Industry Focus: Finance--How the Apparel Industry Can Hold On for the Holidays
Finance
As business restrictions stemming from COVID-19 continue to ease across the United States and unemployment has fallen into the single digits at 8.4 percent, yet employment remains at 11.5 million jobs below February’s figures, and the gross domestic product in the country also decreased at an annual rate of 31.7 percent during the second quarter.
California Apparel News Retail Editor Andrew Asch Recognized by L.A. Press Club
Events
During an Aug. 29 video broadcast, the Los Angeles Press Club hosted its 62nd annual Southern California Journalism Awards.
Informa Markets Fashion Makes a Successful Move to Digital During Launch
Making Digital MAGIC
Launching Sept. 1, Informa Markets Fashion allowed the show to go on with its digital trade event that saw its MAGIC anchor and sibling shows run online through the NuOrder platform.
Hilco Appoints Charles M. Jayson to EVP of Retail Business Development
RETAIL
Former Tommy Hilfiger Handbags and Accessories, and Oscar by Oscar de la Renta executive Charles M. Jayson has been appointed as the executive vice president of retail business development at management-consulting firm Hilco Merchant Resources.
ModCloth Returns to Europe
E-Commerce
E-commerce retailer ModCloth announced its return to Europe, following its halt of shipping to the European market in May 2018.
PayPal and Visa Announce Partnership Expansion
TECHNOLOGY
Digital-payment firms PayPal and Visa Inc. announced recently that they would grow their partnership in order to serve consumer and small-business clients.
Costuming in HJFilmworld's "Comply" Signifies Facade Covering Internal Mental Struggles
COSTUME DESIGN
In the latest trailer for its "Synthetic Souls" project, HJFilmworld released "Comply," a journey into the internal challenges felt by seemingly perfect cybernetic organisms, which are signified with pure-white costuming.
Leadership and Arts Coalition to Auction Nicholas Mayfield Piece "5/30/20"
EVENTS
A new nonprofit organization is placing a spotlight on how the arts can improve education in marginalized communities. As part of its launch, the Leadership and Arts Coalition is highlighting the work of artist and designer Nicholas Mayfield.
Fashion Pledges More Support to Underrepresented Groups Through Executive Appointments, Affording Resources
FASHION
During the current social climate focused on civil rights and equity for people in underrepresented groups, particularly Black citizens in the United States, many brands and organizations in fashion have been confronted for their lack of inclusivity and awareness on social justice.
Through Creole Roots, House of Aama Grows Its Brand and Tells Its American Story
Rooted in Americana
Maintaining their family’s proud history rooted in the Creole traditions from the southern United States is crucial for Rebecca Henry and her daughter, Akua Shabaka, who are the founders of the Los Angeles brand House of Aama.
California and Global Brands Shine as Paraiso Unveils Hybrid On-site/Virtual Swim Event
Virtually Paradise
Leading a new fashion format, Claude Kameni’s new LavieByCK swimwear brand launched with a Bali-inspired, Los Angeles–produced campaign and a Paraiso Miami Beach runway debut with The Diigitals.
Runway of Dreams Foundation to Host Virtual Adaptive Fashion Show During NYFW
FASHION
Promoting more inclusivity within fashion, The Runway of Dreams Foundation will produce an adaptive fashion show on Sept. 14 during New York Fashion Week to celebrate the lives of differently abled people and showcase fresh looks in adaptive-clothing trends.
Wish Looks Toward IPO in Confidential Filing
TECHNOLOGY
The e-commerce marketplace Wish announced Monday that it had submitted a confidential draft registration statement with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission for a proposed public offering of its Class A common stock.
Snapper Rock 2021 is Bright with Sustainability in Mind
SWIM/SURF
Upon unveiling its 2021 collection, swimwear brand Snapper Rock presented new patterns and greater sustainable efforts.
Nicholas Mayfield Helps LAMusArt Celebrate 75th Year by Donating Piece for Auction
EVENTS
Known for his illustration-style artwork, fashion design and furniture, designer Nicholas Mayfield uses his pieces in different categories to not only offer unique elements of style—he is also extending a helping hand to spread important messages. He is now working with the Los Angeles Music and Art School by donating one of his artistic works for an auction that will benefit the organization.
Centi Closes Funding Round, Prepares Technology for Launch Later This Year
Technology
Founded in March, Zurich’s Centi Ltd. announced on Aug. 18 the closing of its first funding round. Bernhard Müller, who serves as the company’s chairman, launched the Bitcoin SV payments processor Centi as a technology that could adapt point-of-sale systems to accept these types of payments during retail transactions.
