Velvet Heart’s Tsabag
Returning to Juniors With Free Heart
Moshe Tsabag spent 12 years building the Hot Kiss juniors label before selling it in 2008 and turning his attention to the contemporary market with his Velvet Heart label.
Showroom Profile: Summer Somewhere
At LA Market
Virginia native, opened her showroom, Summer Somewhere, in the Cooper Design Space in June. With the help of Richard Ruiz, stylist for Mara Hoffman, Spigel transformed the lofty corner space into a beach oasis, complete with a hammock hanging over a sandbox and display tables made from vintage surfboards.
Showroom Profile: Allen Allen
New Lines
Open. Fresh. Light. That’s how Kari Carpino describes the new showroom for Los Angeles–based casual contemporary line Allen Allen, which, Carpino said, is a good match with the Allen Allen personality.
Spring Forecast
Directives West
The trend presentation, held on Oct. 6, opening day of Los Angeles Majors Market at the California Market Center in Los Angeles, covered three key trends of the season: “Simply California,” “Effortlessly Feminine” and “Global Bazaar.”
Fashion’s Mentor Moment at the White House
Fashioning the Future
First Lady Michelle Obama and Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour hosted the first White House Fashion Education Workshop on Oct. 8 in Washington D.C.
Deep Pockets Required
Denim Design
The supersize of the iPhone 6 (and iPhone 5 Plus, not to mention the Galaxy Note) has created a fashion problem.
Opening a RBIS Design Center in LA’s Arts District
Avery Dennison
Apparel designers, retailers and manufacturers looking for branding inspiration have a new resource in the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles with the opening of Avery Dennison Corp.’s Retail Branding and Information Solutions (RBIS) Customer Design and Innovation Center.
Drawing a Mix of Established Brands, New Designers
LA Textile Show
Traffic steadily picked up at the Sept. 29–Oct. 1 run of the Los Angeles International Textile Show at the California Market Center in Los Angeles, where exhibitors said they met with both well-known brands as well as new designers.
Fashionable Fundraising and Casino Games at Fashion Industries Guild Gala
Events
Members of the fashion and textile industry turned out on Sept. 20 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles to raise funds for the Fashion Industries Guild Congenital Heart Laboratory and the Hal Kaltman Fashion Industries Guild Congenital Heart Research Endowment.
Sundance at 25: Brand Building With a Curatorial Eye
Retail
The Sundance Catalog is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year with a series of one-of-a-kind products and a sweepstakes drawing for an all-expenses-paid trip to the Sundance Resort in Salt Lake City.
American Apparel Names Interim CEO and CFO
Executive Shift
American Apparel Inc. has a new interim chief executive officer and a new chief financial officer following the resignation of John Luttrell, who took over the two positions in June after the company’s board asked founder Dov Charney to step down.
Textile Show Starts on Monday
The Los Angeles International Textile Show gets underway on Sept. 29 at the California Market Center.
Designer Evolves Brand from Prints to Printed Fabric to Finished Garments
Josi Severson
Josi Severson’s original prints feature mid-century graphics in a sunny palette. The Minneapolis-based designer has designed fabrics for companies such as Crate & Barrel, Thibaut, Joseph Abboud, Richloom Fabrics and Blu Dot.
Relaunched Mill Has American Heritage and Italian Know-How
American Woolen Co.
A 19th-century textile mill in northern Connecticut is currently humming with the activity of 40 looms making woolen and worsted fabrics for the American luxury market.
Kanye in Fashion
Musician, celebrity, fashion icon and provocateur Kanye West was recently spotted teaching a fashion class at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College in downtown LA.
Get Your Sample Sale Shoes On
The 3.1 Philip Lim sample sale is coming back to downtown Los Angeles.
McCartney Car Couture
Luxury auto maker Jaguar teamed up with designer Stella McCartney to create fleet of Jaguar XE model cars inspired by the designer and featuring her Superhero print from her Spring 2015 collection.
Fashion Industry Spotlight
Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association, was featured in the Los Angeles Times “How I Made It” column.
CFA Members Event Discusses Private Label and Branded Manufacturing
Manufacturing
There’s no magic formula for striking the right balance between producing your own brand and producing private-label products for retailers. But having a mix of both can be a good strategy for growing a brand as you maintain a steady stream of production work.
Project Runway Winner & Belk
Reality (TV) to Retail
Dom, the collection designed by "Project Runway" season 12 winner Dom Streater is now in Belk stores.
Bitcoin for Your Thoughts?
Salt Lake City offprice e-tailer Overstock.com has updated its international checkout system to include payment by Bitcoin.
Lectra Names New Managing Director for Germany, Eastern Europe
Technology
French technology solutions and equipment supplier Lectra has named Chris Nicolaes managing director for Lectra Germany in Ismaning, Germany.
Infor to Host ‘Meet-n-Learn’ at the CMC
Technology
Apparel technology solutions provider Infor will host “Infor Fashion Meet-n-Learn” on Oct. 15 at the California Market Center in Los Angeles.
Yunique Solutions Now Integrated With Pointcarre Textile Design Software
Technology
Yunique Solutions, an apparel solutions unit of Gerber Technology, has integrated its YuniquePLM (product lifecycle management) solution with Pointcarré textile-design software to better assist clients with reducing sampling costs, speed-to-market and enhancing merchandising presentations.
Lenzing Begins Tencel Production at New Facility with “Jumbo” Line
Textiles
Lenzing, the Austrian maker of Tencel fibers, is on track to meet its planned production target of 30,000 tons of Tencel fiber at its new production facility at the Lenzing headquarters in Austria.
