Friday, November 28
U.S. Export Opportunities
The U.S. government will be showcasing American apparel in Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian territories early next year....
Fan Club
Mutual admiration brought together Los Angeles jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino and fashion and gift icon Hello Kitty—so goes the concept behind Tarantino’s new Pink Head li...
List Makers
Five companies with ties to the apparel industry were among “L.A.’s Fastest Growing Private Companies,” according to the Los Angeles Business Journal. On the list: Ameri...
Nasty Habit
It’s a quiet morning on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles. Shopkeepers are hosing off their sidewalks as if washing away the sins of the city, as Cosmo Lombino stands in his store, Cosmo’s on Melro...
B.I.Y.A.Y.C.D.A.'s Mahouwald Dies at 44
Jeff Mahouwald, vice president of Los Angeles–based misses apparel maker B.I.Y.A.Y.C.D.A. (which stands for Believe In Yourself And You Can Do Anything), died on Nov. 13 from a massive heart a...
New Dallas Center Gathers Momentum, West Coast Interest
Things are going swell for the Fashion Industry Guild, Dallas’ new showcase of contemporary apparel showrooms. Landlord Brook Partners Inc. has signed a number of key leases and has nearly so...
P.R. Company's New Pitch to Designers
A new public-relations company has launched with its eye on young designers and start-up companies in California....
Fed Crackdown on Smuggling Top Priority in L.A.
Inside a cavernous warehouse the size of five football fields, federal customs inspectors dressed in dark-blue uniforms comb through several mountains of cardboard boxes every year to determine whethe...
Invista's Board
Invista Inc., the textile and fiber division recently sold by DuPont to Koch Industries Inc., has named its new board. Invista’s current president, Steve McCracken, will continue as president as well as serve ...
Paris for Feet
Los Angeles–based young contemporary company Paris Blues has struck a deal with Los Angeles–based East Lion Corp. for a new line of footwear under the Paris Blues brand. The collection will bow for Back...
Tech Companies Find the Way to Quick Color Management
Getting the right color on a garment has long been a time-consuming and painstaking step in apparel manufacturing, but that is changing. A number of technology companies are trying to speed up the col...
Rodeo Drive Is Ready for Its Close-Up
In recent weeks, Rodeo Drive has been looking rather down and out in Beverly Hills....
Loris Azzaro, 70
Fashion designer and perfume creator Loris Azzaro died of cancer on Nov. 20 in Paris. The designer’s Azzaro collection was a favorite of celebrities including Raquel Welch, Sophia Loren, Isabelle Adjani and Ti...
CMC Gift Drive
The California Market Center is collecting toys to be donated to the Salvation Army this holiday season. CMC executives are requesting donations of new unwrapped gifts or games for infants, toddlers, ...
Brazilian-Themed Boutique Avalon B. Opens
Natalie Bovis, who designs bikinis under the label Iemanja, will open a showroom/boutique called Avalon B. in the Merchant’s Mart at 2411 Main St. in Santa Monica, Calif....
Friday, November 21
Da-Rue Wins All-Star Award
Los Angeles–based sportswear manufacturer Da-Rue of California Inc. was among the winners at the 2003 All-Star Awards ceremony, held on Nov. 14 at the Apparel Tech C...
New Stores at South Coast Plaza
Five new retailers are set to open in Costa Mesa, Calif.’s South Coast Plaza between Winter 2003 and Spring 2004....
Quotas Reinstated
The Committee for the Implementation of Textile Agreements ruled that quotas will continue on knit fabrics, bras and dressing gowns imported to the United States from China after the 2005 deadline for...
Showroom Space Options Abound in Downtown L.A.
At the intersection of Ninth and Los Angeles streets in downtown Los Angeles, competition among showroom buildings is fierce—but friendly....
Tukatech Adds to New Wares at FBI Center
Los Angeles–based CAD/CAM company Tukatech Inc. has installed a CAD (computer-aided design) station at the Fashion Business Inc. center in downtown Los Angeles. The nonprofit organiza...
Prices Up
Wholesale prices rose 0.8 percent in October, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, which compiles the Producer Price Index to track wholesale prices for finished goods, intermediate goods and ra...
Workers' Comp Reform?
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger kicked off his term with a proposal to cut $11 billion from the $29 billion workers’ compensation system. The governor’s proposal follows the legislature’s proposed cuts, which are exp...
Out at Wet Seal
Wet Seal Chief Financial Officer William Langsdorf resigned after less than a year with the retailer, citing personal reasons. The announcement comes amid more bad news about the beleaguered company. The Foot...
Organizers Are Reviewing Schedules and Locations
Let’s talk...
DuPont Sells Invista Group
Invista Inc., DuPont’s recently renamed textiles and interiors division, has a new home....
