New CEO at True Religion
John Ermatinger, who had been True Religion's interim senior vice president of global sourcing and production, was named the new chief executive officer on June 1.
Hot Topic Outbid on Geeknet Deal
Hot Topic Inc. was jilted at the altar June 2, when Geeknet, Inc. an online retailer of licensed merchandise based in Fairfax, Va., announced that it would not go through with a deal, which was announced on May 26, with the Los Angeles area mall retailer.
Los Angeles Underwear Importer Pleads Guilty to Drug Money Laundering
Nine months after agents busted a long-running Mexican drug money laundering operation in the Los Angeles Fashion District, an underwear importer has pleaded guilty to several offenses linked to the scheme.
The True Cost’s Case against Fast Fashion
With the preface “It’s a story about greed and fear, power and poverty,” The True Cost, a documentary, made its case against the fast fashion industry. It produced a Los Angeles premiere May 28 at the Laemmle’s Music Hall 3 in Beverly Hills. Calif.
Tanner Goods Spins The Big Wheel
There was a steady stream of people trying their luck at a Wheel of Fortune –style game at Tanner Goods boutique in downtown Los Angeles. The reason for all that wheel spinning? Sure, it was for prizes and discounts, but May 30 was the first anniversary for Tanner Goods store located at 860 S. Broadway. It was among the first high end boutiques to move into downtown Los Angeles recently.
Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet Opens First Downtown Store
Retail
Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th Opens in Heart of S.F.
Parking Lot Thefts Prompt New Security Measures at the CMC
Trade Show | News
A car was broken into and later stolen from the California Market Center in Los Angeles shortly after business hours on May 27.
PacSun Reports Decline For First Qtr of 2015
Retail
Pacific Sunwear of California, the casualwear retailer whose customers are teenagers and young adults, reported its first decline in quarterly sales in more than three years.
Long Career Based on a Small Machine
Fernando’s
In a world where retailers are increasingly relying on complex technology, Fernando Adames believes that a simple, mid-20th-century machine is all that is needed to give a boutique an added edge.
Columbia Promotes Four
Manufacturing
Columbia Sportswear Co. recently promoted four executives at the Portland, Ore.–based outdoor and activewear company.
Seafolly to Open in La Jolla
Retail | Swim-Surf
Australian swimwear brand Seafolly is increasing its bid for the U.S. market. It is scheduled to open its second American store on May 30. It will be located at Westfield UTC retail center in La Jolla, Calif.
Former Agenda Head to Run Karmaloop
Retail | Trade Show
Seth Haber, a former partner with Agenda trade show, headquartered in Los Angeles, is heading to the retail side of the streetwear business.
Band of Outsiders Shuttering After 11 Years
Fashion | Manufacturing
Band of Outsiders, a well-regarded Los Angeles label that garnered a lot of attention from New York fashion magazines and high-end stores, is going out of business, according to various reports.
Hot Topic to Acquire Geeknet
Retail
On May 26, the Los Angeles–based retailer announced that it had entered into an agreement to acquire Geeknet Inc., an online retailer and wholesaler of merchandise licensed from TV shows, movies and other media with science-fiction, superhero and fantasy themes. Geeknet is headquartered in Fairfax, Va.
Apparel Production Inches Up in Central America Due to Quick Turnaround
Apparel Sourcing Show
This year’s Apparel Sourcing Show in Guatemala opened with more foreign flavors to its vendors and a political scandal swirling on the national front.
Onyx Creative Looks for New Brands Around The World
Retail
The site www.onyx-creative.com curates fashion, jewelry and homeware brands from around the world. Some brands are Nüera, a California swim brand; Handsome Me, an Australian men’s brand; and Pulse, a Romanian womenswear brand.
From Real World Wearables to Targeted Messaging, Challenging Assumptions at West L.A. Tech Conference
Technology
Retailers and brands put their heads together at the Fashion Digital Conference, held at the Olympic Collection and Banquet Center in West Los Angeles on May 19 to dig deeper for answers of how to improve their apparel businesses with technology.
Daniel Patrick ’s Denim
Going Beyond the Five-Pocket
After four years of not wearing jeans, Daniel Patrick Jarvis, the founder of downtown Los Angeles–based brand Daniel Patrick, found himself wanting to put on a pair of denim earlier this year.
CCA Hosts Annual Fashion Show in SF
Art & Architecture
California College of the Arts hosted its annual fashion show on May 15 at CCA’s San Francisco campus, where 13 senior design students showcased their final collections for a crowd of about 750 guests.
Luxe Hotel Suite That Punk Rock Built
Call it the suite that punk rock built. Vivienne Westwood, generally credited for outfitting the Sex Pistols with the safety pins and bondage looks in the mid-1970s, helped design a $25,000 a night suite at The London West Hollywood hotel, located in West Hollywood, Calif.
