Enthralled by the Mall
The future is here. Or it will be once the $5 billion American Dream Meadowlands mall opens, that is.
Newsmakers 2015: Fashion Business Inc.
Manufacturing
Now in its 16th year, Fashion Business Inc. continued its mission to provide fashion-industry education and professional insight to startup and growing apparel companies.
Newsmakers 2015: Swim Collective Launches Active Collective, Garners Competition from Cabana
Swim/Surf
This was a big year for Swim Collective, the 4-year-old Southern California trade show. In January, the trade show launched a companion event, Active Collective, which featured activewear and athleisure lines showing alongside Swim Collective’s swimwear brands.
Newsmakers 2015: CFA Turns 20
Manufacturing
The California Fashion Association celebrated its 20th anniversary this year as it continues to serve as a hub of industry information and insight.
Newsmakers 2015: New Players at L.A. Fashion Week
Events
The Los Angeles Fashion Week scene is typically an ever-shifting landscape, and this year proved no different with new players, new partnerships and a few no-shows.
Newsmakers 2015: Mammoth Free-Trade Agreement Talks Concluded
Import/Export
After seven years of negotiations, trade representatives from 12 countries hammered out a final agreement this year on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which could change free-trade as we know it between the United States and Asia.
Newsmakers 2015: Joe’s Jeans Undergoes a Metamorphosis
Manufacturing
It was a topsy-turvy year for Joe’s Jeans, the Los Angeles premium-jeans maker launched in 2001 by designer Joe Dahan.
Newsmakers 2015: Otis Fashion Design School to Leave Downtown L.A.
Fashion
Many can’t imagine that the fashion design department of the Otis College of Art and Design could be any other place but in the heart of the Los Angeles Fashion District.
Newsmakers 2015: Lengthy Negotiations End in New Longshore Workers Contract
Import/Export
The beginning of the year was a challenging time for shippers, who found their merchandise delayed for weeks at the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Long Beach.
Newsmakers 2015: Los Angeles Minimum-Wage Laws Prove Challenging to Apparel Industry
Manufacturing
A patchwork of new minimum-wage laws were passed in Los Angeles this year, setting up cities to compete with each other for businesses that want to skirt paying the higher salaries.
Newsmakers 2015: Payments Industry Fights off Credit Card Fraud
Retail
The era of the computer-chip card was formally started on Oct. 1. On that day, banks and credit-card companies notified retailers that they would only be responsible for fraud losses on EMV computer-chip cards, which cannot be hacked by fraudsters, according to supporters of the technology.
Newsmakers 2015: Wet Seal Goes Private
Retail
2015 was the year of new beginnings for Wet Seal. After more than 20 years of acting as a public company, the Foothill Ranch, Calif.–headquartered juniors retailer went private.
Newsmakers 2015: Retail Tech In-Store and Online
Technology
Omni-channel was the tech buzzword of 2012. In 2015, the retail tech world was focused on “Big Data,” or through feeding extremely large sets of data into computer algorithms, then finding trends and patterns, which might forecast what kind of denim consumers will purchase.
Newsmakers 2015: Quiksilver Reorganizes
Manufacturing
One of the innovators and major companies of the surf business, Quiksilver Inc., wiped out this year.
Linden: Keep It Small, Don’t Waste
Linden
For the next couple weeks, until Christmas, Jennifer Lynn Krischer is working overtime at the Los Angeles Ballet’s production of “The Nutcracker.”
Store Inventory Levels Remain Stubbornly High
Cargo Increase
The total number of cargo containers coming into the nation’s major ports will increase approximately 5.5 percent this year compared with last year, according to the National Retail Federation.
Consultants Offer Tips to Boost Holiday Sales
Retail
Retail sales are forecast to spike a week before Christmas, but until then many retailers face a period of doldrums waiting for consumers to show up at physical stores or online.
What Every Apparel Company Should Know if It Is Paying Its Employees Commissions or Piece-Rate Pay
Industry Voices
Apparel companies, beware, as there are a number of common errors employers make when paying employees commissions or piece rates. Unfortunately, recent decisions in California have complicated this area, and misapplication of the law can be costly. Being apprised of the common pitfalls can help minimize risk to your business.