Deep, Smoky Denim and Cool Blues Define Ética for Fall 2020
Basically Beautiful
Approaching its denim with fresh features added to basic styles, responsibly made brand Ética added unexpected details with its notions, pockets and surprising updates to its pieces for Fall 2020.
In the Pursuit of Happiness, Alexander Grant Launches _by.Alexander
Alexander Grant’s by.Alexander
After producing some of music’s most-popular songs over the last 20 years, Alexander Grant—known more widely as Alex da Kid—is venturing into luxury fashion with the launch of his _by.Alexander clothing.
Skechers Flagship Opens on Rue de Rivoli in Paris
RETAIL
Sneaker-and-lifestyle brand Skechers recently announced the opening of its Paris flagship on the city's Rue de Rivoli.
With Fall/Winter 2020 Campaign, Michele Morrone Named the Face of Guess Men's
FASHION
With the launch of its Fall/Winter 2020 campaign, Guess? announced actor and singer Michele Morrone as the face of Guess Men's.
CFF and BDC to Host Inaugural Seminar Supporting Fashion’s Black Community
FASHION
Two Los Angeles–based fashion organizations have joined forces to create a program that will support business development within the fashion community’s Black population.
ADNAS Receives Notice of Allowance on Cotton-Tagging Technology Patent
SUPPLY CHAIN
Advancing its reach into authentication technologies to thwart the counterfeit-goods trade and provide increased transparency in fashion, Applied DNA Sciences announced that it received a notice of allowance regarding its tools, which afford DNA tagging of cotton fibers during the ginning process.
Rubin Schubert, 74: L.A. Textile King Passes Away Leaving a Legacy of Sustainable Sourcing
OBITUARY
The old saying “legends never die” might be true, but the recent passing of downtown Los Angeles Ragfinders founder Rubin Schubert proves that legendary fashion personalities take a piece of all who know them when they leave.
Acquiring Custom Gateway, Kornit Digital Expands Its Cloud-Software Reach
TECHNOLOGY
Digital-printing technology provider Kornit Digital announced that it has acquired the United Kingdom–based cloud-software workflow-solutions company Custom Gateway.
Guess Originals Fall 2020 Relies on Retro '90s Inspiration
FASHION
Retro elements from Guess? reappear in the Fall 2020 Guess Originals collection that is inspired by the brand's 1990s style.
L.A. Market Week Blends Traditional Showroom Visits With Digital Meetings
Trade Shows
While the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed retail and trade events in the apparel industry, business seems to be slowly opening up. During the Aug. 2–6 edition of L.A. Market Week, buyers visited downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District and logged onto digital platforms. Showrooms at the Cooper Design Space, The New Mart and the California Market Center welcomed buyers to safely shop their lines.
Banshee Swim Enters the Industry Screaming a Message of Acceptance and Transparency
Banshee Swim
Growing up in Washington state, Amanda Fronckowiak always sewed clothes, aspiring to become a designer, but she didn’t know on what category she wanted to focus. Fronckowiak might not have envisioned a swimwear-design future, but that changed during an internship in California prior to her graduation from Central Washington University.
Sustainability Continues to Drive the Apparel Industry
MANUFACTURING
As bricks-and-mortar businesses slowly open under new COVID-19 safety guidelines, e-commerce popularity has increased. During this time, shoppers gained more freedom to research brand commitment to sustainability, according to Marshal Cohen, chief industry adviser of the data and analytics company The NPD Group, Inc.
Darren Romanelli Partners with LeRoy Neiman Foundation to Benefit COVID-19 Relief
FASHION
Los Angeles-based artist Darren Romanelli, also known as DRx has partnered with the LeRoy Neiman and Janet Byrne Neiman Foundation to create a capsule collection blending the artists' works to benefit a good cause.
FashionGo to Launch Virtual Trade Show FashionGo Week
TRADE SHOWS
A virtual-retail veteran is entering the digital trade-show space as event producers continue to explore alternatives to on-site apparel-industry forums. Los Angeles-based FashionGo recently announced that it would produce FashionGo Week Aug. 24-Sept. 6.
Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA Develop Efficient Virtual Trade-Show Formula
TRADE SHOWS
Exchanging its space at New York City’s Javits Center for a virtual model, Texworld USA and Apparel Sourcing USA hosted its inaugural digital event July 21-23.
Kingpins Announces Cancellation of October Amsterdam Event
TRADE SHOWS
After announcing the cancellations of its May Hong Kong event and April Amsterdam edition, followed by the rest of its early and mid-2020 on-site event calendar, denim-industry event producer Kingpins hoped to return to on-site shows by October, but on July 23, the brand’s founder Andrew Olah announced that the denim world would have to wait.
