Friday, September 26
WCE's Herb Goetz Remembered
Herb Goetz, one of the co-founders of upscale menswear show Westcoast Exclusive (WCE), died on Sept. 23 after battling Lewy bodies disease. He was 76....
24 Seven Names New Vice President
Fashion industry employment recruiter 24 Seven Inc. has appointed Ricardo Alvar as its executive vice president. In this newly created position, Alvar will oversee the strategic direction of the comp...
L.A. in N.Y.: Monique Lhuillier-Flirtatious Femininity
Monique Lhuillier’s flirtatious, feminine
Two Venues for Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A.
Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. will cover two venues during its Oct. 28–31 run. Runway shows will be held in two spaces at the Downtown Standard Hotel and across Hope Stre...
Gen Art and CMC Set Fashion Week Dates
Gen Art will hold its Fresh Faces in Fashion show at 8 p.m. on Oct. 30 at the Gas Company Lofts in downtown Los Angeles. For more information, see...
ERP Company Porini Sets Up Shop in L.A.
Italian software company Porini SRL (
Lectra Names Manufacturing Specialist
Technology provider Lectra has named Darren Duffey as manager of manufacturing process improvement for North America....
Slow Traffic at Mini Gift/Home Market at CMC
The Los Angeles Gift & Home Accessories Market, held at the California Market Center Sept. 21–23, was like a beautifully wrapped present with nothing inside...
Smashbox Sets Initial Lineup
Smashbox owners Dean and Davis Factor kicked off their Los Angeles Fashion Week plans with a very L.A. soireacute;e. Designers, stylists, photographers, press members and publicists...
Oldham Regains Name
Jones Apparel Group Inc. has agreed to transfer the Todd Oldham brand back to the New York designer, who struck an agreement in 1999 with Jones for Todd Oldham apparel and accessories. The designer pl...
It's Hip to Dsquared
The phone is ringing at Man, and it’s a long-distance call. Someone in Cincinnati needs a belt. Not just any belt, mind you, but one that makes you want to grab the nearest tennis racket and p...
Men's Sweats With a Contemporary Cut
Designer Darren Gold launched his latest line after searching for men’s sweats with an upscale, forward look—meaning sweats with a slim fit, high-quality fabrics and good construction....
Importers Scramble for Quotas as 2005 Deadline Approaches
Next year, American apparel and textile manufacturers will have a harder time importing as many goods from China as they did this year...
Little's linQ
Los Angeles–based designer Carole Little is planning to launch a line called linQ under the StudioCL banner next spring....
Max & Co. Begins U.S. Invasion
Max & Co., a division of Italy’s MaxMara Fashion Group, has opened three stores in California and has an additional store planned for Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Reso...
Von Dutch Exclusive
Texas chain store Gadzooks Inc. has signed an 18-month deal with Los Angeles–based Von Dutch Originals for an exclusive Von Dutch collection of apparel, swimwear, shoes and accessories for the teen ret...
Levi's All Offshore
San Francisco- based denim maker Levi Strauss & Co. will shutter its remaining North American sewing and finishing operations next year and move all production offshore. Factories in San Antonio a...
Two-Year Recovery
The California economy will remain slow for another two years, according to the UCLA Anderson Forecast, a quarterly report issued by economists at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Anderson Sc...
Aved Again at Tarrant
Los Angeles-based Tarrant Apparel Group has rehired Barry Aved as president of the private label company, succeeding Todd Kay, who will now serve as vice chairman. Aved briefly served as president of ...
L.A. in N.Y.: Lloyd Klein's Elegant Luxury
Modern, elegant and luxurious describes Lloyd Klein’s
Tuesday, September 23
CMC Escalator Fire Quickly Contained
A small fire broke out May 21 at the California Mart Center, causing security to evacuate some tenants while the Los Angeles Fire Department contained the fire....
Friday, September 19
Nike Inc. to Pay $1.5 Million to Settle Free-Speech Case
Athletic giant Nike Inc. has agreed to pay $1.5 million to settle a case that challenged the boundaries between commercial speech and free speech....
New York Fashion Week: BCBG's Accidental Chic
Celebrities such as hip-hop diva Beyonceacute; and actress Sarah Michelle Gellar were among the legion of fans that gathered under the Bryant Park tent during New York Fashion Week to catch...
C-Me, ASAP Named to Fast 50 List
El Monte, Calif.–based Cyber Merchants Exchange (CMe), which produces the biannual ASAP Global Sourcing Show in Las Vegas, was named to Deloitte & Touche...
Business Blueprint
How to succeed in business—specifically the apparel business—was the topic of an allday seminar series hosted by apparel training nonprofit organization Stit...
Agenda Show May Come to CMC
The California Market Center might have an Agenda during the Oct. 31 to Nov. 2 run of Los Angeles Market Week....
