Los Angeles-based T-shirt maker American Apparel, with the company recently hiring Martin Bailey as vice president of operations....
Friday, May 17
Back in Catalogs
Sears, Roebuck & Co. announced plans to purchase the nation’s largest catalog and online retailer, Wisconsin-based Lands’ End Inc. The move reunites the Illinois-based retail giant with a catalog business f...
Dance-Inspired Design: Jose Angel
Los Angeles-based designer Jose Angel comes from a family of designers and was practically reared on a sewing machine. When Angel was a baby, his mother would place his bassinet on the sewing...
Soon Hiring
U.S. firms expect to increase hiring in the third quarter of the year, according to a recent survey by Manpower Inc. The Wisconsin-based staffing company surveyed more than 15,000 companies representi...
Mossimo Goes to Canada
Mossimo Inc. struck a licensing deal with Canadian retailer Hudson’s Bay Co., which operates more than 500 stores. The agreement allows Hudson’s Bay to manufacture, market and distribute Mossimo-designed men’s, women’s, boys...
Mossimo Taps Roxy's Zwahlen for VP
Santa Monica, Calif.-based Mossimo Inc. recently announced the hiring of Lissa Zwahlen as vice president of product development. Her primary focus will be on the new relationship forged with...
Urban Upgrade
The Los Angeles city council voted in favor of a $2.4 billion plan to revitalize 879 acres of downtown Los Angeles encompassing several business improvement districts including the Fashion District. T...
Ontario Mills Beefs Up Fashion Quotient
Ontario Mills, the 1.7-million-square-foot shopping center in Ontario, Calif., located about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, is raising its fashion bar with the addition of new clothing retaile...
April '02 Sales Have Silver Lining
It could have been better and it could have been worse. That’s the observation most analysts and observers are making regarding April retail sales, which were affected by unseasonably cool weather and ...
Chairman Charron
Liz Claiborne chief executive and chairman Paul Charron was unanimously elected chairman of the American Apparel & Footwear Association. Charron succeeds Jack Ward, chair of Russell Corp....
Jewish Federation to Outfit At-Risk Kids for Camp Max Straus
The Jewish Federation will outfit 1,000 “at-risk” youth from Los Angeles’ inner city between the ages of 7 and 13 with camp clothing and supplies provided by sponsors, many of t...
New Upscale Urban Show to Bow in L.A.
In a move to merge music and fashion in a trade show, Urban Rocks Fashion will debut in Los Angeles Aug. 18–20 at the historic Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood....
Bay Area Market Adjusts to Life After Tech Boom
For the first time in years, there appear to be some real estate deals in the San Francisco Bay area market for apparel industry resources, but the question is, can anyone take advantage of them?...
Imported Denim: Access Basic Blue Jeans
Access Basic Blue Jeans Corp. is a new Hong Kong-based denim resource that recently opened a corporate showroom in the California Mart....
Open Early
The organizers of Material World Miami Beach will host a pre–opening day conference aimed at corporate decision makers concerned about the planned elimination of tariffs and quotas on goods imported fr...
Former Workers File Suit Against Jeff Hamilton Industries
Los Angeles-based Bet Tzedek Legal Services has filed a complaint against Jeff Hamilton Industries in Los Angeles Superior Court, charging that the manufacturer of branded s...
Elvis Is Now With the Band
Los Angeles-based novelty T-shirt label With the Band recently announced that it has signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Elvis Presley Enterprises to market the legendary performer...
Friday, May 10
Cal Mart's Moreno to Step Down
Trish Moreno, executive marketing director of the California Mart, is stepping down from her full-time duties to pursue creative consulting projects....
Digging for Data; Spin Doctor
One of the most impressive success stories when it comes to online apparel sales is J.Crew. The clothing giant, which operates 140 retail and factory-outlet stores and does substanti...
Growth Underground
Los Angeles’ underground economy—including under-the-table-pay unskilled jobs in apparel—is growing, according to the Economic Roundtable, a local research firm. The group compared employment data from state payroll fig...
Niche Notebook: Contemporary Label Riley Revels in Its Vintage Roots
Vintage wholesale giant Born Again Clothing Inc. has made the leap to wholesale manufacturing by turning its second-hand merchandise into a fashion-forward sportswear collection. ...
Truck Stop
A lawsuit aimed at barring Mexican trucks from U.S. highways was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco by a group of labor, environmental and trucking organizations. The suit claims that older model d...
Dock Fight
West Coast dockworkers and shippers are expected to head to the negotiating table to hammer out a new contract by the end of June. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents the dockwor...
Latin Masters
Art is an integral part of the Latino community, but then again, so is fashion, according to Los Angeles-based designer David Cardona, who, along with fell...
Tyte Relocates in N.Y.
Los Angeles-based junior and girls’ denim maker Tyte has relocated its New York showroom to a location that is twice the size of its former digs, according to a company spokeswoman....
