Port of Los Angeles Towing theFashion Line
Who says port people aren't fashionable?Just check out the mannequin the Port of Los Angeles designed for The Mannequin Collective, a competition organized by the soon-to-open Santa Monica...
U.S. Buyers a Common Sight at Hong Kong Fashion Week
HONG KONG—The buzz at Hong Kong Fashion Week, held July 5–8, was that U.S. buyers had come out of hiding but European buyers were hibernating. ...
Carnival Time at Hong Kong Fashion Week
Every year the organizers of Hong Kong Fashion Week come up with a theme to set the tone for the mammoth sourcing and fashion fair, which has hundreds of apparel sourcing companies putting their best foot forward. This year, the theme for the...
The Catwalk Sizzles With Hot Looks at Hong Kong Fashion Week
Norwegian designer Espen Salberg never disappoints when he shows his elegant creations on the runway at Hong Kong Fashion Week.Last year, Salberg, who resides in Indonesia, wowed everyone with his collection of sophisticated dresses that have...
Hong Kong Fashion Week Kicks Off Spring/Summer 2011
The temperature outside was hot and humid—think 91 degrees with 70 percent humidty—as Hong Kong Fashion Week kicked off July 5 with four days of fashion and business.Ika, an Indonesian designer based in Hong Kong, brought a cooling trend to the...
Changing Value in Chinese Yuan One More Headache for Apparel Manufacturers
In the last year, cotton prices have skyrocketed as much as 55 percent. Chinese workers are pushing for bigger paychecks. And now the Chinese government is appreciating the value of its national curre...
Sue Wong Garners Award from Asia Society
Sue Wong, second from right, with actress Inna Korabkinna, wearing a Sue Wong dress, and other dinner guestsLos Angeles designer Sue Wong has received rave reviews for her elaborate silk evening gowns and...
Foreign Exchange: Los Angeles Retail Chain Flies Below the Radar
Albert Han is an astute student of shopping habits. He analyzes foot traffic at malls. He counts how many shopping bags people are toting and what stores their paths cross....
Trina Turk Grabs a Coveted Award
Trina Turk taking a look at a student's swimwear design at the Otis School of Art and DesignLos Angeles designer Trina Turk, known for her colorful prints and contemporary line of clothing, has been named this year's...
Mood Upbeat but Buying Cautious at L.A. Market
Reviews mixed for shift in schedule...
Estée Lauder Puts in New Person at Smashbox Studios
Davis and Dean Factor of Smashbox Beauty CosmeticsEstée Lauder hasn't quite completed its acquisition of Smashbox Beauty Cosmetics and Smashbox Studios in Culver City, Calif. But the big New York cosmetic...
Forever 21 Takes an Imaginative Approach to South Coast Plaza
Forever 21 seems to be everywhere. But the one spot that has eluded the Los Angeles fast-fashion retail chain is South Coast Plaza, located in affluent Costa Mesa, Calif....
Eva Varro Finds Retail Solution
Retail madness is everywhere. Designers and clothing labels are increasingly thinking about going vertical, as in, let's open our own store.Lucky Brand Jeans was one of the first to go in that...
People's Liberation Looking for Investors With Court Battle Looming
Following the loss of millions of dollars in potential business, People’s Liberation has turned to a tried-and-true Los Angeles private investment banking firm to find someone to give the appa...
Textile Enforcement Bill Introduced to Fight Fraud
For years now, yarn and fabric mills have complained that free-trade agreements designed to bolster the U.S. textile industry have been undermined by foreign yarns posing as U.S.-made to gain duty-fre...
Barney Would Love It Here
The color gods have spoken and decided that purple is one of the vibrant hues we'll all be wearing this spring, along with amparo blue, tomato puree and pink champagne.And guess what? Somebody was llistening when the Pantone trend predictors...
Cotton On Comes to California
Australian retailer out to conquer U.S....
American Apparel: Let Your Fingers Do the Talking
The marketing mavens at American Apparel, that Los Angeles company known for its blank T-shirts and eye-catching print ads, have come up with six new colors for the company's line of nail polish launched not that long ago.My favorite is the...
Delays in Shipping as Economy Recovers
U.S. apparel manufacturers have started to see last year’s elusive shoppers begin to replenish their closets—and overseas factories are busy pumping out clothes for stores that in March saw double-digit...
Designer's Artwork Blossoms in New York
Michele Bohbot in front of a flowery canvasWho knew that behind that Bisou Bisou label was an accomplished artist whose canvases have been recognized by art dealers and critics alike.Michele Bohbot, one of...
BCBG Going Into the Perfume Business
The Tuilleries Gardens in ParisWhen I think of the BCBGMaxAzria label, I think of a leisurely walk down the Champs Elysees Avenue, fashionable stores to the left and to the right of me.So when it comes to a BCBGMaxAzria perfume, to debut next...
Battle Continues Over Rock & Republic
Court documents tell the behind-the-scenes story of the bankrupt premium-denim brand. ...
Economic Gains in 2010, Recovery Expected in 2011
If 2010 were represented in a color trend forecast, it would be light gray, compared with 2009’s black, and 2011 would be pale blue. ...
Under a New Business Model, Chip & Pepper Debuts Licensed Apparel
Chip and Pepper, the identical twins who parlayed their electrically charged personalities into a premium-denim brand name, have finally gotten separate offices and their own companies after more than...
Apparel Producers in Guatemala Getting Back on Track
GUATEMALA CITY—Inside the cinderblock walls of the Los Volcanes knitting mill, located just outside of Guatemala City, the rows of metal machinery are old, but the ownership is new....
