Orta Celebrates Sustainability in the Future of Denim
Observing its 65th anniversary and revealing new ways to support responsible denim manufacturing, Orta celebrated sustainability Thursday night at Hnypt in downtown Los Angeles.
Frankie's Bikinis Returns to Los Angeles With Resort 2019
Fashion
Returning to Los Angeles with its Resort 2019, which included the brand's first ready-to-wear collection, Frankie's Bikinis made a splash during a celebrity-filled fashion show held at The Banks in downtown.
Quilted Northern Wedding Dress Designs Rival Popular Brands
Fashion
During the 14th-annual Toilet Paper Wedding Dress Contest, held June 20 in Boca Raton, Fla., clever designers showcased ornate, beautiful designs.
New Executive Appointments at PacSun
Retail
Following the formation of PSEB, the new operating company formed from the Eddie Bauer and PacSun merger, the teen and young-adult clothing manufacturer named Alfred Chang as the new president of PacSun.
Keys to Protecting Your Brand Name
Trade Shows
One of the first steps in setting up a new label or company is learning how to protect your brand name as well as your own name.
Avocado Grows Retail-Delivery Business on West Coast and Hawaii
Technology
Bringing the Grubhub model of delivery service to the apparel retail industry, Avocado announced it is entering into partnerships with local stores in select cities to provide a shopping, pickup and delivery service that connects consumers with clothing.
Los Angeles Fashion Market Gets Buyers Ready for Holiday
LA Fashion Market
For buyers attending Los Angeles Fashion Market, the event was filled with surprises that energized the June 18–20 buying show for the Fall II/Holiday season.
Menswear Graduates of FIDM Make a Connection to Wearable Tech
Technology
Graduates of the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising's (FIDM) Menswear Advanced Study Program made a connection between smart-looking garments and smart wearable tech when they unveiled their collections Thursday night.
Gap Inc. Names New Head of Gap Brand
Retail
Neil Fiske, who has held top executive positions at Billabong International and Eddie Bauer, has been named the new president and chief executive officer of the Gap brand, a role he will assume at the San Francisco company on June 20.
Luxury Lingerie Designer Sees Trends in Custom Bridal Garters
Designer Adrine Bimanand began creating couture garters in 2010.
Highly Anticipated Vans x Marvel Collection Released
Fashion
The day that fans of the Marvel Universe have waited for has arrived with the launch of Vans x Marvel, the collection of footwear, apparel and accessories that celebrates the Off The Wall Superheroes of the comics.
Sustainability Goes Full Circle at The North Face
Manufacturing
Maintaining its commitment to reduce waste, Alameda, Calif.–based activewear brand The North Face launched a pilot program that will promote a circular-fashion system through the sale of recycled products.
California Kills Assembly Bill 2379 as Similar Microfiber Initiatives Grow in Other States
California Kills AB 2379
It might have led the charge for similar plastic microfiber bills in New York and Connecticut, but California’s Assembly Bill 2379 is off the table—for now.
Evan and Ashlee Ross Collaborate with Zadig & Voltaire
Fashion
Entertainers Evan Ross and Ashlee Simpson-Ross join Parisian fashion house Zadig & Voltaire for a unisex fashion capsule collection named Jagger Snow.
Changes on the Fashion District’s Los Angeles Street
Changing Los Angeles Street
Renovation in the Los Angeles Fashion District is hitting high gear as the mammoth Broadway Plaza apartment complex on Broadway is getting ready to open and a major lease has been signed at the hip retail complex called Row DTLA.
Ross Stores Continues to Add to Retail Line-up
Retail
Running a discount store chain is turning out to be very profitable these days.
Rachael Ray Cleans Out Her Closet for Charity Initiative with Poshmark
Fashion
In the spirit of giving, television chef Rachael Ray has partnered with social clothing marketplace Poshmark to launch a pop-up closet, the proceeds from which will support the celebrity's Yum-o! charity.
FIDM Captures the Catwalk Through Michel Arnaud Donation
Parties
A night of fashion and photography celebrated prolific photographer Michel Arnaud, while unveiling "Capturing the Catwalk: Runway Photography from the Michel Arnaud Archive," a new exhibition at the FIDM Museum and Library.
