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.
Calif. Labor Official to Speak at CFA Event
Jose Millan, under secretary for the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency, will address the challenges facing the state’s apparel manufacturers at an up...
Overseas Competition Reverberates Within L.A. Textile Industry
First, it was the energy crisis, and now it is the stepped-up competition from overseas apparel factories....
This Pass Says Go
The recent congestion at the Port of Los Angeles and Port of Long Beach is now just a bad memory for port officials....
Apparel Ventures Buys Waterfront
Apparel Ventures Inc., a nearly 30-year-old Los Angeles swimwear company, has acquired the assets of Waterfront Design Group LLC, a smaller and younger Los Angeles swimwear ...
Apparel Cos. Seek Tech Edge at FIDM
As a new world order free of quotas approaches, apparel manufacturers and retailers are warming up to technology to gain an edge. Their interests were evident during a Nov. 11 technology con...
Health Care, Sales Tax Propositions Defeated in Polls
Southern California’s apparel industry reacts to Nov. 2 election results...
Byer Shutters SoCal Production Facility
San Francisco–based Byer California announced plans to close the production sewing department of its Alfred Paquette division in early January....
GWC Report Studies WTO, Jobs
The Los Angeles apparel industry faces a crisis as more production shifts overseas and companies prepare for the termination of World Trade Organization apparel and textile quotas in...
Living Wage Rule for L.A.'s Finest
The Los Angeles City Council unanimously approved on Nov. 9 an anti-sweatshop law that will affect $3 million in annual garment contracts for police uniforms and other apparel and footwear worn by gov...
Port Bottleneck Leads to Shipping Surcharges
With ships waiting as long as one week now to unload their cargo at the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, seven shipping lines announced they will start charging a congestion surcharge fee on cargo...
CMC Owners Confirm Sale
California Market Center owners said they have accepted an offer of close to $135 million to sell the 3-million-square-foot wholesale center to Los Angeles real estate firm Jamison P...
Health Insurance to Be Key Issue for Apparel Makers on Nov. 2
Among the flurry of state propositions on the Nov. 2 ballot, one will have a direct financial impact on California’s apparel and textile business: Proposition 72....
CMC Sale Progresses
Escrow on the sale of the California Market Center in Los Angeles is expected to close early next year, sources said....
New Year Could Bring New Shipping Headaches for Apparel Importers
California apparel manufacturers who have shifted their production to China are worried that when quotas disappear on Jan. 1, it will be nearly impossible to obtain cargo space on vessels sailing from...
New Hires at Hurley
The juniors division of Hurley International, based in Costa Mesa, Calif., is experiencing a new wave....
