INDUSTRY ISSUES
The Desktop Revolution: How xTool is Democratizing Industrial-Grade Apparel Printing
| May 1, 2026
In the traditional apparel manufacturing landscape, the bridge between a creative concept and a finished garment has long been guarded by high entry barriers, complex industrial workflows, and prohibitive costs. However, a seismic shift is occurring. xTool, which has rapidly ascended to become the world’s second-largest DTF (Direct-to-Film) brand by GMV, is dismantling these barriers.
O'Neill Sells Trademarks to Dutch Company
It all started more than 50 years ago when a chilly surfer looking for a bit of warmth in Northern California’s waters discovered a magic fabric called neoprene....
Ed Hardy Licensor Files Suit Against Christian Audigier
Two months ago, Christian Audigier was walking the runway at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, where he showed both his eponymous collection and his licensed Ed Hardy l...
Customs Seizes Record Number of Textile and Apparel Imports
Last month, U.S. Customs inspectors at the Port of Long Beach pulled aside a container of merchandise labeled as brooms. When they pried opened the metal box, not one single broom was inside....
Clean-Air Plan Choking Calif.'s Trucking Industry
Truckers are an independent breed, but the ones waiting in line for hours at the local ports for cargo wouldn’t mind becoming a little more organized....
True Religion Misses First-Quarter Target
Vernon, Calif.–based denim giant True Religion Apparel saw its first-quarter gross margin grow a record 56.3 percent, but it missed its projected target of $39.9 million in net sales, ringing in instead at $3...
L.A., L.B. Ports Hit Record Levels
The U.S. economy may be slowing down, but it wasn’t evident at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, where trade is booming....
Quiksilver Continues Executive Shuffle
On the heels of hiring new chief operating and financial officers, Huntington Beach, Calif.–based surf giant Quiksilver has announced the appointment of two new executives. Steve Tully, form...
Trunk LTD Gets New Owner, Recruits Duarte
Beverly Hills–based Live Nation, a music-venue management company, has acquired the remaining interest in Trunk LTD, a Culver City, Calif.–based maker of music-licensed T-shirts and co...
Antik Accessorizes
Commerce, Calif.–based premium-denim brand Antik Denim LLC, a division of Blue Holdings Inc., signed a licensing agreement with Max Ray Inc. for a line of accessorie...
Made in California: A Special Report
Even as the number of manufacturers producing clothing and accessories overseas grows, many U.S. companies still choose to produce domestically. California ranks high among production locales, with Lo...
ABS Hires Executives
Los Angeles–based ABS by Allen Schwartz has hired Lillian Rodriguez as senior vice president of sales and Charles Pegram as vice president of international alliances. Rodriguez, formerly t...
Free-Trade Agreement Brings Hope to Central America
GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala—Inside a cinderblock-walled factory filled with hundreds of sewing machines, nimble- fingered workers are putting the final touches on a batch of lingerie headed for Los Angel...
Tarrant Breaks Off Deal With Canadian Retailer
The deal is off between Tarrant Apparel Group—the decades-old Los Angeles apparel company known for its private-label blue jeans and its American Rag label sold at Federated...
Calif. Employers Lose on Back-Pay Ruling
In a move that settles years of legal wrangling between employers and employees who were denied lunch breaks, the California Supreme Court handed down a ruling on April 16 siding with employees....
L.A. Contractor to Pay $110,000 in Back Pay
The U.S. District Court for the Central District of California has ordered a Los Angeles contractor to pay $110,000 in back wages to current and former workers as part of a resolution to labor-law vio...
