Certain Tariffs to Receive 90-Day Postponement Due to Pandemic
IMPORT/EXPORT
Importers faced with financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic can request a 90-day deferment in payments on certain duties, taxes and fees, according to an executive order signed by President Trump on April 18.
Under Armour Hires Industry Veteran Collier as CPO
Manufacturing
Under Armour announced on April 15 that Lisa Collier was hired as its chief product officer.
Entrepreneur Charles Nelson Enters Athleisure Space With Willy California
Manufacturing
According to serial entrepreneur Charles Nelson, co-founder of Sprinkles Cupcakes and the Pizzana restaurant, the men’s activewear segment is still underserved.
Businesses Look to Government Lifelines in Order to Survive
Finding Financial Lifelines
Like thousands of other businesses, Pocket Square Clothing, a maker of suiting accessories and bespoke clothing, had to furlough its staff because of the COVID-19 crisis.
LifeProof Turns Ocean Plastic into Phone Cases
ACCESSORIES
The world’s oceans continue to be choked by plastic waste. LifeProof, headquartered in San Diego, recently released WĀKE phone cases, which are made from at 85 percent recycled ocean plastic.
Faire Unveils Digital Marketplace for Face Masks
TECHNOLOGY
State and city governments across the nation are requiring that people wear face masks when going out in public. There’s a growing need for face masks, and San Francisco-headquartered online wholesale marketplace Faire wants to make sure that small business gets some of the action.
Two Fashion Brands Use T-shirts to Fight COVID-19
MANUFACTURING
Many Californians are looking for ways to support COVID-19 relief. Two clothing brands, Original Paperbacks and STKY, recently announced campaigns to raise awareness and funds to push back the pandemic
Fashion Lays Off Hundreds as Unemployment Skyrockets, EDD Said
FINANCE
Unemployment has skyrocketed since the economic freeze bought by the COVID-19 pandemic, it has reached rates that the California Employment Development Department has called historic.
Former Walmart Exec To Lead eBay
RETAIL
Former Walmart Exec To Lead eJamie Iannone, chief operating officer of Walmart eCommerce, was recently named chief executive officer of digital commerce pioneer eBay Inc.
LA Fashion Festival Chief Takes New Project Virtual
TRADE SHOWS
Stay-at-home orders put the kibosh on public gatherings. But Justin Raymond Merino wants to produce content for a society avoiding contact.
Fred Segal’s #DaytimeNightclub Challenge Hopes To Knock Out COVID-19 Blues
RETAIL
There’s not been much reason to put a nice jacket or a stylish dress in the past month, but retailer Fred Segal hopes to give people a reason to put on something special, while helping people out with its #DaytimeNightclub Challenge.
NuOrder Survey Finds 63 Percent of Retailers Cancel Orders
Retail
The coronavirus pandemic continues its economic freeze, delivering a major blow to the fashion business, according to a recently released survey from NuOrder.
Carhartt and Buck Mason Join the Fight to Make PPEs
MANUFACTURING
Fashion brands continue to find new purpose in making personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.
Vans’ Foot The Bill Aims To Help Independent Shops
Vans plans to support independent skate shops, music venues and restaurants shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic with a special fundraiser.
Vardagen’s PNDMC Collection: Finding Humor and Giving Help
MANUFACTURING
Jared Ingold wanted his T-shirt brand Vardagen to poke humor at what people were going through during a typical day. But typical changed when the coronavirus pandemic hit.
Fashion Week San Diego Announces Comeback and A Sotheby’s Event
EVENTS
After a 2019 hiatus, Fashion Week San Diego plans to roll out a number of events in California and New York City this year.
Major Retailers Furlough Employees
Retail
Some of America’s most prominent publicly traded retailers announced that they would furlough bricks-and-mortar employees as the economy has frozen due to stay-at-home orders to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
President Signs $2 Trillion COVID-19 Stimulus Package
Finance
President Donald Trump signed into law a $2 trillion stimulus bill on March 27 in response to the impact of COVID-19.
Apparel Manufacturers Mobilized by Government to Fight Coronavirus
Manufacturing
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, government agencies and apparel manufacturers have started working together to compensate for a shortfall in personal protective equipment such as face masks and hospital gowns.
Lucky Brand’s Newest Collaboration: Making Face Masks
MANUFACTURING
One of the big fashion stories during the coronavirus pandemic has been how apparel manufacturers, designers and brands have retooled their production to make face masks. Los Angeles’ Lucky Brand has joined the fight.
FaZe Clan x LA Kings’ Slapshot
MANUFACTURING
Los Angeles-headquartered e-sports team FaZe Clan has been mixing good works and commerce recently.
Pink’s Hot Dogs Gets a Taste of Fashion With Petals and Peacocks
FASHION
Pink’s Hot Dogs has been serving scores of different varieties of frankfurters for 81 years. Lately, it's been serving up fashion.
Gap Inc. Furloughs Bricks-and-Mortar Employees
RETAIL
Gap Inc. is the latest large specialty retailer to announce that it would furlough its employees.
Fashion Manufacturers Mobilized by Government to Fight Coronavirus
MANUFACTURING
As the COVID-19 pandemic progresses, government and apparel manufacturers have started working together to compensate for a shortfall in personal protective equipment such as face masks and hospital gowns.
Retailers React to Coronavirus Epidemic by Shifting More Biz Online
Retailers’ Online Shift
Hundreds of boutique owners are faced with an economy that has screeched to a halt, but many have been improvising and developing new ways to drive sales to their companies.
