The PEOPLE, COMPANIES and IDEAS THAT MADE NEWS in 2017

NEWSPAPER 2ND CLASS

$2.99 VOLUME 73, NUMBER 51 DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY FOR 72 YEARS

Frances Harder Max Azria UCLA Economists Predict a Healthy 2018 With Clouds on the Horizon

By Deborah Belgum Senior Editor

The economic world has been pretty rosy in the last few Dov Charney True Religion years with consistent growth, falling unemployment rates and rising wages. That picture of health will continue through 2018, but UCLA economists are seeing some headwinds approaching in 2019. “There is a momentum coming from the recent strength in 2017, strong equipment spending, the likelihood of a tax cut and a consumer who is benefiting from higher asset prices and the prospect of higher wages,” said UCLA senior economist David Shulman, one of the economists who wrote the recent “UCLA Anderson Forecast for the Nation and the Economy,” which was released Dec. 6. One of the more recent movers and shakers to the economy includes a giant jump in equipment purchases, up 8 percent in the two most recent quarters. That is expected to Karsten Newbury and Tim Gunn Ilse Metchek continue into next year and help push the country’s gross ➥ Forecast page 7

tHE PEOPLE, COMPANIES AND IDEAS FIBER & FABRIC Cone, Lenzing and Unifi Partner THAT MADE NEWS IN 2017 for Future Black+ Denim With From high-profile bankruptcies and companies reinventing their brand to revamped shopping centers and Recycled Materials new beginnings for entrepreneurs, the year has been filled with news that has kept the apparel industry evolving. By Alison A. Nieder Contributing Editor American Apparel was bought by a Canadian enterprise, launching American Apparel founder Dov Charney in Fiber makers Lenzing and Unifi have teamed up with a new direction with his latest venture, called Los Angeles Apparel. The nonprofit Fashion Business Inc. closed its fabric mill Cone Denim to introduce Future Black+, a den- doors, but its founder turned around and started a new company, called Fashion for Profit. The ever-innovative im made with Unifi’s recycled Repreve fibers and Lenzing Modal. Agenda trade show revamped its event and opened the doors to consumers, and longtime contemporary clothing A pair of jeans made from Forever Black+ contains up to firm BCBGMaxAzria is without its founder, Max Azria, after being bought by a brand-management company. Our 17 recycled plastic bottles, according to the companies. The colorfast, fade-resistant fabric is a mix of Repreve recycled look at the movers and shakers that influenced the local apparel scene begins on page 3. fibers with the soft hand of Lenzing Modal fibers. Future Black+ denim is made by dope dyeing the fiber. Introducing color during the fiber-production process saves energy and creates more-permanent colorfastness because the dye permeates the entire fiber rather than just the sur- face. According to company tests, denim made from Future Black+ retained its color even after more than 20 washes. “Lenzing has always been committed to sustainability ➥ Fiber & Fabric page 8

INSIDE: Where fashion gets down to business SM

Mark Lynn Corey Epstein

2 8 Agenda goes digital ... p. 2 Surf Expo expands ... p. 2 Artistic Milliners ... p. 9 Salute to Suppliers & Services ... p. 9

American Apparel Westfield Agenda www.apparelnews.net

01,7,8.cover.indd 1 12/7/17 4:54 PM NEWS Agenda Introduces Digital Marketplace The Agenda trade show is going digital. da. People need to touch and to feel product. ter, said Agenda’s new venture should find but. It will offer new features such as Sales- The 14-year-old event and NuOrder, a They need to shake hands. We extend that to an interested market. Match, which helps brands find retailers who Los Angeles–headquartered business-to- the other 360 or so days a year,” he said. “There’s a huge amount of cost savings would be open to their products based on business e-commerce platform, announced “Retailers going to trade shows only have not having to get trade-show booths and not each business’s criteria. Other new features: they would introduce a digital extension of two to three days to conduct business. They having to travel,” Bates said. He said the idea Lead Insights, which allows brands to see and Agenda at the upcoming Jan. 4–5 show in can run out of time and not see 20 other brands. of a digital trade show was pitched to him request connections with retailers who view Long Beach, Calif., and at the Feb. 12–14 Retailers can map out a show better,” Wells when he was producing Class, a trade show their digital showrooms, and Leads365, a run of Agenda in Las Vegas. added, noting he hopes the digital marketplace that took place in 2011 in Santa Monica, smartphone app that allows vendors to scan Agenda’s digital marketplace will become will complement the physical trade show. Calif. While there was interest in the ideas trade-show badges and business cards and im- a crucial part of the Agenda experience, said The digital marketplace, which does not and news stories covered the idea of a virtual port the info to their ShopThe Floor account. have a separate name from Agenda, trade show, the concept didn’t take off. But NuOrder’s digital marketplace for Agen- will start with 50 brand sponsors and times have changed, Bates said. da has been going through a test phase since 500 VIP retailers. All retailers will be “I don’t know if brands were technologi- November. One brand in the test phase got welcome in the market, Wells said. cally up to speed and if the technology was 15 leads from retailers during November, Eventually, the market will be there, but now there may be more of an ap- Wells said. rolled out to include many more petite,” he said. The digital marketplace will be an integral brands. To participate in the digital UBM, which produces the sprawling part of the Agenda experience, Levant said. It marketplace, brands will be required MAGIC trade shows in Las Vegas, has been will not feel separate from the physical trade to exhibit at the physical Agenda. running the virtual trade-show site shopthe- show. “There’s a lot of talk about experiential The Agenda digital marketplace will floor.com, which has been in existence since retail. We’ve done a lot to make Agenda more be separate from NuOrder’s digital 2013. Mike Alic, managing director of UBM experiential, less transactional,” Levant said. marketplace, where 800 brands and Fashion, said more than 3,000 brands run “It is as important to be digitally focused as

