Friday, March 28
Past Perfect: Retro Designers See Business Boom
After several years of bare midriffs, a handful of Southern California labels are finding increasing demand for retro designs that are anything but provocative...
Gap Bounces Back
Gap—which operates Gap, Old Navy and Banana Republic stores—is one Bay Area retailer that prospered during the dot-com phenomenon with its “casualization of the American closet...
Fashion District Sponsors Shuttle Service for April 4 Event
The Fashion District Business Improvement District has teamed with the Department of Water and Power and the City of Los Angeles Mayor’s Office to provide free shutt...
Lara Noel Hill Launches Secondary Line
Los Angeles-based custom-jewelry designer Lara Noel Hill will launch a secondary, mass-produced jewelry line during Los Angeles Market Week. ...
Drying Up
Dry-cleaning solvents could be headed for the hazardousmaterials list if a piece of legislation passes. The bill, proposed by West Hollywood assemblyman Paul Koretz, would reclassify perchloroethylene—known as perc...
Swimsuit Competition
Four swimwear designers will compete to win the Sunglass Hut Swimwear Design Award during a runway show hosted by sunglass retailer Sunglass Hut and Gen Art. Swimwear from Susan Elizabeth, Lisa Le Tar...
R-M's Ideology
Robinsons-May will bow Ideology, its new youth-oriented and value-priced sportswear line, during a series of runway shows in Southern California. The shows will run from April 5–27 at Robinsons-May sto...
Kustom-Designed Exclusivity
Retro design doesn’t just manifest in A-line dresses. Jenny Parker, founder and designer of Trophy Queen, makes a range of handbags and tote bags that combine vintage bowling-bag shapes with a...
Stanley Hirsh Remembered
Real estate owner, apparel industry executive and philanthropist Stanley Hirsh died March 22 following a long struggle with cancer. He was 76....
No Confidence
The Consumer Confidence index fell to 62.5 in March from 64.8 in February, according to the Conference Board. Lynn Franco, director of the New York-based research firm’s Consumer Research Center, relea...
Pam Roberts Joins Fashion District Dallas
The developers of the proposed apparel-showroom project Fashion District Dallas (FDD) have hired veteran fashion-industry executive Pam Roberts as West Coast director....
Cal Poly to Host Apparel Fund-raiser
Cal Poly Pomona's Apparel Merchandising and Management program (AMM) will host its annual wine and dessert fundraiser, Apparel Escapes, at 6 p.m. on April 3 at the college...
New Showrooms for Market
New York-based contemporary womenswear line Rebecca Taylor has opened a showroom in Suite 811 at the New Mart in downtown Los Angeles....
Closing Room
Charlotte Russe announced plans to shutter its Charlotte’s Room unit. The San Diego-based retailer plans to close 10 stores, including four in California, “as soon as possible.” The company...
Apparel Firms Use Oscar-Winning Technology in Design, Merchandising
With a bit of Hollywood magic and the latest advances in 3D graphics technology, apparel companies are ready to take garment design and visual merchandising to the next level....
Northern California's New Faces
Cutting-edge leather and customized accessories...
A/R Management Aligns With Polaris
La Verne, Calif.-based accounts-receivables specialist A/R Management Services (ARMS) and Claremont, Calif.-based EDI/ASN firm Polaris Imports Consulting Group have aligned ...
Coming out of the Fog
S.F. apparel manufacturers hope to recast area as a northern design center...
L.A. Urban Fashion Week
Immediate goods and Fall fashions will make up the primary offerings at L.A. Urban Fashion Week, set for April 6 at The Loft in Los Angeles....
Real-Estate Deals Abound in Bay Market
Looking for some San Francisco Bayfront real estate? Prices in San Francisco are at their lowest levels in 10 years, but your chances of getting a Bay Area address on the cheap won’t last much longer, ...
Mall of Orange Set for Expansion
The Mall of Orange—one of the first shopping centers in Orange County, Calif.—is ready to undergo a $57 million renovation that will bring in new shops and restaurants when the project is compl...
