Surf Expo Parent Company Acquired by Outdoor Retailer Organizer
Trade Show Acquistion
George Little Management LLC, parent company of Surf Expo, has been acquired by Emerald Expositions Inc., organizer of Outdoor Retailer.
3D-Model Makers Make 3D-Printed Model Doll
Fashion, Tech & Toys
Kickstarter kicks up a fashion concept again, this time, a group of entrepreneurs in Cincinnati are using the crowdfunding site to help launch their 3D-printable fashion doll.
LA’s Alameda Square Adds E-commerce Site GoJane
Manufacturing
Alameda Square—the business complex in downtown Los Angeles that houses American Apparel, Splendid and Ella Moss, Groceries Apparel, and HauteLook’s photo studio—has added another fashion tenant: Los Angeles–based e-tailer GoJane.
2013 RETROSPECTIVE Employment: Apparel and Textile Jobs Decline in 2013
Manufacturing
California may be the apparel manufacturing center of the country, but the region continued to shed apparel manufacturing and textile jobs in 2013.
Industry Joins Forces to Bring Christmas to Local Children
Events
The Textile Association of Los Angeles and the California Fashion Foundation hosted the 66th Annual Christmas Party for local boys and girls organizations on Dec. 11 at the Cooper Design Space in downtown Los Angeles.
Serge Azria Names CFO and COO at Dutch LLC
Manufacturing
Los Angeles–based Dutch LLC named Jennifer Adams chief financial officer and Michael Saunders chief operating officer of the company, owner of the Joie, Equipment and Current/Elliott brands.
2013 Newsmaker: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Manufacturing
In October, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was on hand at the California Market Center to address the Los Angeles apparel industry on the opening day of Los Angeles Fashion Market, much like his predecessor, Antonio Villaraigosa, who also helped kick off market weeks.
2013 Newsmaker: Los Angeles Fashion Week's New Venues, New Players
Fashion
Los Angeles Fashion Week has been an independent effort ever since IMG Fashion and Smashbox Studios shuttered their joint effort, Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, in 2008.
2013 Newsmaker: Downtown LA as a Retail Destination
2013 Newsmaker: Downtown
Already a destination for foodies, downtown Los Angeles is poised to become a destination for shoppers, as well.
Swim Maker Raj Opens New Factory in Santa Fe Springs
Swim & Surf
Tustin, Calif.–based Raj Manufacturing—maker of swimwear under the Athena, Next by Athena, Luxe by Lisa Vogel, Nautica, Guess, Ella Moss, Splendid, Hurley and Reef brands—opened a new manufacturing facility in Santa Fe Springs, Calif.
Hands Up for Made-in-America
Freedom Sleeve
Massachusetts-based apparel maker Goodwear introduced a new hoodie with a “Freedom Sleeve,” a gusseted sleeve design that gives the wearer more mobility and range of movement.
Pantone’s Color of the Year
Color Forecast
Get ready for a radiant year. Radiant Orchid, that is. That’s the word from Pantone, which announced its 2014 color of the year: Radiant Orchid (18-3224).
Morrell to Lead Olah’s Textile Sales Division
Trade Show
Olah Inc., the textile and apparel-development firm and organizer of the Kingpins denim trade show, announced a shift in the leadership of its textile sales division.
Texworld Teams With Tradegood
Trade Show
Texworld USA, the biannual fabric show in New York, has struck a partnership with Tradegood, the online B2B sourcing site founded by Intertek.
Watchmen—and Women
Fashion Meets Function
No matter how flashy your time app is, it doesn’t have the same panache as a beautiful watch.
American Apparel Adds In-Store Shop in Amsterdam
Retail
Los Angeles–based American Apparel opened a 645-square-foot shop-in-shop in the De Bijenkorf department store in Amsterdam.
Unifi Purchases American Drawtech
Textiles
Greensboro, N.C.–based fiber maker Unifi Inc. purchased the assets of American Drawtech from Dillon Yarn Corp. for an undisclosed amount.
Sanuk Opens in Waikiki
Retail
After opening stores in Santa Monica and Cabazon, Calif., earlier this year, Sanuk headed to Hawaii.
Sochi 2014: American Apparel’s Principle Message to Russia
Olympic Games 2014
The Principle 6 campaign takes aim at Russia’s anti-gay laws with a call to athletes and fans to “celebrate the Olympic principle of non-discrimination and call for an end to Russia's anti-gay laws before the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.”
Color of the Future
Trend Watch
Pantone will unveil its 2014 Color of the Year during a Dec. 6 webinar.
Lectra Hosts 3-D Tech Demo in LA
Technology
An intimate gathering of Southern California designers and manufacturers turned out on Nov. 14 in downtown Los Angeles to see a demonstration of Lectra’s Modaris 3-D pattern-making software.
Victoria’s Secret and Bath & Body Works Coming to Figat7th
Retail
Two more retail nameplates have signed on to Figat7th, the downtown Los Angeles mall owned by Brookfield Office Properties.
Swim Collective Heading to New Home in August
Swim & Surf
Swim Collective, the 4-year-old West Coast swimwear trade show, will have a new home in August at the St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, Calif.
The Trend Chasers: Full-Package Production in Downtown LA
Made In America
The Trend Chasers employ 160 people in an 80,000-square-foot facility in the LA Garment District.