COURTESY OF AGENDA AND NUORDER 300,000 buyers participate. profiles at the e-market. well as experientially focused. This is a great DIGITAL MARKET: Home page for Agenda and NuOrder’s At the digital Agenda market- In 2018, ShopTheFloorPremium will de- way to do it.”—Andrew Asch e-marketplace seen on various devices place, brands can upload catalogs and line sheets to NuOrder’s platform to work with retailers at the Aaron Levant, Agenda’s founder. As digital physical show and then after the show. Re- commerce becomes more central to all busi- tailers can browse brands through social me- Surf Expo Adds New Category to Trade Show nesses, it is crucial for trade shows to do dia–style profiles that will contain credit ap- more than produce a website. “In the long plications as well as feeds from Instagram Surf Expo, known for showcasing all The new section will have a Bluewater run, if we don’t do it we’ll be irrelevant,” Le- profiles run by brands. kinds of apparel and accessories related to lounge and will feature a flats skiff by Hell’s vant said of the traditional trade-show busi- Agenda’s launch of an online trade show surfing and other water-related sports, is Bay Boatworks. ness model. comes after trade-show vendors have been adding a new section called Bluewater. “For years, Surf Expo has been a top trade But the physical Agenda, which runs complaining for some time now about de- Bluewater, which will debut at the next event for brands rooted in the inshore and twice-a-year shows in Long Beach and Las clining buyer attendance throughout the Jan. 25–27 show in Orlando, Fla., will fea- offshore apparel market,” said Roy Turner, Vegas, will continue to be healthy, said market. Jason Bates, a former trade-show ture products for the inshore and offshore Surf Expo’s show director. “Recent show Heath Wells, NuOrder’s cofounder and chief producer and founder of the Derelicte fishing aficionados. Anchoring the new sec- trends have seen a new group of brands and executive officer. “We can’t replicate Agen- Showroom at the California Market Cen- tion will be legacy companies such as Salt retailers emerge, especially in performance Life, Bimini Bay and Yeti. apparel. Creating this stand-alone category “We are excited to return to Surf Expo will address the growing market needs and and to be in the new Bluewater section,” said provide our retail buyers with more oppor- Larry Laska, Salt Life’s director of market- tunity.” ing. “Bluewater is the ultimate destination Bluewater will be centrally located on for those who live the salt life to see the Surf Expo’s show floor bordered by the Pad- latest innovations in saltwater apparel and dle, Surf and Resort categories. gear.” Surf Expo is a longtime boardsports and Featured products in the new section will beach/resort lifestyle trade show held in include performance and lifestyle apparel, January and September. It is owned by Em- accessories, outerwear, footwear, sports- erald Expositions, based in San Juan Cap- wear, T-shirts, sunglasses and other items. istrano, Calif.—Deborah Belgum

Calendar Dec. 8 Dec. 15 Jan. 7 Fashion With a Cause Holiday Sample Sales Accessories The Show California Market Center California Market Center Intermezzo Collections Los Angeles Los Angeles Children’s Club Holiday Sample Sales Fame California Market Center Dec. 22 Moda Los Angeles Holiday Sample Sales Jacob Javits Center California Market Center New York Dec. 9 Los Angeles Through Jan. 9 2017 Santee Winter Wonderland, Jan. 4 hosted by the LA Fashion District There’s more BID Agenda on ApparelNews.net. 11th Street between Santee Street Long Beach Convention Center and Maple Avenue Long Beach, Calif. For calendar details and contact Los Angeles Through Jan. 5 information, visit ApparelNews. net/calendar.

Submissions to the calendar should be faxed to the Calendar Editor at (213) 623-5707. Please include the event’s name, date, time, location, admission price and contact information. The deadline for calendar submissions is the Tuesday prior to Friday publication. Inclusion in the calendar is subject to available space and the judgment of the editorial staff.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS, Customer Service, PO Box 4419, Orlando, FL 32802. CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS®: (ISSN 0008-0896) Published by TLM PUBLISHING INC. APPAREL NEWS GROUP Publishers of: California Apparel News®, Market Week Magazine®, New Resources®, Waterwear®, New York Apparel News®, Dallas Apparel News®, Apparel News South®, Chicago Apparel News®, The Apparel News (National), Bridal Apparel News®, Southwest Images®, Stylist® and MAN (Men’s Apparel News®). Prop- erties of TLM PUBLISHING INC., California Market Center, 110 E. Ninth St., Suite A777, Los Angeles, CA 90079, (213) 627-3737. © Copyright 2017 TLM Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Published weekly except semi-weekly first week of January, second week of July and first week of September. Periodicals Postage Paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional entry offices. The publishers of the paper do not assume responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Opinions expressed in signed editorial columns or articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. Subscription rates: U.S.: 1 year, $89; 2 years, $140. Foreign: $180 U.S. funds (1-year subscription only). Single-copy price $2.99. Send subscription requests to: California Apparel News, Customer Service, PO Box 4419, Orlando, FL 32802 or visit www.apparelnews.net. For customer service, call (866) 207-1448.

2 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 APPARELNEWS.NET

02.news.calendar.indd 2 12/7/17 4:40 PM 2017 NEWSMAKERS After Decades on the Contemporary Clothing After Gordon Scene, BCBGMaxAzria Declares Bankruptcy and Bros. Bid, Wet Seal Is Sold to a Brand-Management Company

