Tech Experience Inspires Brandon Kawai to Become a Clothing Designer
Manufacturing
The casual fashion style of the tech industry and its leaders has been critiqued as being too basic, but Brandon Kawai saw nothing but possibilities for this particular style when he interned two years ago at a startup tech company in downtown Los Angeles.
Macy’s Hopes New Concept Will Reinvent Its Retail Experience
Macy’s New Concept
Macy’s Inc. is rolling out a new store within a store called Story at Macy’s, which is debuting at 36 Macy’s locations across the country. The shop is the latest chapter in Macy’s multiyear effort to reinvent its 640 department stores.
Expert Brand Introduces New Collection
Manufacturing
Expert Brand, a longtime active lifestyle apparel and promotional clothing company based in Vernon, Calif., is celebrating more than 25 years in business by expanding its American MoCA collection with eight new styles, six for women and two for men.
Fashion Designer Mossimo Giannulli and Wife Charged With Money Laundering
Legal
Nearly one month after 33 parents were indicted for paying bribes to get their children into prestigious universities, 16 of them were indicted by a federal grand jury on a secondary charge of fraud and money laundering.
Levi Strauss Reports Solid First-Quarter Earnings
Manufacturing
Just weeks after going public, Levi Strauss & Co., based in San Francisco, reported that its first-quarter revenues for 2019 were up 7 percent to $1.435 billion over the same period last year. Net income in the first quarter was $147 million compared with a $19 million net loss during last year’s first quarter.
Byer California Cited for Evading Customs Duties by Undervaluing Garments
Import/Export
After years of litigation, Byer California has agreed to pay $325,000 in a civil fraud lawsuit that alleges the decades-old San Francisco clothing company for five years undervalued the cost of its merchandise coming through customs, paying lower duties than normal.
March Retail Sales Are Mixed
Retail
March business showed a slight uptick for The Buckle Inc., whose same-store sales increased 0.5 percent in a year-over-year comparison.
Dolls Kill Does Convenience at Coachella
R&B and pop sensations Childish Gambino and Ariana Grande are headlining Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival this weekend. Flamenco/hip-hop singer Rosalía and electronic pioneer Aphex Twin are performing too. Making an appearance off-site, retailer Dolls Kill.
Guess? Promotes Circular Fashion Through Vintage Program at Fred Segal
FASHION
With the help of retailer Fred Segal and vintage expert Sean Wotherspoon, Guess?, Inc. will launch the Guess Vintage program to promote a circular economy through resale.
Fashion Designer Mossimo Giannulli and Wife Charged With Money Laundering
More charges filed against 16 parents caught up in college admissions cheating scandal.
Vitamin A Debuts BioRib Fabric, Capsule Collection at Fred Segal Sunset
It seems like eons ago. But sustainable clothing was stuck with the reputation of being the style just for the burlap-bag set.
Chip Foster Launches New Basics Line
Fashion
Lakes of the Woods Club is a new apparel brand being launched by Chip Foster of Chip & Pepper Jeans.
Exhibit Shows Off Costume Designs for 'Fosse/Verdon' Series
Costume Design
Costume designs are on display from the limited series showcasing the lives of choreographer/filmmaker Bob Fosse and dancer/actress Gwen Verdon.
Belly Bandit Introduces Active Support Athleisure Line
FASHION
Known for its maternity apparel, postpartum-compression solutions and shapewear, Sherman Oaks, Calif., brand Belly Bandit launched a collection of athleisure pieces to meet the needs of its clients' changing bodies.
Valerj Pobega’s Kabuki In Berlin
L.A.-based designer Valerj Pobega currently works with a palette of inspirations that include David Bowie, the decadent nightclub scene of pre-World War II Berlin and garments with a flowy, kinetic silhouette.
Winnie Couture to Roll Out Franchises
Retail
Winnie Couture opened its first bridal shop in 2001. Nearly two decades later, it is starting to franchise its concept across the country.
After Making a Splash in Custom Styles, Candice Cuoco Unveils Ready-To-Wear
Cuoco Creates RTW
Candice Cuoco gained notoriety in 2015 by competing on the “Project Runway” TV show, where she defined herself as an artist designing made-to-measure styles with a Gothic and romantic edge.
Barbara Fields’s Spring and Fall 2020 Forecasts for Juniors: Mom Jeans, Neon and Puffer Jackets
Fashion
Skinny jeans have long reigned over the juniors denim market, but when the Spring 2020 season rolls around they will have to make room for the more relaxed style of mom jeans, said Barbara Fields of the self-named Barbara Fields Buying Office.
LA Majors Market Makes Some Changes
Changes at LA Majors
This season, the LA Majors Market, which caters to juniors fashions and department-store buyers at the California Market Center, underwent a few changes.