Nordstrom, Target to Join Irvine Spectrum
Nordstrom Inc. and Target Corp. are scheduled to open stores at the Irvine Spectrum Center during the next three years, according to the Irvine, Calif.–based shoppin...
Sears Snags Structure
Hoffman Estates, Ill.–based Sears, Roebuck and Co. purchased the Structure brand from Limited Brands Inc. for less than $10 million. ...
Redevelopment, Name Change at Mall of Orange
You know you’re in a growth phase when a “mall” suddenly becomes a “village.”...
Rates Unchanged
The Federal Reserve left the federal funds rate at the 45-year low of 1 percent, citing signs of economic recovery despite continued job losses. Still, the Fed said in spite of favorable indications s...
From Russia With Love
Port investigates transshipping claims on goods from Russia ...
Bronstein Settles for $3 Million
Foothill Ranch–based teen apparel retailer The Wet Seal Inc. has agreed to pay ousted Chief Executive Officer Kathy Bronstein more than $3 million to settle Bronstein’s charges of wrongful termination, gender d...
New Lines From Tyte, Lure Launch
Tyte’s Bottom Drive ...
Goldman Joins Major
Michael Goldman has joined Los Angeles–based textile company Major Textile Imports Inc. as vice president of sales....
Hard Bargain
Local designer outlets carefully avoid conflict with first-run retailers ...
Retailers Stay Hungry for New Trends at Surf Expo
ORLANDO, Fla.—The mood was mild Sept. 12–14 at the 27th edition of Surf Expo in Orlando, Fla.—especially compared with the previous week’s busy Action Sports Retailer Trade Exp...
Westside Pavilion Hosts quot;Hook the Lookquot;
Marvel at the magic of makeovers as top Hollywood stylists perform their abracadabra on three everyday women at the Westside Pavilion’s “Hook the Look” event on Sept. 20. Stylists parti...
New York Fashion Week: Absolute Dahl
New York’s fashion crowd got a glimpse of California lifestyle during Bella Dahl’s Sept. 15 fashion show at the Absolut Lifestyle event, hosted by A...
Levi's Audit Comes Up Clean
San Francisco–based Levi Strauss & Co. has completed its investigation into the tax-fraud charges that resulted from allegations made by former employees currently involved in a wrongful termination lawsui...
Creditors Petition for Surf & Turf's Bankruptcy
Three unsecured creditors of Surf & Turf of California Inc., owed more than $500,000, filed an involuntary bankruptcy petition against the apparel manufacturer on Sept. 17....
Decked in Hall at the Emmys
When the winners receive their trophies at the Emmy Awards on Sept. 21, Kevan Hall will be there. The Los Angeles designer will dress the three women who will hand out the coveted trophies in...
Friday, September 12
Software Company Gets Bluefly Account
San Jose, Calif.–based software supplier Business Objects will supply New York–based Bluefly Inc. with its Enterprise 6 software application to help the Internet retailer orga...
Hanover Group Set for So. Cal.
The Hanover Group Inc., which advises companies that want to do business with Africa, will relocate from San Francisco to Los Angeles on Nov. 1....
Consultants Launch Service for Small Manufacturers
California Manufacturing Technology Consulting (CMTC), a nonprofit group based in Los Angeles, has launched a new service to help small manufacturers and distributors manage their su...
Pony Plans Apparel Launch
Pony International, best known for its athletic shoes, announced it is launching an apparel line that will hit stores in July 2004....
Store Sales Heat Up in August '03
Fueled by back-to-school shoppers, the summer came to a strong close for many retailers, with several posting double-digit sales gains. Overall, the retail industry posted its strongest performance si...
Gap Fills In the Retailing Holes
San Francisco–based Gap Inc., which had a challenging year in 2002, is recovering by realizing it can’t be all things to all people....
Payback Time for Chorus Line
Almost two years after it filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Chorus Line Corp. is preparing to pay unsecured creditors 10 percent to 20 percent of their original claims or $2 million to $3 mill...
It Takes a Village: Larchmont Is L.A.'s Main Street
Small-town transplants must love Larchmont Village. The 5-miles-per-hour stretch between Beverly Boulevard and Third Street is an oasis of suburban charm in the strip-mall desert of Los Angeles. With ...
Moving Up
Consumer confidence continues on a high note—even in California. A quarterly survey done by the A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., shows that consume...
Eddie Bauer Scores With Online Customers
Once upon a time, all that Web site owners wanted to know was how many people were visiting their sites. But as the Web has grown increasingly sophisticated, so have the methods for evaluating site pe...
Chilean Officials Seek to Boost U.S. Apparel Partnerships
The doors to free trade with Chile have been slowly swinging open following the recent ratification of a free-trade agreement with the United States that will go into effect at the beginning of 2004. But don...