When Max Azria established his BCBGMaxAzria brand 11 bankruptcy protection. Reemerges in 1989, he was immediately off to the races in the world of This summer, Marquee Brands paid $108 million for the women’s contemporary clothing. company’s intellectual-property rights for all three brands. After a tumultuous period of proxy fights and bankrupt- Tapping into his French and Tunisian roots, the brand was Global Brands Group paid $23 million to be the licensee cies, teen retailer The Wet Seal seemed to be about to call named after a French saying, “Bon chic, bon genre,” a hip for Marquee Brands with the intention of continuing to man- it quits. Parisian phrase meaning “Good style, good attitude.” ufacture the brands’ clothing collections at the same factories In January, Wet Seal announced it would close all its For decades, the Los Angeles label was very popular with that were used by BCBGMaxAzria. Global Brands is also physical stores. The news spelled the end of a retailer that high-end department stores and boutiques. Later, BCBG- operating some of the BCBGMaxAzria stores in the more had been selling teen fashions since 1962 and had been a MaxAzria branched out and opened its own chain of stores profitable locations. familiar presence in malls for more than 50 years. that by 2006 numbered 550 worldwide. Marquee Brand executives said they acquired the brands be- In 2013, Wet Seal, based at the time in Foothill Ranch, It also acquired the French label Hervé Leger in 1999 cause they thought they still had legs. Chief Operating Officer Calif., operated 464 stores for its Wet Seal division and 62 and started up BCBGeneration for a younger, more price- Cory Baker said the BCBG customer is still a loyal shopper, and stores in its Arden B division, which closed in 2014. conscious customer. Marquis planned to keep the contemporary look of the brand, But in March, Wet Seal got a reprieve. Gordon Brothers, But the recession of 2008, the blossoming of fast-fashion which would continue to sell from $100 to $400. In the past, the a Boston-headquartered finance company with a focus on retailers and the advent of online shopping took their toll on typical customer has been between the ages of 20 and 35. restructuring distressed companies, announced it had outbid the company as debt mounted. At one time, BCBGMaxAzria Special attention will be given to the Hervé Leger brand, its rivals to acquire the intellectual property of Wet Seal for had $685 million in loans owed primarily to Guggenheim which was slightly neglected and is an under-penetrated $3 million, said Ramez Toubassy, president, brands for Gor- Partners Investment Management and its affiliates. luxury brand with an international market. The new owners don Brothers. In 2015, Guggenheim Partners swapped its debt for 80 see Hervé Leger growing with more licenses for eyewear, “Despite the increasing challenges facing teen retailers, percent equity in the company, eventually pushing Max Az- footwear, luxury fragrances, handbags and lifestyle catego- we at Gordon Brothers strongly believe in the long-term vi- ria out the door. On March 1, the company filed for Chapter ries.—Deborah Belgum ability of the category,” Toubassy said in a statement. “Our plan for Wet Seal is to rebuild and reposition the brand and develop a unique new business model to best position it for future success.” Post deal, Wet Seal went on a hiatus, but on Sept. 8 the Bebe Closes All Its Stores After retailer sent a message on its Twitter feed: “You’ve been patient but the wait’s almost over! … We’re coming for ya!” According to its website, the company is now head- Selling Half Its Label quartered in downtown Los Angeles. It currently sells tops, dresses, outerwear and accessories at www.wetseal.com. Wet For decades, Bebe Stores struggled as its losses mounted Francisco for $22 million and put its Los Angeles design Seal’s Instagram account promises that in the future the re- every year. Top executives came and went but still no solu- center up for sale. tailer will be offering shoes and denim.—Andrew Asch tion. The Bebe stores may be dead, but the contemporary label So this year, Bebe pulled the plug on its retail chain, clos- isn’t. Last August, with Bluestar in the driver’s seat, a new ing 168 stores and laying off 700 employees as its operations collection of sexy dresses was launched with new sizes and wound down. Revenue now comes exclusively from royalty new categories such as bridal and professional attire. fees from wholesale licenses. The video and photography for the campaign were shot The chain, known for its contemporary collection of by Emma Summerton at the famous Chateau Marmont on Ilse Metchek, feminine and flirty dresses, had a long track record as a suc- Sunset Boulevard.—D.B. cessful endeavor. It was founded in San Francisco in 1976 by Iranian-American businessman Manny Mashouf, who California Fashion in later years transferred his design studio and much of the company’s operations to Los Angeles. For years, the company was running in the red. In 2016, Association Mashouf sold half the brand for $35 million to Bluestar Alliance, a New York brand-management company that Looking for apparel industry statistics? Call Ilse. Busi- has snapped up labels such as English Laundry, Nanette ness intelligence? Call Ilse. Advice about the impact of up- Lepore and Catherine Malandrino. But that didn’t fix the coming legislation on apparel manufacturing or trends in financial problem. domestic versus offshore production? Call Ilse. In the middle of this year, Bebe terminated all the leases Ilse Metchek, the president of the California Fashion on its mostly mall-based stores at a cost of $65 million and Association, has an encyclopedic knowledge of apparel- decided to revamp its business model. Its leases were mostly manufacturing practices and a vast contact list that includes in malls owned by Simon Property Group Inc. and Gen- everyone from apparel makers, finance executives and attor- eral Growth Partners. neys to textile resources, customs brokers and international Bebe also sold its distribution facility northeast of San trade organizations. If she can’t answer your question, no doubt she knows someone who can. The insider’s insider, Metchek has been with CFA since it was founded in 1995, after a career spent as a designer, a manufacturer and executive director of leasing at the Cali- After Bankruptcy, Quiksilver Changes fornia Market Center (then called the CalMart). When she’s not keeping CFA members informed about key industry issues or helping to promote their projects, Metchek or- Name and Goes on the Offense ganizes and presides over business seminars on topics such as intellectual-property issues, financing and export oppor- About a year after emerging from Chapter 11 bankrupt- of our new ways of running the business, we are excited to tunities, fashion technology, and consumer-behavior trends. cy protection, Quiksilver Inc., which had been one of the begin to turn our focus toward serving our customers and This year, Metchek presented B2B seminars on the state world’s dominant surf brands since the late 1970s, changed consumers within the board-riding community in new and of the industry at the Las Vegas trade shows, the LA Textile its corporate name. innovative ways. While our industry dynamics continue to Show, the Fashion Industry Human Resources Associa- In March, it announced that its new corporate name would be challenging, this is a company that is now prepared to be tion, the YMA Scholarship Fund’s “Hearst Summer Insti- be Boardriders Inc. playing less defense and more offense,” Tanner said. tute” in New York and to several international trade delega- Like Quiksilver, the new company is headquartered in Quiksilver announced that it had plans to open a Board- tions looking to break into the U.S. apparel market. Huntington Beach, Calif., and serves as the parent to Quiksil- riders shop in Malibu, Calif., last fall, but the store has yet She is an informational resource for press, lawmakers ver brands DC Shoes, Roxy and Quiksilver. to open. and educators looking for insight into the apparel industry But the new name is also meant to show the world that the Meanwhile, Boardriders recently made a proposal to ac- on hot-topic issues such as California’s strict made-in-the- long-running surf company is embarking on a new chapter, quire all of the outstanding shares of rival Billabong Inter- USA labeling requirements or recent court decisions that are said Dave Tanner, managing director of Oaktree Capital national Ltd. poised to affect how the apparel industry conducts business. Management L.P., the investment management firm that In a Billabong press release, the company’s board agreed There’s also a philanthropic side to CFA, through its structured Quiksilver’s exit from bankruptcy. to grant “due-diligence access” to Boardriders so the surf sister organization, the California Fashion Foundation, “The company has spent the last 18 months focused on company could kick Billabong’s proverbial tires and submit which supports a number of causes as well as hosts an an- rebuilding its foundation from the bottom up, and the results a formal proposal. This due-diligence process will take a nual scholarship luncheon and an annual Christmas party for are showing. While we will always maintain the discipline number of weeks.—A.A. neighborhood children.—Alison A. Nieder