Actor Ethan Cutkosky's Khaotic Collective Drops New Line
“The term that I like to use is psychedelic," Cutkosky said."‘Psy’ means mind. ‘Del’ means reveal. It’s mind revealing. A lot of the designs are based around those terms,” he said of Khaotic Collective
House Approves $2 Trillion COVID-19 Stimulus Package
FINANCE
The United States House of Representatives approved a $2 trillion stimulus bill on March 27 as a response to the impact of COVID-19.
Asking for Help and Clear Communication Can Aid Businesses During Coronavirus Crisis
FINANCE
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, business consultants have been fielding questions regarding how companies can navigate the financial slowdowns that will impact their companies during the next quarter and beyond.
Trading Fashion For Face Masks, Designers Respond to Coronavirus
The fashion business has ground to a halt because of the Coronavirus epidemic. But fashion designers and apparel manufacturers responded to the pandemic by changing their game.
Volcom Furloughs 75 Percent of Its Workers While Making Plans to Ramp Up
MANUFACTURING
Action-sports brand Volcom furloughed 75 percent of its U.S. employees last week and all of its European employees.
Candice Cuoco Talks On Making Styles for Lady Gaga’s "Stupid Love"
FASHION
Lady Gaga made a return to the dance floor last month when she released the song "Stupid Love." Like everything else Gaga, fashion was a big deal and Los Angeles designer Candice Cuoco made some styles for the "Stupid Love" video.
California Apparel Manufacturers Make Face Masks for COVID-19 Pandemic
MANUFACTURING
There has been a shortage of face masks and surgical gear as the COVID-19 pandemic progresses. Some California apparel manufacturers have stepped up to meet the challenge of serving the medical community and the public during this time.
Reese Witherspoon’s Draper James and Land’s End Dive Into Swimwear
MANUFACTURING
Reese Witherspoon and Land's End recently partnered to develop Draper James x Land’s End, a limited-edition women’s swimwear collection.
Retailers Temporarily Close Stores Due to Coronavirus Outbreak
Economy
Retailers and malls joined in the effort to curb the spread of the coronavirus pandemic by temporarily shuttering stores this week as the economies of California and the U.S. moved into a recession, said a report from the UCLA Anderson School, which was released on March 16
L.A. Market Gets In Under the Wire Before Multiple Trade-Show Cancellations
L.A. Market Week
The March edition of L.A. Market Week signaled one of the final opportunities for buyers to place orders before COVID-19 threats drove the apparel industry to cancel or postpone events for at least a few months.
Faves Aims To Help Retailers Make Sense of Budgets and Buys
Technology
Retailers can expect to meet scores—even hundreds—of people when they attend big trade shows and other buying trips. The experience can become a blur when a buyer tries to recall the styles he or she saw during shows, said Ulla Hald of the retail-technology company Faves Solutions, Inc., maker of the Faves Pro app for buyers.
Retail Trade Groups Say Dump Chinese Import Tariffs
Import/Export
On March 19, members of the retail industry’s leading trade groups joined in a letter asking President Trump to suspend U.S. tariffs in place on Chinese imports. The tariff suspension would serve as a tool to blunt the economic downturn from the coronavirus pandemic, they said.
Trendy Golf Looks for a Los Angeles Hole-In-One
London headquartered e-tailer Trendy Golf opened its first physical store on Los Angeles’ La Brea Avenue. It ran from March 9 to March 15.
Retailers Temporarily Close Stores, Adjust Hours, Due to Coronavirus Outbreak
Retail
Store closures and reduced hours are some of the ways retailers have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic as leaders of two of the most influential trade groups urged consumers to be mindful of the virus’s issues when they shop.
Fashion District Activity Drops but Showroom Buildings Remain Open
NEWS
Showroom buildings in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District remained open on March 16, when local and state governments urged businesses to work from home to blunt the spread of coronavirus.
Billabong Shines at 16th Annual SIMA Awards
Billabong Wins SIMA
The Billabong brand took trophies for three of the significant categories in the 16th SIMA Awards, the surf industry’s awards show.
With the Coronavirus Spread, UCLA Economists Change 2020 Forecast
ECONOMY
Economists at the prominent UCLA Anderson School of Business revised their bullish forecast on the California and U.S. economies on March 12.
Billabong Goes Brighter with 2nd Billabong x Sincerely Jules Collection
Billabong developed a collaboration line with blogger and influencer Julie Sariñana of the Sincerely Jules line.
The Brixton Label Tries on Lucas Beaufort’s Art
Count on the Brixton brand to design headwear, chinos and flannels with vintage twist. But the Oceanside, Calif. – headquartered brand released a first on March 12.
Sylvana Lankshear’s Paintings Take Cooper Lobby Gallery
EVENTS
The lobby gallery of the Cooper Design Space often exhibits artists such as Nike Schroeder and Chris Natrop. But for L.A. Market Week, the downtown Los Angeles showroom building gave space to one of its own.
The Show Goes On for Apart
RETAIL
Coronavirus quarantines made it difficult for Italian designers of the Apart showcase to travel, but showcase founder Paolo Galli said that the show must go on.
Gap Inc. Reopens NYC Office After Coronavirus False Alarm
Retail
Gap Inc. reopened its corporate office in Manhattan’s Tribeca neighborhood after reports of an employee being diagnosed with coronavirus proved inaccurate, according to Bloomberg March 10.
Threats of Rain and Coronavirus Slightly Dampen L.A. Market Week
Trade Shows
During this edition of L.A. Market Week, when many showrooms at the California Market Center, the Cooper Design Space, the Gerry Building and The New Mart were exhibiting Fall, the rainy weather and fears of coronavirus put a bit of a damper on shopping excursions as buyers visited the downtown Los Angeles Fashion District.
