Sandy Jang, Sweet Rain and Alice Blue
Showroom Profiles
Sandy Jang has been producing young contemporary fashions for 15 years under the labels Sweet Rain and Alice Blue. For the upcoming March 16–19 run of Los Angeles Fashion Market, Jang will introduce her eponymous premium collection.
Sourcing Show Factory Direct Debuts
The New Mart
Full-package producers, logistics, design consulting and other sourcing resources exhibited at the debut of the Factory Direct trade show at The New Mart March 2–4.
New Format, New Developments
L.A. Textile Show
The threat of rain put a damper on the opening day of the Los Angeles International Textile Show, but traffic picked up on the second and third day of the show’s March 2–4 run at the California Market Center.
El Paseo in L.A.
Fashion Week El Paseo is preparing to celebrate its 10th anniversary when it hosts its March 21-28 run in Palm Desert, Calif.
Capsule Sees Good International Response
Trade Show
The Feb. 16–18 run of Capsule at The Venetian in Las Vegas got off to a good start with exhibitors reporting a strong turnout from domestic and international retailers shopping the men’s and women’s contemporary apparel and accessories collections at the show.
Good Traffic at Offprice
Trade Show
Business was good for the exhibitors at the Offprice show, held Feb. 15–18 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.
Booths Buzzing at WWDMAGIC
Trade Show
Once again, the young contemporary section of WWDMAGIC was a buzzing hive of activity during the show’s Feb. 17–19 run at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
New Exhibitors and Returning Brands at CurveNV
Trade Show
The Feb. 15–17 run of CurveNV saw a mix of new exhibitors and returning brands showing at the upscale lingerie and swimwear show at The Venetian in Las Vegas.
CIT’s Steinberg Charts New Post-Retirement Path
Finance
Since announcing plans to retire, Steinberg has been asked to consult for the industry, which she said she is considering, but she’s keeping her options open for now.
Lingerie Brand Regina Miracle Adds Centric PLM
Technology
Regina Miracle International Ltd., a Hong Kong–based lingerie and shapewear maker, is adding Centric 8 product lifecycle management software to help coordinate collaboration between the lingerie company’s sample-development team and its customers and its internal sample-development team.
Roberto Cavalli Uses Optitex CAD to Coordinate Hand-Crafted Details and Tight Turn Times
Technology
Italian luxury brand Roberto Cavalli added the Optitex 2-D Pattern Making and Optitex 3-D Virtual Prototyping CAD Suites.
Moto Goes Haute
Ortiz Industries' Empowered event with Ducati
Ortiz Industries' Empowered event with Ducati at New York Fashion Week
Almost Entirely Made in LA
Hand-made accessories
Nicholas Duong makes all his Leather Cottage bags and accessories by hand in his studio in Alhambra, Calif.
Hang Ten Headwear Introduces New Fall Collection
Manufacturing
Iconic surf brand Hang Ten introduced a new hat collection at the MAGIC trade show in Las Vegas.
Good International Turnout and Strong Interest in Immediates
Vegas Trade Shows
International buyers and retailers looking to restock diminished inventories circulated around the more than 20 apparel, accessories and sourcing trade shows in Las Vegas
MAGIC Strikes Deal With Eurovet for New CurveNV@MAGIC Show in August
strategic alliance
UBM Advanstar, producer of the MAGIC, Project and ENKVegas shows, has formed a strategic alliance with Eurovet, producer of the Curvexpo lingerie and swimwear shows in Las Vegas and New York, to launch a jointly owned new swimwear and lingerie show in Las Vegas called CurveNV@MAGIC.
Hang Ten Headwear Heads to Vegas
Surf Report
Iconic surf brand Hang Ten will unveil a new hat collection at the upcoming MAGIC trade show in Las Vegas.
Dov Story
American Apparel
For all his detractors, American Apparel founder Dov Charney still has plenty of supporters. Friends, former coworkers and colleagues have been posting messages of support on a website, called Team Dov.
Designers Showcase the Power of Print
Epson’s Digital Couture Event
Printing technology company Epson kicked off New York Fashion Week on Feb. 10 with Digital Couture, a fashion event featuring an international mix of designers and the original creations made with Epson’s dye sublimation printers.
Security Sourcing: Made in LA and Under the Radar
Manufacturing | Made in America
Los Angeles–based STC-QST supplies products that provide the foundation of a garment, such as interlining, pocketing, shoulder pads and zippers. When STC-QST Chief Executive Officer Brian Weitman quietly launched a sourcing division 15 years ago, he began providing support for growing apparel makers and brands.
From Venice With Love
Electric & Rose
With roots in yoga and surfing, Electric & Rose is a lifestyle collection that draws its name from Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood, which is home to company founders Eric Balfour and Erin Chiamulon.
Milano Unica Celebrates 10 Years, Turns Its Eye to New York
Trade Show
Milano Unica, the European textile trade show formed when several well-established Italian trade shows—including IdeaBiella, Moda In and Shirt Avenue—joined forces 10 years ago, is preparing to launch its first New York show in July.
Swim Collective Sets Dates, Plans NY Launch for Active Collective
Trade Show
Swim Collective, the Southern California–based swimwear trade show organized by Shannon Leggett, has set its dates for new activewear show Active Collective, including a new edition in New York.
Asher Fabric Names Jolie Fierro VP Sales for New Athletic Concept Division
Textiles
Los Angeles–based knitter Asher Fabric Concepts has hired Jolie Fierro as vice president of sales for its newly launched Asher Active Athletic Concepts division of performance knits for the fitness, yoga and athletic markets.