APPARELNEWS.NET DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 3

03.newsmakers.indd 3 12/7/17 4:35 PM NEWSMAKERS Agenda Seeks New Format for Trade Shows

The fashion business has gone through major changes, but brand Herschel; and sterling-silver jewelry from the lifestyle “Why are the trade shows restricted from the kids? Why the basic model for fashion trade shows has not budged, said line of the athletic brand Champion. insulate brands from the community that supports them?” he Aaron Levant, founder of the Agenda trade show and senior The event was deemed a success, and a sophomore run of wrote in a 2016 blog. vice president of trade-show producer Reed Exhibitions. Agenda Festival will be produced at the January show. After the 2017 show, he confessed mixed feelings on the In July, he changed the format of the 14-year-old trade The consumer day was inspired by the success of Com- event. “On one hand, the festival was an undeniable success,” show by introducing a consumer day at Agenda in Long plexCon. Like Agenda Festival, it is a unique mix of a con- he wrote. “I used to describe ComplexCon like an Agenda Beach, Calif. It may be the only major consumer day pro- sumer-style trade show, hip-hop musical performances, art meets Comic Con. But now, I’d say it’s a massive rave or duced by a trade show in North America. galleries and a mecca for high-end sneaker obsessives. Disneyland on a blackout day. Rivers of people drifting At the consumer day, called Agenda Festival, 15,000 Reed built the show with media platform Complex, which around aimlessly, stupefied.” people spent $45 for advance tickets to shop at more than is helmed by urban style pioneer Marc Ecko. When the soph- Levant and his colleagues are looking for other ways to of- 500 booths, to dine at food trucks and to listen to a hip- omore ComplexCon ran in November 2017, 50,000 people fer alternative programming at other trade shows. During the hop concert headlined by Tyler, the Creator and Ludacris at attended the event. Tickets cost $75 to $100, with VIP passes February run of Agenda in Las Vegas, Agenda will produce the Long Beach Convention Center. priced up to $400. the Assembly Conference with two other trade shows: Cap- For fashion, attendees were treated to exclusive items After ComplexCon’s inaugural event in 2016, Bobby sule and Liberty Fashion & Lifestyle Fairs. A brand state- such as airbrushed socks from Stance, a brand that popu- Hundreds, born Bobby Kim, founder of leading streetwear ment described it as a conference for retailers and brands that larized the sock as a fashion item at action-sports shops; brand The Hundreds, enthusiastically endorsed the idea of will feature educational seminars, networking opportunities monogrammed windbreakers and bags from accessories producing a trade show–like market for fans. and keynote speakers.—Andrew Asch

Hitting the Denim Blues, True Religion Frances Harder Launches Reorganizes After Bankruptcy Fashion for Profit After 18 years of teaching fashion executives how to make money, Frances Los Angeles premium-denim companies that sold In July, with net losses mounting, True Religion Harder turned around and took some of her own advice. their expensive dungarees to fashionistas for hundreds filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to stay In October, the educator created a new company, called Fashion for Profit. of dollars were flying high until a few years ago when afloat. Several months later, the company emerged The venture takes its name from her book “Fashion for Profit,” which recently many companies saw sales slide precipitously. from bankruptcy by reducing its term loans from published its 10th edition. One of those was True Religion, the Los Angeles $471 million to $113.5 million and extending the This comes after Harder closed Fashion Business Inc., a nonprofit she cre- denim brand whose blue jeans were known for the loans’ maturity dates to 2022. ated in 1999 to help emerging designers and new apparel businesspeople get off horseshoe design embroidered on the back of their Citizens Bank, which provided a $60 million the ground. It shuttered in July. pants. Chinese counterfeiters became so aggressive loan for the company to continue operating while it FBI offered classes and webinars as well as advice at a reasonable price. But in knocking off their jeans some 10 years ago that reorganized, provided an additional $60 million exit Harder said the costs of running the nonprofit were increasing and competition the company hired counterfeit investigators to con- loan for cash to execute its growth plan. for nonprofit funds was getting tougher. fiscate fake True Religion jeans sold at swap meets At the time of filing bankruptcy, True Religion The Fashion for Profit group will offer seminars on entrepreneurial basics and at small stores. The company even trained cus- said it wanted to close 27 of its approximately 140 such as writing a business plan. It also plans to offer short-term, certified training toms inspectors to recognize the difference between stores. One of its commercial retail creditors was programs. Some will be offered in a classroom; others will be conducted online knock-off True Religion jeans and the real deal. Malibu Village in Malibu, Calif., which was owed at www.fashionforprofit.com. Fashion for Profit will also offer consulting ser- The denim label was doing fine until it hit a rough nearly $107,000 at the time of the bankruptcy filing. vices and be putting together design classes as well as entrepreneurship classes patch in 2013 and sales took a swift decline. The True Religion is hardly the company it used to for Chinese students. culprit for missed sales was competition from online be when cofounder Jeff Lubell launched the venture On the trade-show front, Harder will continue to produce seminars on sourc- sites selling blue jeans for less, department stores in 2002. When Lubell sold his company in 2013 for ing at MAGIC in Las Vegas. She also will continue to produce seminars at DG that were slashing prices to lure shoppers and the $835 million to TowerBrook Capital Partners, Expo, which organizes trade shows for designers and small manufacturers in popularity of activewear replacing denim. True Religion had a profit the previous year of several cities including San Francisco, Dallas, Miami and New York. A bit of cost cutting in travel expenses, sample $46 million on revenues of $467 million. For fiscal Unfortunately for fashion-show fans, FBI’s annual fashion show will not spending and a 25 percent reduction in the work 2017, the company had a net loss of $78.5 million make the transition. But Harder said there are plans to produce a fund-raiser force didn’t keep the financial wolves from the door. on $369.5 million in revenues.—Deborah Belgum runway show for California State Polytechnic University, Pomona.—A.A.

