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.
Hundreds Get Final Pink Slips at BCBG Max Azria
As operations wind down at the bankrupt BCBG Max Azria Group, nearly 500 layoff notices have gone out to employees of the contemporary brand founded in Los Angeles nearly 30 years ago.
Vans Unveils New HQ
Footwear and apparel titan Vans recently unveiled a new headquarters in Costa Mesa, Calif.
Raj & Sports Illustrated Team for Swim Brand
For more than 50 years, the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue has been making headlines with its pictorials of supermodels posing in fashion’s most stylish swimwear in exotic locales.
Action Sports Vet Smith Joins Boardriders
Nate Smith was named president of the Americas region for Boardriders Inc., the Huntington Beach, Calif., parent company of Quiksilver, Roxy and DC Shoes.
Candiani, Albiate 1830 and Matias Showcase Italian Denim Innovation in L.A.
Albiate 1830, the denim division of Bergamo, Italy–based Italian mill Gruppo Albini, and Italian denim mill Candiani joined forces to create FineFusions, a collection that showcases “top Italian heritage, cutting-edge thinking and a virtuous spirit.”
Latitude 10 Finds ‘In Between’ Niche
There is a time in a woman’s life where she wants to wear juniors styles and trends but she is looking for silhouettes and clothes that an adult woman would wear, said Leslie Gardner, a career designer.
True Religion Files for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection
True Religion, once a high-flying premium denim brand so popular its blue jeans were constantly being knocked off by counterfeiters, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on July 5 in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
Fashion Business Inc. Shutters After Nearly 20 Years
After helping start-up and growing apparel companies for nearly two decades, Fashion Business Inc. will shutter operations at the end of August.
BedHead Acquired by Komar
BedHead Pajamas, the nearly 20-year-old Los Angeles sleepwear company, has been acquired by Komar for an undisclosed price.
ThirdLove Seeks Best Bra Fit with FitFinder 2.0
Tech-enabled bra company ThirdLove recently introduced its Fit Finder 2.0 program, a new version of the San Francisco’s company proprietary sizing program.
Cone’s S Gene Tech Turns 10
Greensboro, N.C.–based denim mill Cone Denim is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of its S Gene dual-core technology.
B.James Tells L.A. Story With Emerging Label
In Brandon James’ tough South Los Angeles neighborhood in the 1990s, the people who dressed well and had money were known as hustlers according to James, now a designer.
Bankruptcy Court Approves Stalking Horse Bid for BCBG Max Azria
Weeks after an offer was made to take BCBG Max Azria out of bankruptcy as a shell of its former self, a U.S. bankruptcy court has approved the $165 million offer.
Charney’s Los Angeles Apparel Factory Staffs Up, Looks for Growth
With little fanfare, Dov Charney, perhaps the basics industry’s most flamboyant entrepreneur, unveiled his latest project.
Alternative Founder Returns with M/f people Brand
Greg Alterman founded blank-T-shirt company Alternative Apparel in 1996, and he had grown it into a $74 million enterprise when he left it in early 2013. His latest venture brings him back to the apparel industry. His new lifestyle brand, M/f people, is scheduled to take a bow June 23.