From Rio With Love, Bromelia Shares Its Vibrancy in Colorful Swimwear
Dreaming of Rio
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Bromelia Swimwear maintains its Carioca roots after a move to Los Angeles, as customers seek joy in bright colors with fun patterns to elevate the summer mood.
Hitting the Virtual Sand, Swim Trade Events Go Digital
Trade Shows
As the swimwear industry’s most-anticipated annual event, Miami Swim Week’s absence from the fashion calendar due to the COVID-19 pandemic left retailers, manufacturers, brands and event organizers wondering, “When will we meet again?”
From Trend-driven to Traditional, Swim Textiles Have It Covered
Textiles
Straight-forward classics and abstract patterns afford an array of options in swimwear sourcing.
INDUSTRY FOCUS: FINANCE, In the Midst of COVID-19, U.S. Businesses Take It One Day at a Time
Finance
At the beginning of July, the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that June unemployment in the country fell to 11.1 percent from 13.3 percent in May, with employment in sectors including retail rising to 4.8 million following businesses reopening in many parts of the country. Recently, local governments in certain areas that have seen rising COVID-19 cases are rolling back their reopening plans, with businesses that serve particular sectors being forced to close again.
Shantelle Brumfield Sets Ethical Mission Through Yarn Movement’s Crocheted Swimwear
Yarn Swim Movement
After learning the artistry of crochet from her grandmother’s friend at the age of 12, Shantelle Brumfield found that this craft could create opportunities. A young entrepreneur by the time she entered high school, Brumfield—or S.LadyBug, which is the name she designs under—had developed a business bringing handmade goods to her classmates in Benicia, Calif.
Bleu Rod Beattie Resort 2021 Reflects on 35 Years as the Designer Looks to the Future
Bleu Rod Beattie
While discussing the past seven months of extraordinary change in the fashion industry, Rod Beattie relays his gratitude for having a bit of luck.
Curve Cancels Its New York Lingerie Event
Trade Shows
As a number of important apparel trade events cancel their on-site summer and fall editions, Eurovet Americas’ Curve lingerie brand announced the cancellation of its September 2020 show.
Artistic Milliners Takes Denim Production From the Earth to an Ecologically Sound Dye
MANUFACTURING
An innovator in the sustainable category of denim making, Artistic Milliners unveiled its most-recent advancement in ecologically sound practices.
SwimShow Cancels October On-site Edition
TRADE SHOWS
The Swimwear Association of Florida revealed that its previous plans to host an October edition of SwimShow in Miami have been canceled.
September Edition of IFJAG Canceled
TRADE SHOWS
The International Fashion Jewelry & Accessory Group announced the cancellation of its upcoming Las Vegas show, amid a shrinking on-site trade-show calendar for the second half of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Informa Markets Fashion Announces Cancellation of September Las Vegas Events
TRADE SHOWS
Following its recent announcement of the cancellation of its September shows in New York City, due to COVID-19 concerns, Informa Markets Fashion announced July 10 that it would cancel the Sept. 30-Oct. 2 run of its Las Vegas MAGIC event and related brands.
Virtual Functional Fabric Fair Series to Launch With Mindful Trade-Show Mission
Trade Shows
The Functional Fabric Fair Powered by Performance Days is preparing to launch its virtual offering as digital trade events gain momentum due to COVID-19 cancellations of physical shows.
Kevan Hall Fall 2020 Elevates Fashion Into the Reaches of the Night Sky
Day to Night
With his Fall 2020 collection, Kevan Hall encourages clients to find joy in a new normal through shining brightly in his garments that were inspired by the beauty and wonder of the night sky.
FWSD Announces Virtual Runway Passes for October Event
FASHION
As Fashion Week San Diego continues to support its design community, the organization announced July 7 that it had launched its option to purchase virtual passes for its 2020 Runway Show.
New Anti Social Social Club Collection to Benefit Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles
MANUFACTURING
On July 4, to support mental-wellness initiatives that benefit local youth, Los Angeles streetwear brand Anti Social Social Club will launch a collaborative collection with Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Los Angeles.
USMCA Takes Effect, Replaces NAFTA
IMPORT/EXPORT
As a replacement for the North American Free Trade Agreement, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement was implemented July 1.
Trinidad3 and Vidalia Mills Launch American Selvedge
New American Selvedge
As the United States prepares for its Fourth of July celebration of independence, a new selvedge denim is launching stateside in the City of Angels on July 4.
Gap Inc. Partners with Kanye West on Yeezy Gap Collection
FASHION
Gap Inc. announced that it has partnered with entertainer Kanye West on a Yeezy Gap collection that will debut in 2021.