The Wraps Come Off Westfield’s $1 Billion Revamp of Century City

An Italian food hall that is packed with customers. A slate of American operations, the massive renovation of Westfield Cen- ball premiere in early December. Also at the mall, star designer unique stores. Furniture that looks like it should be in an interior tury City is a rethinking of the purpose of retail centers and what Kelly Wearstler crafted looks at the shopping center such as designer’s living room. attracts people to them. lounge areas with teak furniture and Moroccan tiles. Those are all the new elements that the Westfield Corp. in- “We’re going to give people a reason to come to the center at For apparel shoppers, Westfield Century City offers a mix corporated in its $1 billion renovation of the Westfield Century least two to three times a week,” he told the California Apparel of high-end department stores such as Bloomingdale’s, Nor- City mall in Los Angeles, which debuted in October. News. dstrom and a redesigned Macy’s. It also offers stores not open The mall-development and management company hoped the The traditional mall mix was reshuffled. At Westfield Cen- at many U.S. malls such as Canadian-headquartered retailers revamp with a Tiffany price tag would take a property that was tury City, there’s a UCLA medical office, which offers urgent- Aritzia and Oak + Fort. Westfield Century City also is the ad- already functioning as an A-level mall and turn it into some- care services. There’s also an emphasis on tapping into Los An- dress for new looks for stores such as jeweler Loree Rodkin’s thing spectacular. While mall companies traditionally commit geles’ current obsession with hip eateries. Lines for the Eataly design of the Sama Eyewear boutique, which was unveiled to major renovations, the current era bought more urgency to Italian market and restaurant, which officially debuted on Nov. Dec. 5. this project. Mall traffic has been declining in the past few years, 3, reportedly took more than an hour. Bernard G. Jacobs, a stylist, likes how Westfield Century City and competition from e-commerce has made many doubt the Westfield sought to dazzle with experiences. The mall de- is open relatively late. “It stays open later than Rodeo, which is traditional mall model. votes space to the Atrium performance area for bands, Broad- key for me,” he said. “When [Rodeo] stores close at 6 p.m., I can For William Hecht, chief operating officer of Westfield’s way-style reviews and brand events such as the M.A.C. Snow- run out of there and have three more hours of shopping.”—A.A. DSTLD Commits to Crowdfunding and Pop-Up Shops Los Angeles–based direct-to-consumer label DSTLD is wool coats and accessories. The stores also drive traffic to small U.S. businesses new opportunities to raise capital from continuing its brand-building efforts by rolling out a series of the DSTLD website (www.dstld.com). Rather than take their the investor market. pop-up shops across Southern California. The first was at the purchases home, customers’ items are shipped to them. The first round of fund-raising from small-scale inves- Culver City, Calif.–based mixed-use retail center Platform Since the company was founded in 2014 by Corey Epstein tors was successful, and the company has embraced the earlier this year, and the most recent pop-up, which will be and Mark Lynn, DSTLD has been building the brand by lever- method as its core financing strategy. In August, DSTLD open through the holidays, is on La Cienega Boulevard. aging the data-rich benefits of e-commerce. The company uses opened up its second round and plans to build its roster of In the future, the company plans to continue to open pop- real-time data to determine what to keep in the line and how to investors, which includes “brand advocate” customers who up shops around Southern California as well as in New York. plan the assortments by size and color. want to own a piece of the company. Investors are given The temporary retail spaces give consumers a chance to The company is also committed to a crowdfunding mod- access to a personal dashboard that allows them to track view the collection in person and get to know the brand’s el since it first began taking advantage of provisions in the DSTLD’s business and track the progress of the brand. ethos—upscale “essentials” including jeans, leather jackets, JOBS (Jumpstart Our Business Startups) Act, which gives —Alison A. Nieder

4 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 APPARELNEWS.NET

04.newsmakers.indd 4 12/7/17 4:41 PM prolable.indd 1 11/21/17 6:18 PM NEWSMAKERS A New Clothing Chapter for Dov Charney, American Apparel Founder Irreverent Los Angeles clothing manufacturer Dov Charney screen printers, the wholesale industry and to consumers via and we had a lot of success with them.” picked up this year right where he was decades ago. the Los Angeles Apparel website. When Los Angeles Apparel opened, TSC Ap- After being fired in 2014 from American Apparel—the Earlier this year, Charney inked an exclusive distribution parel didn’t hesitate to be part of the new enterprise. company he founded in Los Angeles in the late 1990s—he partnership with TSC Apparel, a Cincinnati T-shirt distributor Much of the equipment inside the Los Angeles Apparel factory tried to buy the faltering business out of bankruptcy. that sells to wholesalers and concert promoters. was purchased from Charney’s old American Apparel factory, When that failed, he went on to plan B. This year, he revved For Bob Winget, president of TSC Apparel, it was like déjà and many of the workers came from American Apparel, too. up a new operation, called Los Angeles Apparel. It follows vu. He was one of the first companies to distribute American In his new venture, Charney said, he isn’t doing anything the same business model as American Apparel—making ba- Apparel when it was a new line known for being completely different than when he started American Apparel. “I am going sic clothing in Los Angeles using workers who earn a decent manufactured in Los Angeles at a time when T-shirt makers to do what I have always done, which is run the show off the wage. were going to China and other Asian countries to make goods seat of my pants,” he told a Los Angeles audience earlier this In a 100,000-square-foot building in South-Central Los An- at rock-bottom prices. year. geles, some 350 garment workers are churning out basic blank “We were one of the original distributors of American Ap- Charney’s goal is to eventually employ 1,000 workers and T-shirts, sweatshirts, cotton bodysuits and swimsuits sold to parel,” Winget said. “We dealt with that company for 20 years, to change the world, one T-shirt at a time.—Deborah Belgum