Gap's 1969 Jeans Stick to U.S. Denim
I recently returned from the Apparel Sourcing Show in Guatemala, where I ran into Mark D'Sa, head of sourcing in Latin America for Gap Inc.The show last week was exciting, especially when a 4.9 earthquake shook up the event...
Now's the Time to Shop for Commercial and Retail Space
Los Angeles County rents for everything from offices and warehouses to retail space are at their lowest point in years....
Sue Wong Dazzles With Fall 2010 Collection
Sue Wong, in the center, with models wearing her dressesSue Wong is known for her over-the-top fashion shows that highlight as many as 70 to 80 looks.Instead of hitting the runway this season, the designer decided to open...
Skechers Getting Greener With Governor Arnold
Michael Greenberg, Skechers' president, with Gov. Arnold SchwarzeneggerIt's no secret that California's politicians are encouraging more businesses to go green.That may be one of the reasons that Gov. Arnold...
Seven For All Mankind President Leaves for New Job
Topher Gaylord, president of premium-denim brand 7 For All Mankind for nearly 18 months, is leaving the Los Angeles company to take a new position with Mountain Hardwear Inc. ...
Nordstrom Racking Up Off-Price Stores
The retail world is taking note that the American shopper is in search of bargain-basement prices.With that in mind, Nordstrom Rack is on a buying spree of its own, shopping for several new locations in Southern California. The...
Trade Growth Could Lead to Shortage in Ships
Cargo container traffic on the Asia to West Coast route will see modest growth this year after seeing a 16 percent drop last year, but whether there will be enough ships to handle all that cargo in a ...
'Project Runway' Goes Wii!
Heidi Klum is one of the hosts of “Project Runway.”For those who are dying to be on “Project Runway” but never made it to the finals, there's hope.Like everything in life, “Project...
Diverse Offerings, Multiple Venues in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS—There was plenty of new merchandise to see at the recent run of Las Vegas trade shows, and buyers zipped from one end of town to the other to shop among more than a dozen events. ...
Lingerie Design Contest
Calling all wanna-be lingerie designers.For the third year in a row, German lingerie maker Triumph International is holding a lingerie design contest that can launch a student's career.The company is inviting students...
Quiksilver Loses Latest Round Over Roxy Name
After eight years of battling Quiksilver Inc. in federal court, a small Los Angeles manufacturer has won the right to resume making clothes under its Roxywear label....
L.A. Designers Shine at New York Fashion Week
A range of looks from Tadashi Shoji at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week (left) and Boy by Band of Outsiders at Milk Studios (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Mercedes-Benz/Photo by Band of Outsiders)The sun may be...
Door to China Opening Up for U.S. Brands
U.S. brands interested in setting up showrooms in Shanghai now have a vehicle to make that easier....
L.A. Fashion Week Going Green
Eco-fashion shows are nothing new on the Los Angeles runways. Think leaf-strewn catwalks and organic cotton.But for the first time, a Los Angeles ecological youth movement is presenting a fashion show...
Retailers at West Coast Trend Show Searching for Newness
Menswear buyers at the twice-a-year West Coast Trend Show in Los Angeles were greeting the new year with caution but optimism....
J Brand Sells Majority Share For $85 Million
After months of negotiations, Los Angeles premium-denim maker J Brand has sold nearly 60 percent of the company for $85 million to a private equity firm....
Apparel and Retail Executives Look to China for Growth
HONG KONG—Step onto the balcony surrounding the Hong Kong Convention Centre and you’re greeted with a watery thoroughfare known as Victoria Harbour, where container ships ply the water with goo...
L.A. Vintage Store Acquires Alex & Lee Jewelry
It’s shades of Sonny and Cher over at the L.A. vintage store The Way We Wore.Owner Doris Raymond always has her eye out for fun and eclectic items, from classic evening gowns to clunky shoes. And now she has acquired 35 pieces of Alex Lee...
Thinking Globally in Fashion
Our global culture and its evolving nature are on everybody's minds, including fashion designers.At Hong Kong Fashion Week, that concept was front and center at the runway show of Hong Kong-based deisigner Ika, who has been a staple of...
Vivienne Westwood's Creative Other Half
Andreas Kronthaler, creative director for the Vivienne Westwood label and husband of the venerable English designer, was dressed as you would expect a creative director to be. Plaid pants, polka dot shirt, tweed blazer and a navy-blue hat to...
Hong Kong Fashion Week Goes Artistic
Hong Kong has never been known to be a city shy of fashion designers who put their stamp on world culture.So, when Hong Kong Fashion Week kicked off Jan. 18, there was a burst of creativity on the runway. Taking center court was Chinese...
Quarterly Financial Review: Luxury Goods to Regroup as Economy Recovers
Discounters and off-price stores were the real winners in 2009 as bargain-hungry shoppers gobbled up inexpensive clothing and sale items. Meanwhile, luxury goods were pariahs, stuck on shelves as well...
'Project Runway' Contestant Brings Line in Focus at Focus
Althea HarperFor the upcoming Los Angeles Fashion Market starting Jan. 15, the organizers of the Focus show at the California Market Center are bringing a bit of the "Project Runway" vibe to the event.The collection by "Project Runway"...
Vintage Sale Kicks Off New Year
For you vintage clothing buffs, the new year is starting out right.The 5-year-old The Way We Wore store in Los Angeles is having its bi-annual sale that starts Jan. 11 and runs to Feb. 7. The sale is limited to the first floor while the...
Holiday Shopping in the Alley
If you really want to see where the holiday shopping throngs are congregating, try visiting the venerable Santee Alley in the heart of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Wedged between Santee and Maple streets, the four blocks with a...
