New Website Highlights Made in USA
Technology
A new website features clothing made in the United States.
Vintage Fashion Expo in LA This Weekend
Vintage shopping
Dozens of vendors selling vintage apparel at the Los Angeles Convention Center this weekend.
Apparel Counterfeiters Banned from L.A. Fashion District and Fined $26 Million
Record Fine Imposed
Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer secured a permanent injunction barring two apparel and accessories merchants from the LA Fashion District, where they allegedly sold counterfeit items.
Meet Nick Fouquet
Nick Fouquet is a nature boy with a fashion model's looks. He is the inspiration behind a burgeoning Los Angeles brand.
Hollister House Party in Santa Monica
Memorial Day Weekend
Surf-inspired retailer Hollister is hosting a beach party in Southern California on Memorial Day weekend
Torrid’s Swimsuit Edition
Torrid, Hot Topic’s plus-size division, has released its 2014 Swimsuit Edition catalog featuring Australian model Georgina Burke on the cover.
CFF and TALA Present 2014 Scholarship Awards
Events
The California Fashion Foundation, the charitable arm of the California Fashion Association, and the Textile Association of Los Angeles presented scholarships to local design students at its annual Scholarship Awards Luncheon on May 1 at the California Market Center.
Celebrating Innovators, Visionaries and Legends at Annual Scholarship Benefit
Otis
Leon Max, the founder of Los Angeles–based MaxStudio and action-sports executive Michael Egeck were honored on May 3 at the Otis College of Art and Design’s 32nd Annual Scholarship Benefit and Fashion Show, where attendees helped raise nearly $1 million to support the design school’s scholarship program.
For Love & Business
The Piece Collective
Leran Hadar and Marine Azria are partners in love and in business, and they recently opened a new boutique, The Piece Collective, on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, which has become one of Los Angeles’ most sought-after places to open a shop.
PJ Salvage and Beach Riot Form Joint Venture
Swim/Surf
P.J. Salvage, the Irvine, Calif.–based sleepwear, intimates and lifestyle brand, formed a joint venture with Costa Mesa, Calif.–based swimwear brand Beach Riot and named former RVCA executive Mark Tinkess as Beach Riot president.
Southern California Man Sentenced for Importing Counterfeit Goods
Import/Export
Kevin Wang, a 54-year-old resident of Rosemead, Calif., was sentenced on May 8 to 31 months in federal prison for bringing in 11 containers filled with counterfeit apparel and other goods from China.
Ross Names Barbara Rentler as New CEO
Retail
Ross Stores Inc., one of America’s dominant off-price apparel and home-fashion chains, announced a succession plan May 7 to replace Michael Balmuth, the Dublin, Calif.–based retailer’s vice chairman and chief executive officer, who has led the company since 1996.
April Sales Fueled by Easter & Pent-up Demand
Retail
April retail sales increased 6 percent, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers, a New York–headquartered trade group for retail centers.
Industry Voices: Design and Technology: An Idea You Can Take to the Bank
Technology
A brand’s worst nightmare is to become a commodity. Unfortunately, we’ve seen an aggressively promotional retail environment in the United States, driven by increased competition and the economic downturn. New business models and supply chain–management approaches are allowing lower-priced competitors to enter the market and thrive.
Billabong Names New COO
Swim/Surf
Jeff Streader was recently named global chief operating officer for surf giant Billabong. Streader will be based in the Irvine, Calif., offices of the Australia-headquartered surf giant.
Volcom Names New Global Creative Director
Swim/Surf
Volcom, one of the surf/skate and lifestyle world’s most prominent labels, recently named Mike Aho, a veteran graphic designer and filmmaker for Volcom, its new global creative director.
Boutiques Ordered to Vacate Fred Segal Santa Monica
Retail
The 500 Broadway building of landmark retailer Fred Segal in Santa Monica, Calif., is closing to make way for the construction of a new structure, and the 500 Broadway boutique owners in the building were recently notified that they must vacate by the end of May.
New Mall With a Civic Angle Hopes to Lift Economy in South Gate, Calif.
Azalea
One of Los Angeles County’s new retail hot spots is South Gate, a blue-collar, predominantly Latino city with a high unemployment rate.
Brand Building on Made in America Foundation
Single
When Gala Inc. founders Galina and Michael Sobolev began shifting their production for their contemporary line, Single, back to the United States about six years ago, there were several compelling reasons to bring manufacturing home.
Labels Don’t Just Grow on Trees
Sustainable Business
The Rainforest Alliance just got a $200,000 grant from Avery Dennison, the labeling giant based in Glendale, Calif.