Syrup Clothing Co. Closes Its Doors
Los Angeles–based contemporary sportswear maker Syrup Clothing Co. closed its doors on Oct. 29 after filing for Chapter 7 at the Los Angeles branch of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Central...
More Fashion
The Art Institute of California–San Francisco has added two new degree programs to its fashion department. Beginning this fall, the college will offer associate of science degrees in fashion marketing ...
Urban Sears
Hoffman Estates, Ill.–based retailer Sears, Roebuck and Co. will roll out urban apparel shops in 50 of its stores. The prototype in-store shops will feature 15 to 20 racks of men’s clothing, including l...
Swim. Shoes
Manhattan Beach–based shoemaker Skechers U.S.A. Inc. has signed a deal with Christina America for a collection of swimwear under the Skechers name. The junior and women’s line is set to bow for Cruise a...
Friday, November 14
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Delphine
Women’s dress designer Delphine drew inspiration from her childhood memories of Paris to create a collection of tops, cocktail dresses, skirts and pants that transcended several eras. With actress Ga...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Susana Mercedes
Guatemalan-born Los Angeles designer Susana Mercedes traded in the imported ethnic textiles she used last season for the silks, satin organza, charmeuse and chiffons of her...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Sue Wong
Dramatic costuming and timeless style were combined in day and eveningwear collections at Sue Wong’s runway show...
Tech Company ICICI Takes QC Online
Edison, N.J.–based ICICI Infotech Inc. has launched a new online quality-control service that aims to streamline the data management process for apparel manufacturers, distributors and vendors...
Burnrate
Designer Jessica Jones combined her design and artistic talents to launch her new women’s contemporary collection, Silva Martin, in a film she wrote and co-directed....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Magda Berliner
As unconventional as her designs, Magda Berliner’s showing of her
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Susan Holmes
One of the perks of being married to a rock ’n’ roll musician is getting full access to the band—another is getting your husband and some of his famous friends to play at your fashion show. That was the case for model...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Lure
David Bowie–meets–Gidget was the theme behind Lure’s
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Naissance on Melrose
Jennifer Noonan is constantly pushing the envelope for maternity style, and this season, she put it on the runway. Noonan staged her first...
Local Study Points to Bright Economic Future for California
Could an economic boomlet be in the cards for California? Perhaps....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Tyler and Richard Tyler Couture
There are a few things you can expect at a
More E-Spending
Jupiter Research projects online spending this holiday will increase 21 percent, reaching $16.8 billion. But the online research c...
Ace Ventura: Savvy Shoppers Sleuth Out Ventura Blvd.
Ventura Boulevard has been a haven for small shops since 1928, when Studio City, Calif., got its name. Fueled by an increase in fashion-driven boutiques, the street is not only the Valley’s prime shopping dest...
October '03's Heat and Fires Slow Retail Sales
Retail sales continued on the path to recovery in October but at a slower pace than during the three previous months. Still, signs pointed to a season of healthy holiday shopping....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Monah Li
Monah Li returned to Los Angeles Fashion Week on Oct. 31 at Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. with a
Price Increase
New York–based Jones Apparel Group Inc. agreed to pay more for suit brand Kaspar A.S.L. in order to speed up its acquisition of the company. Jones will pay Kaspar’s creditors approximately $232.5 millio...
FBI to HK
Fashion Business Inc. is going to Hong Kong. The Los Angeles– based nonprofit organization that supports upand- coming apparel companies will bring a sampling of its members’ lines to Hong Kong Fashion ...
More Jobs, Not Apparel
Retail added 30,000 more jobs in October—the biggest gain since early 2001. Nationwide, nonfarm employment grew by 126,000 in October, following a gain of 125,000 the month before, according to the U.S. Depart...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Imitation of Christ
If it was possible to create a moment of peace in an otherwise hectic fashion week at Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Tara Subkoff achieved it. The designer showed her...
Compassion in Fashion/Wear Aware
It was a day for the animals. The Humane Society of the United States’ Hollywood office and Animal Avengers celebrated with a...
Shipping Costs Could Heat Up Again Next Spring
Just as the economic picture is beginning to look rosier for the apparel industry, a dark cloud is gathering on the horizon....
Liz n' Enyce
New York–based Liz Claiborne Inc. announced plans to purchase Enyce and Lady Enyce from Sport Brands International (SBI) for about $114 million. The deal brings a $95 million urban brand under the ever-expandi...
Apparel Industry Weighs New Laws
Gov.-elect could name new labor chief...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Eduardo Lucero
Eduardo Lucero has built a following among Hollywood starlets—and women who just want to dress up in sexy and ultra-feminine fashions....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Gen Art
The sixth installment of
Warnaco Sells A.B.S.