Fashion Walk
Giorgio Armani finally got his place on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, Calif. The Italian designer, who stands at the crossroads of fashion and film, received the first Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award ...
New Web-Based Marker System
German firm Assyst-Bullmer has rolled out a Web-based marker-making service at
Shopping Spree
Nordstrom Inc., the specialty department store chain based in Seattle, Wash., is expanding to Thousand Oaks and Irvine. The Nordstrom store heads a list of retailers signing up for The Oaks, a 26-year...
ProfitLogic Acquires Competitor
Boston-based ProfitLogic Inc., which markets pricing software for retailers, has acquired its main competitor, Cincinnati-based Spotlight Solutions, for an undisclosed sum....
Surf's Up in Lyon as Swim/Lingerie Show Adds Young Lines to Mix
LYON, France—As Lyon, Mode City prepares to turn 20, the trade show is getting a little younger...
International Trade
Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, a firm that specializes in international trade and customs law, has acquired the assets of the Washington, D.C.–based International Business & Economic Research Cen...
Buyers Busy at ASR Show
Missing from this year’s Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo at the San Diego Convention Center were scantily clad women in unusual get-ups....
Friday, September 5
Las Vegas Trade Shows Aim to Cover Vast Market
Under construction. That’s a familiar sign around Las Vegas as developers spruce up existing retail properties, such as the $1 billion Fashion Show Mall revamp, or develop ne...
Alloy's Early Acquisition
Two teen catalog retailers will be one. Alloy is expected to complete its acquisition of Delia’s shortly after the Federal Trade Commission approves the early termination of the required antitrust waiting peri...
Tarrant Workers Want to Unionize
More than 700 garment workers are trying to organize their own union at one of Tarrant Apparel Group’s Mexican factories that sews blue jeans for such reta...
S.F. Workers Stage Labor Day Rally
About 100 factory workers gathered near San Francisco’s Chinatown on Sept. 1 to show their support for Proposition L. The initiative, which will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot, proposes to increase the mi...
MAGIC's Girly Show
From white denim to pink swimsuits to nearly neon brights, the styles were feminine and flirty at the WWDMAGIC “Style File” fashion s...
Technology at Home
LECTRA AWARD: Lectra’s Cyrus Nia (second from right), who oversees textiles and home furnishings for the technology provider, received an award for participating in a tour of manufacturing pla...
Flea Market Find
It’s another rags-to-stitches fairy tale. Unknown designer who sews on her couch while watching television takes her clothes to the swap meet in the Fairfax district, gets discovered by a trendy boutiq...
Vans Reissues Plat Shoe, Adds Gloss
Joining the wave of manufacturers trying to lasso in the teengirl market, Vans Inc. announced it is bringing back a shoe style that was popular in the 1990s. The Vans...
Gold Sells Black Chandelier to Nexia
Conceptual fashion designer Jared Gold announced this week he is negotiating the sale of his apparel company, Black Chandelier Inc. (BCI), to Salt Lake City–based di...
Hot Topic Promotions
Jerry Cook has been promoted to president of Hot Topic Inc. after having served as chief operating officer of the Commerce, Calif.–based retailer. The company also promoted Patricia Van Cleave to president of ...
PAD Breaks Into Textile Design
CAD software provider PAD System Technologies Inc. has forged a partnership with Toyoshima Business System Co. Ltd. of Osaka, Japan, to integrate TBS’ 4Dbox textile...
Confidence Renewed
The Consumer Confidence Index rebounded to 81.3 in August from 77 in July, according to the Conference Board. In August, the Expectations Index also increased to 94.4 from 86.3 in July, but the Present Situat...
UNITEd Front
Textile and apparel labor union UNITE has joined the lobbying campaign to implement safeguard measures to protect U.S. apparel and textile industries that could be adversely affected by increased impo...
Double Dutch
Von Dutch owners in bitter dispute over hipster brand ...
Puma Lands in San Diego
Hot athletic brand Puma is opening a store in San Diego’s hip Gaslamp Quarter district....
MAGIC's Men
MAGIC International brought back the men's fashion show at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Among the lines featured on the runway were Los Angeles-based Howe, London–based Ben Sherman and the new line...
Fashion Industries Guild Sets Gala Plans
The Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will honor the owners of Strategic Partners/Cherokee Uniforms at its 47th annual chari...
Strait Denim Deal
Wrangler Western Wear has struck a deal with country music star George Strait for a line of specialty dress shirts under the label George Strait Cowboy Cut Collection. The long-sleeved, button-down 100 percen...
Delegation Looks for U.S. Apparel Brands to Bring to China
Southern California has something China wants. And a group of Chinese manufacturers and retailers was in town looking for it....