AAFA Sets Apparel Seminars
The American Apparel & Footwear Association (AAFA) will host two seminars on global manufacturing and marketing. The seminars will take place on May 30 in San Diego and June 12–14 in San F...
Friday, March 21
Cotton Inc. Bets on Muted Colors for Spring
Cotton Inc. said antiqued, washed and diffused colors will be the key palettes for Spring and Summer in 2004 and 2005. The company issued the forecast during a presentation at the Material W...
Accessorizing Peace
At this year’s Academy Awards ceremony, many stars will be committing a fashion faux pas—they will be wearing the same accessory....
New Show to Feature Fashion, Art and Music
Los Angeles designer Atousa and youth-culture marketing company Green Galactic are hosting an event that promises to fuse fashion, art, music and technology....
Tech, Sourcing the Main Focus at New March Material World
MIAMI BEACH—The evolving global marketplace was well-reflected during Material World Technology Solutions, held March 17–19 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Mi...
Creating an Oscar-Worthy Look
Academy Award-nominated costume designers discuss the work that garnered an Oscar nod ...
Red-Carpet Review
It was all glamorous gowns and dazzling diamonds on the
FBI's Synergy
Fashion Business Inc. will host the Synergy showroom at the New Mart’s suite 212 during Los Angeles Market Week. The companies to be represented include Belek, [Un]designed, Barbara B., Suzi Click, Mag...
Technology Helps Companies React to Industry Trends
Apparel companies should employ technology-based business models called “adaptive supply networks” (ASNs) to compete in a global marketplace, accordi...
Rates Stay the Same
The Federal Reserve voted to keep interest rates at 1.25 percent—a four-decade low—but left open the option to raise rates in the future. The possibility of a U.S.-led war with Iraq left Fed policymaker...
Agents of Change
In the weeks leading up to the Academy Awards presentation, the Celestine Agency in Santa Monica, Calif., was abuzz with busy people getting ready for the event. With a stable of hairstylist...
Apparel Industry Speculates About War's Repercussions
At least now we know. That was the sentiment expressed by California apparel- and textile-industry watchers after Iraqi president Saddam Hussein rejected President George W. Bush’s ultimatum to either ...
Manufacturing Slips
Domestic manufacturing dropped in February after a strong January start, according to the Institute for Supply Management. The organization found that its business index fell from 53.9 in January to 5...
New to CLAD
The Coalition of Los Angeles Designers added several new members to its lineup. Ooloon, Blue Millinery, Pagliei Collection jewelry, Samora, Star Child, Power by Grave Wexler loungewear, Andrea Gonzalo...
Liz Claiborne Adds Some Juice to Portfolio
New York-based women’s apparel maker Liz Claiborne announced this week that it has agreed to acquire 100 percent of the stock from Travis Jeans Inc., which currently holds al...
Design Biennial Planned in Pasadena
The Pasadena Museum of California Art is seeking designs by local apparel makers for its upcoming California Design Biennial....
Carroll & Co. Founder Dies
Richard Carroll, founder of Beverly Hills menswear store Carroll & Co., died March 15 at the age of 80....
OP and the Other Half
Ocean Pacific juniors apparel will be featured in an upcoming segment of “The Other Half,” a new daytime talk show on NBC....
Spiegel Files
Downers Grove, Ill.-based catalog retailer Spiegel Group filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on March 17 in New York. The company announced it had secured $400 million in debtor-in-possession f...
CIT Opens in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, China—Her computers had not yet arrived, and things were still lingering in a semi-chaotic state. But on March 17, Vivian Lee, Asian business director for Los Angeles-based CIT Commercial Se...
Friday, March 14
Manhattan Village Gets a Beach-Themed Makeover
Overstuffed rattan chairs and couches fill the corridors. Light streams in through an overhead skylight in the central court. The interior colors are light and bright....