American Apparel Reaches the End of an Era With Gerber Technology Brings Sale to Gildan Activewear of Canada Ideation Conference to LA The American Apparel brand was born in Los Angeles ing the ship. With major loan payments due, the Los Angeles when Dov Charney set out to make a basic T-shirt manufac- clothing manufacturer filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protec- Gerber Technology has been hosting its user conference tured in Los Angeles by workers who received a fair wage and tion in 2015. It quickly emerged from bankruptcy but turned in various cities around the country since 1998, but this was benefits. around in late 2016 to file for bankruptcy protection again. the first year the Tolland, Conn.–based maker of apparel American Apparel’s business took off, eventually employing While the company was in bankruptcy, several compa- equipment and software brought the event to California. thousands of workers in an old building near downtown Los nies bid for American Apparel’s brand name. The winner The conference—which has been called Ideation since Angeles’ produce markets. At one point, annual revenue rose was Gildan Activewear, a Canadian clothing manufacturer 2013—was held earlier this year in San Francisco and in to $634 million. whose labels include Alstyle Apparel, Anvil, Golden Toe Los Angeles. But the company hit a roadblock when federal immigra- and Peds. It bid $88 million to buy the company’s intellectu- The concept behind Ideation is to give Gerber customers tion officials stepped in to verify if everyone on the payroll al-property rights plus some American Apparel merchandise an opportunity to find out about new Gerber products and had legal documents to work in the United States. The in- and equipment. get in-depth demos of new software. The conference also spection resulted in American Apparel in 2009 having to Gildan decided not to keep the 3,400 American Apparel em- gives Gerber a chance to discuss industry trends with cus- lay off 1,800 workers—or one-quarter of the factory work ployees who worked in the brand’s large factory. They were laid tomers and introduce new industry partnerships. force—who could not prove they were in the country legally. off early this year and 110 American Apparel stores later closed In past years, the conference has been held in New Or- It was difficult to hire replacements quickly and production their doors. leans; Nashville, Tenn.; Scottsdale, Ariz.; Miami; Dallas; suffered. Gildan is now using a few Los Angeles contractors to manu- Las Vegas; and New York. More financial problems ensued. In late 2014, Charney facture American Apparel clothing for consumers who want This year’s West Coast conferences drew not only West was fired by the company’s board of directors, and his job as a “Made in the USA” label, but most of the collection is be- Coast Gerber clients but also companies from Asia, said Bill chief executive officer was turned over to Paula Schneider. But ing manufactured in Honduras, where Gildan employs 25,000 Brewster, Gerber’s vice president and general manager of the new American Apparel executives had a tough time right- workers.—D.B. enterprise software solutions.—Alison A. Nieder

6 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 APPARELNEWS.NET

06.newsmakers.indd 6 12/7/17 4:43 PM NEWS

Forecast Continued from page 1 more homes sit on the market waiting for eligi- ble buyers. But it is also a deterrent to attracting domestic product to a 3 percent expansion workers to the state. through the second quarter. “To continue the very rapid growth in employ- However, by the middle of next year, GDP ment likely requires domestic or international im- growth will probably slow to 2 percent, which has migration to the state or both,” Nickelsburg noted. been the standard annual rate of growth for the “With [President] Trump’s policies decidedly last couple of years. reducing international immigration, net domestic Another positive force on the economy will be migration to California would be required.” the government’s rising defense budget as the ad- In October, California’s unemployment rate ministration gets more aggressive in dealing with stood at 4.9 percent, down from 5.3 percent North Korea, situations in the Middle East, and the previous October. UCLA economists are concerns about Russia and China. Defense spend- predicting that with the new proposed tax bill ing, which declined over the last seven years, will pushing equipment deductions to the first year see a rise of 2 percent next year and 2.7 percent in 2019. The Federal Reserve is expected to announce another inter- of purchase, companies will have more money to hire and That bodes well for California. “California still has high- est-rate hike this December, after two previous hikes this year, the state’s unemployment rate will fall to 4.6 percent by the value defense spending taking place in California even if many showing the Fed’s confidence in the economy. By the end of end of 2019. of the companies have left the state,” Shulman said. 2019, benchmark interest rates could be up to 3 percent from The drone industry is one of Southern California’s strong the current 1.375 percent. Next year could see three more in- Free-trade free fall new economic growth areas, and Northrop Grumman recent- creases, UCLA economists said. Despite a healthy outlook for 2018, economists are worried ly hired 1,000 people at its aircraft plant in Palmdale to work on about the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations the Air Force’s B-21 bomber. By the mid-2030s, the Air Force The California housing problem going on right now among the United States, Mexico and Can- is expected to purchase 100 of the stealth jet bombers, which Rising interest rates and the new tax-reform law being ada. can slip behind air-defense systems. shaped by Congress could have a huge effect on economic President Trump has threatened to pull out of the free-trade But the cloud on the horizon is the fact that the U.S. unem- growth in California, according to Jerry Nickelsburg. pact if certain concessions or changes are not made. The most ployment rate is expected to dip to below 4 percent from its Housing is already expensive in the state, but with property- recent negotiations in Mexico City did not go well, and observ- current 4.1 percent. With a labor shortage in the offing, em- tax deductions being limited to $10,000 a year and state and ers are concerned that, if the next meeting in Montreal in late ployment growth could plateau, reducing GDP growth to 1.5 local taxes no longer being deductible from federal tax returns, January hits a speed bump, Trump will get frustrated and step percent in 2019. many future homeowners will see their disposable income away from the negotiating table. “The economy grows by adding people to increase produc- shrink. “There is a big risk that Trump could pull out of NAFTA, tivity,” Shulman said. “With full employment, it is harder to “Let’s take the potential homeowner, a millennial soft- and that could cause a recession in late 2018 or 2019,” Shul- add people.” ware engineer looking for that first house. Prior to the tax man said, noting that Trump pulled out of the Trans-Pacific Consumers will continue to keep their wallets open and change, he or she deducted state taxes from federal taxes, Partnership trade pact and the Paris climate agreement this make purchases. Real-consumer spending will rise next year to and their disposable income allowed them to pay a mortgage year. “There is $1 trillion in gross trade volume a year between an annual rate of 2.8 percent, up from 2.7 percent this year. But for one of those very nice California bungalow homes in the Canada, Mexico and the United States.” with car sales expected to lose speed, consumer spending will San Gabriel Valley,” Nickelsburg wrote in the UCLA Ander- Most affected would be the U.S. auto industry, where parts inch down to 2.2 percent by 2019. son Forecast. “When they are not able to deduct their state made in the United States and Mexico cross the border several “However, as long as stock and house prices remain elevat- taxes, adjusted gross income is higher and the federal tax bill times to manufacture a car. ed, the consumer, or at least the high-end consumer, will remain is higher. This is the idea of getting rid of the deduction— Last year, the United States imported $4.5 billion of ap- in good shape,” Shulman wrote in the report. higher revenue for the feds to pay for tax cuts elsewhere. parel and textiles from Mexico, making it among the top 10 Economists were holding out hope for the budget consumer But our millennial has lower after-tax income and now the suppliers to the U.S. market. In turn, the United States sent after Walmart reported that its same-store sales for the most bungalow is out of reach.” $5.9 billion in textiles and apparel to Mexico, according to recent quarter were up 2.7 percent. This could lead to lower housing prices down the road as the U.S. Commerce Department. ●