Allen B. Schwartz is his own boss again. After four years under The Warnaco Group Inc. umbrella, the New York–based manufacturing giant has announced plans to sell ...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Twelfth Streetby Cynthia Vincent
Cynthia Vincent returned to Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. this season with her...
Gene's Back
New York designer Gene Meyer will design a line of men’s and women’s apparel exclusively for Marshall Field’s stores. Meyer, who owned his own menswear label and designed womenswear for Anne Klein and Ge...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Tree
Tree showed its
Changing of the Guard at Lectra Week In Review
Technology provider Lectra has replaced David Siegelman, longtime president of its North American operation, with Daniel Moreau, executive vice president of the Lectra Group. Moreau will be...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Rojas
Freddie Rojas showed his Spring 2004 “Patent” collection for his Rojas line in an informal installati...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: H. Starlet
H. Starlet is the type of sexy sweats line that goes best with heels and hairspray. But the 2-year-old brand is equally at home on the beach—and that’s exactly what H. Starlet designer Heidi Co...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: MartinMartin
Fashion evolution—that is the best way to describe MartinMartin’s “Poetry of Anti-Fashion” Sprin...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Susanelizabeth
Swimwear designer Susan Hubbard worked as the head designer at Jill Stuart before entering the swimwear business and launching her own swimsuit collection, Susanelizabeth. This is t...
Apt. 3
Underground fashion was alive and well during Los Angeles Fashion Week at the King King, a loft-like nightclub in the heart of Hollywood where Apt. 3, a relatively new retai...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Ashley Paige
New meaning was given to the phrase “itsy bitsy bikini” during Ashley Paige’s
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Pegah Anvarian
Newcomer Pegah Anvarian has a gift for taking cashmere and silk knits and draping them into glamorous styles that recall Halston in his heyday. The designer, who launched her line last year, ...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: California Market Center
Retro, feminine and punk themes were just a few of the looks highlighted at the California Market Center’s “Directions”...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Maria Bianca Nero
Deliberately setting her course straight for the Isle of Classic Femininity, Maria Bianca Nero revealed a signature style while navigating familiar waters. A wide range of wearable, timeless ...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Millergirl
Shipwrecked. That was the look of Millergirl, Nicole Miller’s
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Samora
Ethnic prints and elegant dressings characterized the
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Alicia Lawhon
Alicia Lawhon reverted to simple styles for her “Soft Hits” fashion present...
Friday, November 7
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: W.I.E.
“Runway” took on a new meaning at Smashbox Studios in Culver City on Oct. 28, as Ghia Fam showcased mini-dresses that recalled the uniforms flight attendants wore back ...
More Apparel Shops for El Paseo in Palm Desert
Ritzy El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert, Calif., is set to unveil its latest shopping venue, El Paseo Square, which will open next month with several apparel shops....
ISAM Confirms New Location
The International Swimwear/Activewear Market (ISAM) has confirmed show dates at its new location at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The show will be held Aug. 30–Sept. 2, 2004....
Indi Opens on Melrose
A new womenswear boutique offering Italian fashions has opened on Melrose Avenue in West Hollywood, Calif....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Mason and Michelle Mason
Michelle Mason returned to Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. this season with a
New Parking for L.A. Fashion District
The Los Angeles Fashion District will soon get some relief from its ongoing parking problems. A public-private partnership between developer Mark Weinstein, the Metropolitan Transpor...
Floosie Lingerie
The Roxy nightclub in West Hollywood, Calif., has launched many musical careers. On Halloween, it may have launched a fashion career....
Zimpfer Joins Gabriel Brothers
Octavia Zimpfer has become the West Coast buyer for menswear for off-price retailer Gabriel Brothers Inc. The company, based in Morgantown, W.Va., operates 32 stores in nine states u...
Tyte Hires Lennox
Los Angeles–based juniors denim manufacturer Tyte has hired Donna Lennox as vice president of sales....
A West Coast Connection for Urban Apparel
It all started with a super-sized headband and soon mushroomed into a line of apparel....
Koret Taps Brooks and Burak
Harold S. Brooks has been named president and chief executive officer of Oakland, Calif.–based Koret, according to Hal J. Upbin, president and chief executive officer of St. Louis–base...
Erica Davies
Erica Davies celebrated the launch of her solo collection, Davies, with a video installation and cocktail party on Oct. 29 at MOCA at the Geffen Contemporary, the contemporary art ...