Lectra Brings Cloud-Connected Cutting Room 4.0 to Texprocess
Technology
During the first day of this year’s Texprocess Americas—the apparel-manufacturing event in Atlanta that showcases new technology and equipment—Lectra continued to reveal its fresh innovations, which allow industry professionals to streamline production.
Speed to Market Keeps Guatemala’s Apparel Production Humming
Apparel Sourcing Guatemala
With several free-trade agreements in limbo, many Guatemalan factories and American buyers are optimistic about the future of their partnerships together as the Dominican Republic–Central American Free Trade Agreement remains relatively stable.
Bridging the Cultural Divide Through Fashion
Fashion
For Alexander Andronescu, becoming immersed in Middle Eastern and south Asian cultures was not something that was passed down to generations in his family.
Shop & Dine
Trade Shows
Keeping pace with a busy trade-show schedule is exciting but exhausting. At the end of a day spent running between appointments, making new connections, visiting with longtime partners and negotiating deals, enjoying a delicious meal or strolling around a unique shop is the perfect way to recharge.
High-tech and High-speed at Guatemala's Apparel Sourcing
Trade Shows
During the 27th-annual Apparel Sourcing Show in Guatemala City, attendees found the latest in new technology and textiles.
FabFitFun Partnership with P.S. - I Made This … Promotes DIY
Fashion
West Hollywood-based beauty-and-fashion subscription box service FabFitFun brings the do-it-yourself (DIY) spirit to its members through a partnership with New York's DIY master Erica Domesek, whose lifestyle brand P.S. - I Made This ... has become the destination for maker enthusiasts.
Cotton Prices Are Rising—Whose Fault Is It?
Textiles
Hovering at approximately 85 cents a pound this week, cotton has been selling at record highs not seen in four years. The causes vary, but there is one issue taking a lot of the blame—the looming trade war between the United States and China.
Upgraded 3D Platforms Go High-tech
Technology
The age of fast fashion has led to a need for faster design technology, but breakthroughs to produce a better 3-D platform have been moving slowly. During the first half of 2018, leaders in the apparel-technology segment have elevated their digital solutions to generate realistic patterns, accurate samples and streamline product lifecycle management (PLM).
Fabletics Launches Capsule to Support Girl Up
Fashion
Building upon their partnership that started in 2016, Fabletics will support Girls Up--the United Nations initiative that promotes gender equality--with a limited-edition capsule collection.
Designer Candice Cuoco Sees Inspiration in Her Move to Los Angeles
Manufacturing
In the past, Candice Cuoco’s connection to Los Angeles was when she traveled down from her native Bay Area eight times a year, spending two weeks in the city during each visit to source materials. Now a place she calls home, Los Angeles provides a lot more than valuable manufacturing and fabric sourcing.
Ghost Flower Blends Apparel Innovation With Eastern Medicine
Acupressure Activewear
When avid tennis player and marathon runner Susie Peebler woke up one morning unable to move, she couldn’t understand the cause of her injury. After her doctor recommended back surgery, she instead self-healed through yoga. As a geophysicist, Peebler wanted to know the scientific reasons behind her relief and sought answers through Chinese medicine.
Upcycle Stands Up for Sustainable Manufacturing
Reduce. Reuse. Upcycle.
After 16 years at American Apparel, Tabitha Vogelsong and John Chung were on a mission to create a responsible apparel brand.
Guess? Inc. Joins the Movement to Make Better Denim Jeans for the Environment
Manufacturing
As an apparel brand whose denim products represent 20 percent to 25 percent of its business, Guess? Inc. hopes to reduce the environmental threats that often result from making its jeans.
New Hire at SPESA as Texprocess Americas and Techtextil North America Plan Events
Trade Shows
The Raleigh, N.C.–based Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) has hired Michael McDonald, the former manager of government relations for the American Apparel & Footwear Association, as its new executive director, a position he assumed March 15.
Summer 2018 Brings INC Capsule Collections With Trina Turk and Mr Turk
Fashion
This summer, Macy's brand INC International Concepts is going to receive a touch of Southern California through capsule-collection partnerships with Trina Turk and her photographer-turned-designer husband, Jonathan Skow.
The North Face and the National Park Foundation Partner to Promote Sustainability
The North Face’s Sustainable Style
In observance of Earth Day on April 22, The North Face partnered with the National Park Foundation and released a new clothing line composed of yarn made from recycled plastic sourced from water bottles found at the Grand Teton, Great Smoky Mountains and Yosemite national parks.