Denim Technology and Innovation on Display at Kingpins New York
Trade Show
With representatives from retailers and brands such as Levi Strauss & Co., Target, Urban Outfitters, VF Corp., Express, Marc Jacobs, Bonobos, Gap, Citizens for Humanity and Tommy Hilfiger, the Jan. 20–21 run of the Kingpins denim trade show put the focus on denim innovation and technology.
Spanish Brand Encuentro Moda Centralizes Operations with YuniquePLM
Technology
Barcelona-based fashion label Encuentro Moda is using YuniquePLM to streamline its product lifecycle management and provide a centralized platform for its operations in retail, design and manufacturing.
BM Merchandising Selects Simparel Enterprise Solution
Technology
BM Merchandising Co. Ltd., maker of the Royal Blue brand of men’s and juniors denim and knit apparel brands and a private-label producer, is replacing its legacy business system and software tools with Simparel Enterprise Solution.
Petit Bateau Selects Lectra Fashion PLM
Technology
To help streamline product development and improve speed-to-market, French label Petit Bateau selected Lectra Fashion PLM.
‘Old’ is New at Selfridges
fashion exhibition
British department store Selfridges typically kicks off the year with it’s Bright Young Things exhibition of new design talent. But this year, the retailer is turning the concept on its head with the launch of Bright Old Things, a showcase of works created by “mature” designers ranging in age from mid-40s to 80s.
Urban Taps Capsule for its Stylish Champions
Fashion Collab
Urban Outfitters has a new fashion collab with a lot of fashion—and an extra dose of collaboration.
Intimates Market in China Poised for Growth
Manufacturing
The intimate apparel market in China is expected to increase 17.99 percent between 2014 and 2019 as the consumer shifts from basics to fashion lingerie, according to a recent report.
Gap Closing Piperlime
Retail
San Francisco–based retail giant Gap Inc. announced plans to shutter its online footwear-driven unit, Piperlime, by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2015.
CALA Prepares for Last Show at the Westin SF Before Moving to New Open-Booth Venue
Trade Show
CALA San Francisco is headed to a new home in March.
Bustling Texworld Showcases Returning Mills and New Exhibitors
Texworld USA
Clear winter weather and a holiday opening day helped kick off Texworld USA with busy aisles and booths for the show’s Jan. 21–23 run at the Jacob K. Javits Center.
Gap Closing Piperlime
retail shift
San Francisco-based retail giant Gap Inc., announced plans to shutter its online footwear-driven unit Piperlime by the end of the first quarter of fiscal year 2015.
Joe’s Jeans CEO Resigns
Premium Denim
Marc Crossman has resigned from his position at chief executive officer of Joe’s Jeans Inc.
EarthLink Introduces Secure Storefront to Protect Retailers From Data Breaches
Technology
Like the massive data breach at Target in late 2013, the news last fall that a breach may have affected 56 million credit and debit cards at Home Depot made headlines, but according to EarthLink Chief Security Officer Peter Chronis, the number of data breaches in the last year was even higher.
SoCal Materials Show Debuts
Bustling Traffic
The debut run of the SoCal Materials Show got off to a brisk start as manufacturers and brands crowded the aisles of the California Market Center’s penthouse on the hunt for sourcing materials for footwear, accessories and apparel.
Target's Critical Style
Fashion Collab x Blogger Influence
Prior to the launch of its new plus-size line Ava & Viv, Target brought in the fashion critics.
California Needs Its Own Fabric
And the Official Textile Is...
A Massachusetts lawmaker has introduced a bill to make gingham (the cotton fabric, not the familiar plaid) the “official textile of the Commonwealth.”
Lights! Camera! Fashion!
MBFW Berlin’s Pitch-Perfect Parody
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Berlin has released an ad that perfectly captures the unattainable cool, lush photography and WAY-too-serious absurdity of fashion advertising.
Wells Fargo Opens Commercial Banking Office in New York
Finance
Wells Fargo opened a new commercial banking office in New York to better serve the city’s $98 billion apparel industry.
IBM Survey Says Online Shopping Activity Lags Behind Enthusiasm for the Channel
Technology | Retail
In a survey released during the National Retail Federation’s Big Show and annual conference in New York, the IBM Institute for Business Value found that consumers’ growing enthusiasm for online shopping and “digital interaction with retailers” is not matched by their actual behavior.
B. Riley Expands Steve Reiner's Role
Finance
Los Angeles–based financial-services company B. Riley Financial Inc. named Steven H. Reiner to the newly created position of chief business development officer, asset dispositions, for the company’s Great American Group LLC subsidiary.
Stars in Our Past
Costume Design
The pilot episode of Fox drama “Empire” got rave reviews and fantastic ratings when it debuted on Jan. 7, thanks in part to Taraji P. Henson’s performance
Showroom Profile: Frnch Label
Showroom Profiles
The B-wing of the California Market Center’s fifth floor just got a little more French with the opening of a new brand, Frnch Label, a young contemporary line designed in France and Los Angeles and produced in Asia.
Showroom Profile: Research and Development
Showroom Profiles
Candice Clark, owner of the Research and Development showroom in the Cooper Design Space, shared a showroom on the building’s second floor for about a year and a half but found she was outgrowing the space for her four collections: Just Female, Diarte, Della and Callahan.
