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.
Showroom Profile: Mystree
On Jan. 1, Jerry and Judy Wexler moved into their new showroom on the sixth floor of The New Mart. At 1,200 square feet, the new space is more than 400 square feet larger than their previous location on the second floor of the California Market Center.
Showroom Profile: Succarra
The Succarra showroom is in New York, Dallas and Atlanta, but until six months ago it did not have a home in Los Angeles. That changed with the opening of the newest Succarra location at the Cooper Design Space.
New Lines: Los Angeles Fashion Market Summer 2016
New Lines: Los Angeles Fashion Market Summer 2016
T-Shirts: Life Clothing Co.
After a gig selling lingerie, Bobby Banafsheian shifted fashion gears. He started T-shirt and basics line Life Clothing Co. Since its 2009 debut, some of his styles have sold at Urban Outfitters, Topshop, Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s.
T-Shirts: Linda Carmello Sibio
Linda Carmello Sibio got into the T-shirt business through teaching art to homeless and mentally ill people. “What I’m trying to do is make mental-health issues palatable to the public,” said Sibio, a fine artist based in the high-desert town of Twentynine Palms, Calif. “How can I get this message across and make it playful? By making the T-shirts.”
Obituary: Sales Representative Mitch Stedman, 90
Longtime sales representative Mitch Stedman died on Dec. 30 at the age of 90. A familiar figure in the California Market Center (previously called the CaliforniaMart) and a fixture in the California apparel industry, Stedman and his late wife, Susan Barry, are remembered as consummate professionals who loved the apparel industry.
Manufacturer Starts Rent-a-Desk Program in L.A. Fashion District
A block or two from Santee Alley in downtown Los Angeles, Michael Harb believes that he can build an incubator and a post-college program for beginning manufacturers.
Bid to Return Charney to American Apparel Made More Attractive
At the last minute, two investment companies that bid in late December to buy American Apparel out of bankruptcy and return founder Dov Charney to the company have sweetened the deal to make it more enticing.
Speedo USA Dives Into Innovation and Technology
Speedo USA has gone through a lot of changes lately.
Billabong USA President Stepping Down
The president of Billabong USA, Ed Leasure, is leaving the company at the end of January.
Alternative Proposal Submitted to Buy American Apparel
In the continuing American Apparel saga, two investment funds guided by Dov Charney submitted a proposal shortly before New Year’s Day to buy the Los Angeles apparel manufacturer out of bankruptcy.
Concept Combines Retail, Restaurant and Made-in-America Manufacturing
Shore is a mixed-use restaurant and retail compound, where both businesses share an interest in sustainability and the active lifestyle.
Citizens of Humanity Allegedly a Victim of Embezzlement
Four men have been arrested on charges they embezzled $8 million from a commercial laundry house owned by Citizens of Humanity, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Building a Domestic Shoe Business From the Insole Out
"It takes 36 pairs of hands to make one shoe,” says designer Calleen Cordero, who makes shoes and accessories by hand in her North Hollywood, Calif., factory.
L.A. Made Line Takes New Look to High End Shop Traffic
After a few years of selling streetwear on Los Angeles’s Fairfax Avenue, Adam Derry of the ADBD label is taking his line a few streets and a world beyond from Fairfax’s streetwear sizzle.