Activewear Gets Technical
WearableTech
New Silicon Valley–based activewear brand Athos has incorporated electromyography or EMG technology ( typically used in biomedical applications) into fitness apparel to help the wearer gauge just how effective the workout is.
Combat Cotton
Performance Luxury
Trimara Military Technology, a division of Trimera Group, an international branded and licensed apparel company, has introduced (and trademarked) Hellblock, a “military grade flame resistance technology…fused with ultra-soft Pima cotton.
Balls, Backboards and Now Shoes
Spalding Athletic Shoes
Spalding, maker of basketball equipment such as backboards and balls is launching a new athletic shoe collection, which will bow next year.
Cherokee Takes Liz Lange to India
Manufacturing
Sherman Oaks, Calif.–based Cherokee Inc. struck a licensing deal with Mahindra Retail Pvt Ltd. to sell Liz Lange Maternity apparel in Mahindra’s Mom & Me stores throughout India.
Survey: RFID Poised to Hit $23.4 Billion in 2020
Technology
A new survey has RFID—radio frequency identification—technology on track to reach $23.4 billion in 2020.
Brand Building Behind the Scenes
Manufacturing
When a designer is first considering launching a line, the first step may be researching the market and creating mood boards, or it might be shopping for textiles or creating original prints and embellishments—followed by design, patternmaking and samples.
Wearable Tech Right from the Printer
Fashion Innovation
Researchers and engineers have developed a way to inkjet-print electronic circuits on a range of materials—including fabric.
Where Fashion and Science Collide
Photography
When Dutch macaque anatomist Roxana Kooijmans needed a way to share her collection of monkey brains with other scientists, she turned to a StyleShoots, the tech company that makes an automated photography system for fashion e-commerce sites.
Agenda Plans Expansion on All Fronts
Trade Shows
Last August, the Agenda trade show expanded to include a Las Vegas edition. In 2014, plans are even more ambitious for the event, which focuses on the action-sports, surf, streetwear and contemporary fashion markets.
New California Swim Trade Show Riviera by CurvExpo to Launch in 2014
Trade Shows
California is getting a new swimwear trade show next year when Eurovet, the European trade show organizer and owner of CurvExpo, launches Riviera by CurvExpo in August.
StyleShoots Opens LA Showroom at Cooper
Technology
StyleShoots, the system that simplifies still-life product photography, has a new home in Los Angeles.
Former Levi’s Exec Joins True Religion
Manufacturing
Vernon, Calif.–based True Religion Apparel Inc. named Mary Alderete chief marketing officer, overseeing the brand’s marketing strategy for retail, wholesale, international and e-commerce.
Juicy Heads to Kohl’s
Retail
One month after Juicy Couture was purchased by Authentic Brands Group from Fifth & Pacific (formerly Liz Claiborne Inc.), the Southern California brand is heading to Kohl’s.
There’s Stylish, and Then There’s Army Stylish.
Authentic Apparel
Authentic Apparel is launching a collection of “army style” clothing, which is officially licensed by the U.S. Army.
New California Swim Trade Show Riviera by CurvExpo to Launch in 2014
Swim & Surf
California is getting a new swimwear trade show next year when Eurovet, the European trade show organizer and owner of CurvExpo, launches Riviera by CurvExpo in August.
Nike Names New VP of Action Sports
Surf & Swim
Beaverton, Ore.–based athletic footwear and apparel giant Nike Inc. named Scott LeClair its new vice president of Action Sports, which oversees the action-sports category and Nike division Hurley International LLC.
British Designers Return to LA to Show at London Show Rooms
London Show Rooms
The British Fashion Council returned to Los Angeles.
Buhler’s Werner Bieri, 60
Textile
Textile executive Werner Bieri died on Nov. 2 after a long battle with leukemia. He was 60.
Lazr Footwear Show Returns to Cooper for Third Run
Lazr Footwear Show
The Lazr trade show ran at the Cooper Design Space in Los Angeles.
Seafolly Opens First US Store in Newport Beach
Retail Opening
For its first stand-alone U.S. store, Australian swim brand Seafolly headed to Newport Beach.
Buhler’s Werner Bieri, 60
Obituary
Textile executive Werner Bieri, former president and founding chief executive officer of Buhler Quality Yarns, died on Nov. 2 after a long battle with leukemia.
We've Got Your 3.1 Phillip Lim Right Here, LA
Sample Sale
3.1 Phillip Lim is having a sample sale at the Cooper Design Space in the heart of the LA Fashion District.
New Lingerie Collection is Designed to Be Seen
For Love and Lemons Designers Gillian Mahin and Laura Hall are diving into lingerie.
Melmarc Introduces New Program for Embellished Basics
The $3 T-Shirt
Melmarc recently introduced a full-package embellished T-shirt program dubbed “The $3 Basic T-Shirt.”
Runway Trend from LA Fashion Week
The Royal Treatment
Attendees at the recently concluded Los Angeles Fashion Week could be forgiven for having “royals” on the brain.
Gerber Introduces New Paragon Cutting Platform
Technology
Tolland, Conn.–based Gerber Technology introduced its Paragon cutting platform in September at the China International Sewing Machinery & Accessories show in Shanghai.