Tussah Acquired
New York–based converter Wimpfheimer Inc. has taken a 50 percent ownership stake in New York–based converter Tussah Co. Inc., which produces prepared-for-dye fabrics for garment dyeing. Tussah will relocate to ...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Sheri Bodell
Sheri Bodell’s
Cautious Buying at Crowded L.A. Market Week
There was little consensus at the recent Los Angeles Market Week, except for one thing: There was a lot going on....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: San Paredes
Paul Magalad’s
Wet Seal Trial on Hold
A Los Angeles Superior Court judge postponed a trial concerning whether Wet Seal Inc. is liable for back wages owed to workers who produced Wet Seal clothing for one of the Foothill Ranch retailers’ co...
Hard Tail Among Winners in Dallas
Santa Monica, Calif.–based resource Hard Tail was among the list of winners announced at the 28th annual Dallas Fashion Awards on Oct. 25 at the Internation...
Ford No More
Designer Tom Ford and executive Domenico De Sole both announced plans to leave LVMH Moeuml;t Hennessy–Louis Vuitton next April after the two could not come to a resolution over their contracts. Creativ...
ApparelLink Connects Manufacturers, Retailers With E-Showrooms
Selling apparel over the Internet has been an effective vehicle for manufacturers, albeit an expensive one. One Southern California company is trying to help smaller start-up companies take a bite out...
Display's the Thing
When Erica Berge opened her first store, Erica Dee in Corona del Mar, Calif., two and a half years ago, she spent $100,000 on visual displays. The amount included the flat fee of $7,...
Bronstein to Speak at TALA Scholarship Lunch
Kathy Bronstein, former vice chairman and chief executive officer at Foothill Ranch, Calif.–based retailer The Wet Seal Inc., will be the guest speaker at the Textile Associa...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Sterling Capricio
Los Angeles–based urban-couture designer Sterling Capricio launched his Spring 2004 “Hollywood Rocks” collection in a...
L.A. Companies Look to Nicaragua
For more than 20 years, Song Ho Kim has managed to survive the ups and downs of the tough textile industry in Southern California....
New Line Is Fun, Flirty and Feminine
Feminine styling and comfort are the two key ingredients of (EM)....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Esteban Cortazar
Esteban Cortazar, a 19-year-old designer who resides in Miami, opened Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. on Oct. 28 to a receptive Los Angeles audience....
Tukatech Terminates Deal With Justwin Software
Los Angeles–based CAD company Tukatech Inc. has suspended its previously announced deal to distribute business management software by New York–based Justwin Technologies Inc. ...
Narayan Joins Blue Cult
Blue Cult has hired Tara Narayan to be its marketing director, a new position with the Los Angeles–based denim manufacturer. Narayan will report to Blue Cult Chief Executive Officer David Mechaly and ...
Judith Ripka
Jewelry designer Judith Ripka kicked off Smashbox Fashion Week with an openingnight party on Oct. 26 at her Rodeo Drive boutique in Beverly Hills....
Hang Time
Socialite Suzanne Saperstein outfitted her 3,000-square-foot walk-in closet with $30,000 in custom clothes hangers from 74-year-old Henry Hanger Company of America in Los Angeles. Sh...
Gap Taps Rolfe
San Francisco–based retailer Gap Inc. has named Andrew Rolfe president of the company’s international division. Rolfe was previously chairman and chief executive officer of British sandwich chain Pret A...
The Butterfly Effect
Fashion for a higher cause is the design philosophy of the three Los Angeles–based artists who came together six weeks ago to form The Butterfly Effect. Their collaborative u...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Petro Zillia
There is no Lulu Bratzzo, but in the world of Petro Zillia, the fictitious fashionista was single-handedly responsible for every stylish moment in the past 50 years, advising Norma Jean Baker...
Frederick's of Hollywood
Los Angeles–based lingerie maker Frederick’s of Hollywood showed it can make livable lingerie aimed at a mainstream shopper at its Spring 2004 runway show on Oct. 29....
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Rebecca Rich
Imagine a wealthy Sicilian widow on the lam in the Mexican Riviera. Forget all about her personal problems. What would she wear? Rebecca Rich had an idea, and it inspired her to create her ...
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Jennifer Nicholson
The star-studded crowd at Jennifer Nicholson’s
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: As Four
There was a mad crush to get into the
L.A. Fashion Week Spring '04: Mon Petit Oiseau
A memory-laden world of summer vacations in the south of England inspired British designer Tracy Wilkinson’s...
Michelle K in L.A.
Michelle K, the contemporary shoe division of Skechers USA Inc., has opened its first store on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles. The 1,400-square-foot store will feature Michelle K shoes, as well as a new a...
More Manufacturing
The purchasing managers’ index grew in October to 57 from 53.7 the month before, according to the Institute for Supply Management, which compiles the index. Analysts were encouraged by the increase, wh...
Eyeshadow Launches Lingerie Line
Los Angeles–based juniors manufacturer Eyeshadow has signed a licensing agreement with Burlen Corp. to produce a line of lingerie for young women....