APPARELNEWS.NET DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 7

01,7,8.cover.indd 7 12/7/17 4:55 PM FIBER & FABRIC You name it we do it. Fiber & Fabric Continued from page 1 Special orders Drop shipments and making our manufacturing process as Globally eco-friendly as possible,” said Tricia Carey, Locally • Interstate director of global business development Call for appointment Mention Code: for denim at Lenzing, the Austrian maker PFPA+ of Lenzing Modal. “By partnering with A Plus Fabrics, Inc. Cone Denim and Unifi, we were able to A Local Pioneer in Fabrics with Stocks in L.A. warehouse, work with like-minded companies to create 26 Years Experience ready to ship. an advanced product that saves resources in Converting and Importing. throughout the manufacturing process.” Cone introduced the fabric at the recent Kingpins trade shows in Amsterdam and New York. Future Black+ joins Cone’s TruTone fabrics line. Kara Nicholas, vice president of product design and marketing for Greensboro, N.C.–based Cone Denim, said the collaboration between Cone, Lenz- ing and Unifi furthers Cone’s commitment to be “a sustainability leader and denim in- novator.” “Color retention in black denim is an Knits: Wovens: Warps: increasingly important trend for consum- PFPs Rayon Challis Fishnet ers and a perfect fit with our TruTone fabric Melanges Wool Dobby/Peach Mesh story, focused around black and indigo-like Novelty Blends Crepon Laces navy fabrics that offer supreme color reten- Velour Gauze Metallics tion plus all of the added benefits of the en- Loop / French Terry Chiffon Foils vironmental story,” she said. DTY Brushed Yoryu Crochets Cone Denim’s Future Black+ fabric is made Poly Linen Embroidered Mesh In addition to Repreve’s recycled content, Slubs Lenzing Modal has a significantly lower en- with Lenzing Modal and Unifi’s recycled Sweater Knits Repreve fibers. The fabric has a soft hand, good vironmental impact than conventional dyed stretch and retains its color through more than Rayon Spandex fabric, according to the company. Lenzing Hacci/Brushed 20 washes. Burn-Out Modal is made using a manufacturing pro- Ribs cess that uses fewer chemicals, less energy WHOLESALE & IMPORT KNITS Modal Poly and 64 percent less water during the dye Next-gen Tencel Siro Modal A Tradition of Service and Quality process, the company said. Stripes 3040 E. 12th St., LA, CA 90023 “By combining Lenzing Modal fiber Lenzing recently introduced another sus- Jacquards with Repreve, we are able to satisfy some tainable fiber to its offerings. Refibra joins Cotton Spandex Tel: (213) 746-1100 Fax: (213) 746-4400 of the biggest consumer demands for the Lenzing’s other brands, including Lenzing marketplace,” said Jay Hertwig, Unifi’s vice Modal and Tencel. All are man-made cel- [email protected] president of global brand sales and premium lulosic fibers made using a closed-loop pro- aplusfabricsusa.com value-added sales. cess. Dubbed the “new gen- 10 billion bottles eration of Tencel,” Refi- bra is made from wood Based in Greensboro, pulp that includes cotton N.C., Unifi recently re- scraps from cutting op- cycled its 10 billionth erations. Using recycled plastic bottle. The com- man-made cellulosic pany plans to recycle 20 material reduces the billion bottles by 2020 need to extract additional and 30 billion bottles by raw materials and lowers 2022. the impact on natural re- Unifi will launch the sources. Repreve Champions of “Denim apparel has a Sustainability Awards high impact on the envi- to recognize companies ronment, and consumers “committed to manufac- are seeking alternatives turing sustainable prod- with the environment ucts with Repreve per- in mind. Lenzing is of- formance fibers.” fering a viable solution “Unifi could not have with Refibra-branded reached the 10 billion- lyocell fibers to provide swisstulle Ltd. is a leading bottle milestone without innovation with reduced European bobbinet and warp knit the commitment from environmental impact,” manufacturer with headquarters our customers to provide said Lenzing’s Carey. in Switzerland, founded in 1912. earth-friendly products, DL1961 is among the and the Repreve Cham- first companies to use • Factories in Switzerland and pions of Sustainability Lenzing’s Refibra fibers UK Awards give us the op- in its Pre-Fall 2018 col- • Servicing Bridal, Haute portunity to thank our lection. Although DL1961 Couture, Pret-a-Porter, Lingerie partners who helped has been using Lenzing’s and Embroidery Market make it possible,” said Tencel fibers in its denim • Experts in high quality Silk and Unifi Chief Executive since 2012, Refibra is Cotton Bobbinet, as well as, Officer Kevin Hall. “A new for the New York– Rigid or Elastic Rachel Tulle vast difference can be based brand. • Innovation made if more companies “It is our responsibility • Quality recognize the impact they as a company and as lead- • Unparalleled Customer Service have on our planet and ers in the denim industry • Custom orders welcome take steps to reduce it. to make sure we are al- The Repreve Champions ways in pursuit of better Contact: Martina Callegari of Sustainability Awards processes and materials will be pleased to show you are meant to honor and that reduce our environ- our collection, m.callegari@ inspire companies to mental footprint all while swisstulle.ch or visit www. source responsibly and providing our customer swisstulle.ch take sustainability strate- with newer, more techno- gies to the next level.” logically advanced den- The winners of the im season after season,” award will be announced 10 BILLION BOTTLES: Unifi recently said Maliha Ahmed, at the Outdoor Retailer recycled its 10 billionth bottle and has chief executive officer of trade show in January. set new recycling goals for the coming DL1961. ● years.