Material World Takes Global, Tech Focus
Noted trends analyst Navi Radjou of Forrester Research Inc. will be one of the speakers hosting seminars at the Material World Technology Solutions expo March 17–19 in Miami ...
Andean Trade Featured at Material World
The Andean Community, a group of Andean countries touting the region’s duty-free trade status to the United States, will host an international pavilion March 17–19 at the Material Worl...
Saks Joins Burma Boycott
Saks Inc., which owns Saks Fifth Avenue and nine other major retail chains, announced it will not be selling products made in Burma, the Southeast Asian country that is now called My...
Walk of Style Ceremony Postponed
One of the first local casualties of the pending U.S. war with Iraq is the Walk of Style award ceremony, originally scheduled for March 19 on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif....
Eastern Blizzard Snows In February Sales
An uncertain economy and an East Coast blizzard that shut down stores during the critical Presidents’ Day sales weekend stalled retail sales in February....
MAGIC Advance
Woodland Hillsbased trade-show producer MAGIC International has promoted Laura Mc- Connell from vice president of marketing and retail development to vice president and general manager. McConnell has ...
Burlington Seeks Bids
Greensboro, N.C.-based Burlington Industries announced it is soliciting proposals to sell the company, which has been in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection since November 2001. The textile company has o...
Studio Italia to Debut Jeans Couture
San Diego-based swimwear maker Studio Italia is diving into ready-to-wear with a new collection, Studio Italia Ready-To-Wear/Fall 2003....
More Jobs, Actually
The Employment Development Department of California announced the state added 28,500 new nonfarm jobs in January. The department had originally reported that the state had shed 10,500 nonfarm jobs las...
Lisa Kline Launches Men's Line
Los Angeles-based specialty retailer Lisa Kline is going back to her design roots with a new men’s sportswear collection, Lisa Kline Exclusive Private Label....
Security Textile to Sponsor CLAD Show
Los Angeles-based interlining and textile firm Security Textile Corp. has signed on as a sponsor of the Coalition of Los Angeles Designers (CLAD) ...
DNA Technology Could Fight Counterfeit Textiles
Los Angeles-based Applied DNA Sciences Inc. is developing an application of its patented embedded-DNA authentication technology that could relieve apparel and textile companies of counterfeit...
Slow Start for Second Run of ASR Fall
Buyer and exhibitor attendance increased at Action Sports Retailer Fall, held March 11–12 at the Hyatt Regency Resort & Spa in Huntington Beach, Calif., despite ...
New V.P. at Bebe
Brisbane, Australia-based retailer Bebe announced the promotion of Paul Mashouf to vice president of sourcing. Mashouf has served as director of IS & T for production, production manager and store...
Hana Financial Names New President, CEO
Hana Financial Inc. has named Sunnie S. Kim as its new president and chief executive officer....
Tracking the Asian-American Consumer
While the U.S. apparel industry has been seeing a lot of its business migrate to Asian countries over the years, many American apparel companies have great opportunities to sell to Asian cons...
Timi & Leslie Strike 'Angel' Deal
Timi Prulhiere and Leslie Newton of Los Angeles-based Timi & Leslie Inc. have signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Sony Pictures Consumer Products to create a line of up...
So Low Hires Chambers as President
Los Angeles-based contemporary sportswear company So Low announced that Laura Chambers will immediately assume the position of president and report to owner Sarah Siegel Magness....
Workshop NY Bows in New Venue
Workshop NY kicked off its Fall/Winter 2003 show Feb. 22 at a new West Village location. Buyers from Fred Seg...
Cherokee Strikes Sideout Deal With Marshall Field's
Van Nuys, Calif.-based Cherokee Inc. has entered a retail direct-licensing agreement with Marshall Field’s Department Stores to source, produce and sell its Sideout ...
LAShowroom Site Breaks the Mold; Paul Fredrick Gets a Face-lift
In the early, explosive days of the Internet, it seemed that the new medium was poised to implode traditional bricks-and-mortar stores, showrooms and trade shows, which would give way to “virtu...