Malibu Offers Easy Shopping Experience
Cloudless skies, balmy breezes, alfresco dining and free parking are the easy-living ingredients to Malibu’s recipe for shopping success in Southern California. At the Malibu Country Mart on a...
Hype Lands a Retail Store in Santa Monica
Hype contemporary sportswear is growing its resume with the new title of retailer....
Dyers Watching Enron Outcome
The apparel industry’s big energy users are hoping for some sort of relief to emerge from the latest chapter in the Enron Corp. saga after a recent federal investigation uncovered some of the first in...
Mixed Signals
The U.S. labor market grew by more than half a million jobs to 142.6 million in April, according to the Department of Labor. But at the same time, unemployment claims rose to 6.0 percent from 5.7 perc...
San Bernardino Mall Takes Different Tack With New Tenant Mix
Nearly 30 years after it opened, Carousel Mall in San Bernardino, Calif., is trying to find itself....
Louis Vuitton Bows in Century City
Louis Vuitton is growing its presence in the Los Angeles market with this month’s opening of a 1,975-square-foot store in the Century City Shopping Center....
Avery Heads to Guatemala
The 2002 Apparel Sourcing Show in Guatemala is not just for manufacturers looking for production outlets—it’s also a technology showcase for Fortune 500 companies such as Avery Denniso...
Court Overturns Rulings on Nike, Lawsuit Proceeds
In a decision by the California Supreme Court, a lawsuit against Nike for false advertising will be allowed to move forward, reversing the decision made by two lower courts that statements ma...
Friday, May 3
Cautious Confidence
The Consumer Confidence Index dipped slightly in April to 108.8 from last month’s buoyant 110.7, according to the Conference Board, a New York-based research firm. Analysts said consumers remain cautio...
Economic Recovery?
The U.S. economy grew at 5.9 percent of the annual rate in the first quarter of the year—the sharpest increase in two years. However, the economic mood remains subdued because businesses have held back...
Retail Partners
Shop.org, the National Retail Federation’s online arm, and Forrester Research Inc. have formed a research partnership to bring Forrester’s retail research to...
Fashionable Affair
The movie: “Unfaithful” ...
Gerber Hit With Class-Action Suit
Tech company continues local and international efforts...
Op Lounge
Irvine-based beach giant Ocean Pacific Apparel Corp. has signed an agreement with Knothe Corp. for a line of Op clothing including loungewear, sleepwear and boxers for men, young men and boys. The agr...
Saipan Settlement
Express Manufacturing, a Saipan garment factory, has agreed to pay $224,000 in back wages owed to 258 employees in settlement of a U.S. Labor Department charge that Express violated the Fair Labor Sta...
Pre-Party People
Ritual Events founders Patrick Couriellche and Jed Wexler were on hand as a packed house of fashionistas and party people mixed, mingled and danced to deejays Billy...
American Activist
American Apparel owner Dov Charney was out in force with some of his workers at an immigrant rights rally hosted by the Multi-ethnic Immigrant Workers Organizing Network (MIWON) on M...
FIG Plans Charity Sale, Seeks Donations
The Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will host its eighth annual Manufacturers Charity Sale May 17–18 at the California Market Center (the former Calif...
Investronica to Open in L.A.
Investronica Systems, a computer-aided design software maker for the apparel industry, is opening a Los Angeles office in the California Market Center (formerly the Californ...
Quiksilver Heads North
The Huntington Beach-based surf manufacturer has just opened two concept shops in the Stoneridge Mall in Pleasanton. Quiksilver Youth and the Quiksilver Boardriders Club opened at the end of April. This is the first ...
Macy's West CEO to Retire
Jeremiah J. Sullivan, chair and chief executive of Macy’s West Coast division, announced his retirement after two years with the retailer. Macy’s West president and chief operating officer Robert L. Mettler will succee...
Excel Bows on West Coast
Independent textile representative Robert Peck introduced Excel Fabrics Corp. to the West Coast during the April 29–May 1 run of the Los Angeles International Textile Show....
Strong Traffic Keeps Mood Upbeat at L.A. Textile Show
The lobby and food court were crowded. The elevators were slow and continuously packed. And parking was fiercely competitive. ...
California Vintage
The mission: to rework vintage pieces culled from local Salvation Army boutiques into one-of-a-kind creations for the runway to help raise money for families in need. Eight Los Ange...
Nygard Expanding on West Coast
Nygard International, a Toronto-based women’s apparel manufacturer, is expanding in the United States with a new distribution center set to open this summer in the Los Angeles suburb of Garden...
Tyco Nixes Split, Plans CIT Deal
Tyco International recently announced that it will no longer be pursuing its plan to break the company into several publicly traded entities, which it had announced this past January....
Guess Hits 21- Year Milestone
The Marciano brothers, relieved that 2001 is over and their company GUESS? Inc. survived the often-insurmountable,look forward cautiously. But they also look forward with plenty of experience...