Digital Summit Los Angeles Promotes Efficient Customer Engagement
Technology
For the third year, Digital Summit Los Angeles brought together marketing leaders at the Skirball Cultural Center. On April 10 and 11, nearly 1,000 attendees networked and listened to experts explain how to successfully use digital tools to engage customers.
The World’s Smallest Shoe Factory Introduced to FIDM Students
Technology
Since its launch in 2003, shoe brand Keen Footwear has sought to change the market and become a force for good in the world. It is famous for its “Newport” sandal—an active footwear style designed with a reinforced toe—and it continues to search for new innovations.
Gen Z Prefers 90s Brands in the Age of Instagram
Retail
This year, teens in the United States spent 38 percent of their shopping time at traditional department and specialty stores—down 3 percent from last year—while 19 percent of their shopping time was spent online compared with 17 percent last year. Amazon.com retained its position as the top online marketplace for teens.
LA Fashion’s Next Generation from FIDM Shows Off Their Creations
FIDM’s Next Generation
Graduating students from the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles displayed their design prowess in a runway show held at Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, Calif., as guests celebrated the achievements of the new designers.
Lack of Color Celebrates New Styles at Fred Segal Sunset
Parties
In town from Australia to celebrate their new collection of hats from Lack of Color, hat-making couple Tess Corvaia and Robert Tilbury hosted a festive evening at Fred Segal Sunset Tuesday night.
Luxury e-Consignment App Tradesy Acquires Styling Service Fitz
Technology
Nearly six years after its official launch, the luxury secondhand-clothing marketplace app Tradesy has acquired Fitz, an in-home service that books professional stylists for clients who require closet organization and wardrobe styling.
Women’s Golf Wear Takes Shape in Los Angeles
LA-made Golf Wear
In the world of active apparel, women are often met with options that don’t fit properly, lack support and don’t transition well from the playing field to everyday life.
New Adventures in Selling at LA Majors Market
Trade Shows
This edition of LA Majors Market, held April 3–5 at the California Market Center during Passover and only days after Easter, offered an elevated mood at many showrooms.
David Meister’s Formal Collection for Fall 2018
Fall Finery
For his Fall 2018 collection, David Meister created formal pieces with ornate accents and intricate embroidery. Looking beyond this fall, he also shared his prediction for a shift in coming seasons.
Rebranding at Bella Dahl Includes Reimagining Denim
Manufacturing
Over the past eight years, Bella Dahl became a source for women’s apparel that embraced the Southern California lifestyle of trendy pieces that are comfortable to wear.
Furo Partners With Women Who Inspire Its Designs
Fashion
Not one to rest on her laurels, Furo clothing brand founder Lisa Elliot-Rosas has expanded the new line’s reach by entering into partnerships with the women for whom her pieces are named.
San Francisco Passes Fur Ban
Legal
Joining West Hollywood and Berkeley, Calif., San Francisco implemented a similar ban restricting the sale of fur products following a unanimous 10–0 vote by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. At the forefront of the ban was Supervisor Katy Tang, who represents the city’s Sunset and Parkside neighborhoods.
It’s All in a Name for Google’s Wearable Technology
Technology
One week before Baselworld, Europe’s leading watch and jewelry event, Google announced a change to its Android Wear, which will now be known as Wear OS by Google.
A Return to Hollywood Glamour with Adrian
Hollywood Glamour
Last fall, the Adrian label was introduced as a revival of designer Gilbert Adrian’s work nearly 60 years after the founder’s passing. As a stylist for some of MGM’s most revered golden-age actors—including Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford and Judy Garland—Adrian laid the foundation for old Hollywood glamour.
Making Tall Women Comfortable in Their Own Skinny Jeans
Midheaven Denim
When women who measure at least 5 feet 9 inches tall shop for denim, they are often left feeling as though styles such as flares or skinny jeans will end up resembling cropped gauchos or capris.
LA Market Sees Showrooms and Stores Adjusting to the ‘New Normal’ in Retail
LA Fashion Market
Buyers fanned out to the various showroom buildings in the Los Angeles Fashion District for the March 12–14 run of Los Angeles Fashion Market, which was highlighting the fashions for Fall/Winter 2018.