Quiksilver in China
Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Quiksilver announced it has struck a joint-venture deal with Glorious Sun Enterprises to open retail stores and wholesale distribution of Quiksilver merchandise in China. The surf manuf...
Seven for All Mankind Plans Expansion
Los Angeles-based Seven for All Mankind has hired Stefano Aldighieri and Tim Kaeding to spearhead the company’s design efforts. Chairman and chief executive officer Peter Koral said the compan...
A New Crossroads in the Fashion District
The operators of the Los Angeles Fashion District’s major apparel-showroom buildings are launching a marketing vehicle to take full advantage of the Los Angeles Fashion Week spotlight...
Friday, March 7
Paul Frank Joins Bloomie's for Surfrider Benefit
Designer Paul Frank will kick off a promotion benefiting the Surfrider Foundation March 15 at the Bloomingdale’s men’s store in the Beverly Center in Los Angeles. The retaile...
CMC's B-271 Geared to L.A. Fashion Week Designers
The California Market Center will host a networking space called “The Writing Room” during the April 4–7 run of Los Angeles Fashion Week. Suite B-271 of the CMC...
Energy Woes
Texas-based El Paso Corp., parent company of El Paso Natural Gas, lost its bid to dismiss antitrust suits filed in California. The suits state that the energy supplier fixed the price of natural gas i...
Falling Confidence
The Consumer Confidence Index fell to 64.0 from 78.8 in February, according to New York-based research firm The Conference Board. The drop was the largest monthly drop since September 2001 and returned the in...
High Leases on Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade Open
Retail leases on the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, Calif., are hitting an all-time high as big-name chain stores compete for space on the three-block-long pedestrian mall....
LAEDC Report: Recovery Delayed
The U.S. economic recovery will slow during the first part of 2003 but will accelerate later in the year and throughout 2004, according to an updated forecast released by the Los Ang...
Cotton's Board
New York-based Cotton Inc. added 13 new members to its board of directors: Coley L. Bailey Jr., Tom Isom, J. Lee Cromley, John King, BB Griffin, F.H. Lyons Jr., Brad Heffington, Travis Mires, Craig Heinrich, Herrick ...
Smithsonian to Feature L.A. Manufacturer
The local garment industry is going to Washington, D.C....
Moss Adams, CMC to Host Designer Awards
Los Angeles-based accounting firm Moss Adams announced plans to partner with the California Market Center to present the Moss Adams Fashion Innovator Awa...
Garment Makers Adopt Tagless Technology
The days of the T-shirt tag could be numbered. Tshirt, innerwear and sportswear makers are gradually adopting new technology that applies tagless labels using a heat-transfer process. Companies say th...
New 24-Hour Rule Delays Shipments Into California
Customs broker Lorie Adams has become almost deaf in one ear from fielding calls from irate customers who are not receiving their imported goods on time....
Kmart Indictments
Two former executives of Troy, Mich.-based Kmart Corp. were indicted on Feb. 26 and charged with a $42.3 million securities fraud stemming from executives’ attempts to meet financial targets. Enio Mont...
More Pac Sun
Anaheim, Calif.-based Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. announced plans to open 87 new stores and close 12 outlets in 2003. The openings will include at least 10 new d.e.m.o. stores, the company’s urb...
Tukatech and Justwin Ink Distribution Partnership
New York-based software firm Justwin Technologies Inc. is aligning with Los Angeles- based Tukatech Inc. in a deal that will add Justwin’s Collaborative Product Com...
Apparel Exec Mannie Fineman Dies
California apparel executive Emmanuel H. “Mannie” Fineman died Feb. 24 of cancer. He was 90 years old....
Sue Wong Discovers Zen in Special-occasion Line
Sue Wong is a philosophical designer....
FIDM Student Wins $5,000 Prize for Monkey Suit
DreamWorks Pictures hosted an unusual fashion show, “The Tuxedo: Monkey Suit Fashion Competition,” Feb. 25 at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Lipsmacking, banana-lov...