McCord Joins Buhler Sales Team
Textiles
PJ McCord, former global sales manager for Coats PLC, has joined the team at Buhler Quality Yarns in Jefferson, Ga., as sales executive.
Duarte Gives Activewear a Fashionable Edge
New Line Nor
Henry Duarte is joining the ath-leisure movement, but the Los Angeles designer is putting his signature rock ’n’ roll stamp on the growing trend.
Fashion Industries Guild to Honor Tech/Chemistry Entrepreneur at Annual Gala
Events
The Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai will honor technology entrepreneur Michael Lefenfeld at its annual gala on Sept. 20 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles.
VF Collaboration Pledges $10 Million to Building and Safety Upgrades in Bangladesh
Manufacturing
Greensboro, N.C.–based apparel giant VF Corp., in partnership with International Finance Corp., will provide up to $10 million in financing to VF vendor factories in Bangladesh.
Neiman Marcus to Anchor Hudson Yards Development in New York
Retail
Hudson Yards, the mixed-use $20 billion development on the west side of New York’s Manhattan borough, will have a high-profile anchor when Neiman Marcus opens its first New York store in the center in 2018.
Along Came a Spider Sweater
Textile Tech
Researchers at Japan's National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences and Shinshu University created silk fibers from silkworms that had been engineered with spider genes.
Surf Style Through the Eyes of Art Students
College Collab
Visitors to LCAD’s gallery in Laguna Beach, Calif., can check out the work of students in LCAD’s Design + Digital Media Action Sports BFA program in LCAD + Thalia + Vans Collaboration Exhibition.
When Football Met Fleece
Zooop iT Up, the maker of fleece onesies for adults recently relocated to Los Angeles.
Hey Doll
Fashion Collab
The new Barbie collection for Forever 21 arrives this week in stores and online.
Foot in the Door
Shoe Business
At the invitation of the California Fashion Association’s Ilse Metchek, I sat on a panel organized by the CFA on behalf of Consulate General of Brazil in Los Angeles and Abicalçados, the Brazilian Footwear Association.
Gap Wants You to Dress Normal
Fashion Advertising
The Gap has hired David Fincher (director of “The Social Network,” “Fight Club” and the U.S. version of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”) to direct a series of ads it is calling “Dress Normal.”
Columbia Signs Licensing Deal With Dallas Cowboys
Manufacturing
Portland, Ore.–based Columbia Sportswear has inked a deal with the National Football League’s Dallas Cowboys for a collection of co-branded sportswear, outerwear and accessories for men, women and children.
International Retailers and Specialty Buyers at CurveNV
Trade Shows
On opening day of the Aug. 18–19 run of CurveNV at The Venetian, a crowd of spa and resort buyers were given a tour of the upscale lingerie and swimwear trade show before participating in a panel discussion about the needs of the spa and resort market.
Crowded Aisles, Separate Cash-and-Carry Section at Offprice
Trade Show
While many of the Las Vegas trade shows opened on the same day, the Offprice show always kicks things off early, and this season was no exception. The Aug. 16–19 run at the Sands Expo and Convention Center marked the 40th Offprice show.
Upscale Looks at MRket, Stitch and Accessories the Show
Trade Show
On opening night of the Aug. 18–20 run of MRket, Stitch and Accessories the Show at The Venetian, buyers ended the day browsing the three shows’ upscale men’s, women’s and accessories lines with glasses of complimentary wine in hand.
Appointments and New Lines at WWDMAGIC
Trade Show
The aisles at the Aug. 18–20 run of WWDMAGIC at the Las Vegas Convention Center appeared lighter than usual, but exhibitors reported a strong appointment-driven show where buyers arrived looking for proven brands as well as new lines.
Accessories in Charge
Fashion Tech
Part tech, part accessory, the QBracelet is a lightweight aluminum bracelet with a rechargeable lithium ion battery inside to charge a cellphone.
MAGIC Feet
trade show
With 20 shows spread out over several venues in Las Vegas, I decided to put trade show mileage to the test.
Remembering Lip Service and Kill City Founder
Drew Bernstein
Bernstein, who died on Aug. 18, was the founder of the Lip Service collection of punk rock, Goth and fetish apparel; Kill City, the edgy contemporary men’s and women’s line; goth line Widow and graphics-driven 24 Hours.
Exhibitors Report Buyers Writing Orders
Las Vegas Trade Shows
LAS VEGAS—With more than 20 events spread across five venues, the Las Vegas trade shows offered just about something for every buyer—from juniors and streetwear to upscale menswear and lingerie.
Lip Service, Kill City Founder Drew Bernstein, 1963-2014
Obituary
Drew Bernstein, the founder of the Lip Service and Kill City brands, died on Aug. 18 in Los Angeles. He was 51 years old.
Manhattan Associates Acquires GlobalBay Technology
Technology
Manhattan Associates Inc., the Atlanta-based supply chain commerce solutions provider, has acquired the assets of GlobalBay Technologies from San Jose, Calif.–based VeriFone in a move that will extend Manhattan Associates’ omni-channel inventory and order management solutions offerings.
FIDM Students Get Advice, Inspiration from Some of Denim’s Best
Denim Master Class
Denim pioneer François Girbaud is credited with a lot of firsts in the industry—from stonewash finishing and industrial washing to stretch denim and new silhouettes such as the baggy jean, the pedal pusher and engineered fit.
North Face Sets 100 Percent Certified Down Goal
Textiles
By 2017, The North Face plans to have all its down 100 percent certified and responsibly sourced using the Responsible Down Standard, a third-party standard.