8 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 APPARELNEWS.NET

01,7,8.cover.indd 8 12/7/17 4:55 PM FIBER & FABRIC Artistic Milliners Introduces Sustainable Indigo Dye Process Apparel News Group A dirty secret of the denim business is the amount of water, chem- Clear,” said Omer Ahmed, Artistic Milliners managing director, in a icals and energy it takes to get that classic indigo blue. Pakistan den- company statement. “This is perhaps the most radical change to the im mill Artistic Milliners hopes to change that with Crystal Clear, indigo dyeing process since its industrialization. Even though this a newly introduced process that the company is calling “the cleanest method is in its infancy, we are hopeful that in due time it will be indigo dyeing process.” adopted by the denim industry at large as there is an unprecedented Artistic Milliners partnered with dye chemical maker DyStar and environmental/water-saving potential in using this method.” 1945-201772

Dutch denim brand G-Star RAW to develop Crystal Clear, which Founded in 1949, Artistic Milliners is a vertical textile mill that Seventy-two years of news, uses 70 percent fewer chemicals and no salt in the dyeing process. manufactures premium-denim fabrics and apparel. The company is fashion and information “We are really proud of our collaboration with DyStar and G-Star based in Karachi and has offices in seven cities, including the Artis- RAW in developing the most sustainable denim fabric ever made tic Lab Research and Innovation Center in Dubai. at Artistic Milliners. In this fabric, we have applied a new dyeing For more information, visit www.artisticmilliners.com. formula which is hydro and salt free; we call the process Crystal —Alison A. Nieder CEO/PUBLISHER TERRY MARTINEZ

SENIOR EDITOR CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT Fax: (310) 523-5858 die cutter technology in our Los Angeles production DEBORAH BELGUM EXECUTIVES RETAIL EDITOR ZENNY R. KATIGBAK Contact: Tasha center to streamline our production efforts and JEFFERY YOUNGER ANDREW ASCH Salute to Suppliers & Services www.clp.global to strengthen our packaging capabilities. A very CLASSIFIED ACCOUNTING EDITORIAL MANAGER MARILOU DELA CRUZ www.aplusfabricsusa.com [email protected] important part of our business is FLASHTRAK, our JOHN IRWIN SERVICE DIRECTORY Products and Services: California Label Products online ordering system for price tickets, custom CONTRIBUTORS Asher Fabric Concepts [email protected] ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE wants to take a moment to thank all of our products and care labels. Our mission is to deliver ALYSON BENDER 950 S. Boyle Ave. Products and Services: A pioneer in fabrics. VOLKER CORELL JUNE ESPINO Los Angeles, CA 90023 Locally experienced for the past 26 years in con- accounts, large and small, to tell you how grateful high-quality products at competitive prices, wher- JOHN ECKMIER PRODUCTION MANAGER we have been doing business with you. We have ever they are needed for production. We understand JOHN McCURRY KENDALL IN (323) 268-1218 verting and imports. Knits, wovens, lace mesh ALISON A. NIEDER been serving the apparel industry for almost 20 the rush nature of this industry and strive to meet EDITORIAL DESIGNERS Fax: (323) 268-2737 and fishnet, basics, Siro Modal, loop terry, rayon, ESTEVAN RAMOS www.asherconcepts.com cotton, spandex, velour, crochet, PFP, bamboo, and years and you have helped make that possible. the tight deadlines facing our customers. TIM REGAS JOHN FREEMAN FISH N. JAYNE SEWARD DOT WILTZER [email protected] Our In-House Art Department has helped you with much more. Visit our showroom with more than HOPE WINSBOROUGH PHOTO EDITOR Products and Services: To address the need 100 different styles ready to be shipped locally and brand identity, updated your look, and provided you SARAH WOLFSON NATALIE ZFAT JOHN URQUIZA for innovative temperature-regulating knit fabrics off-shore. We carry millions of yards of stock in Los with quotes on your existing items and prices on swisstulle new items. We have recently updated our website. WEB PRODUCTION CREDIT MANAGER in the activewear market, Asher is introducing Angeles. Huge volume drop shipment order base. Contact: Martina Callegari, Sales Director MORGAN WESSLER RITA O’CONNOR Please check it out to see our current product list. Cool Sport, spun on Asher’s new Santoni knitting We can do special developments as well. No mini- +41 (0) 71 969 32 32 CREATIVE MARKETING machines, which create micro gauge knits for pure mum on local inventory. All designers are welcome. We not only have woven labels, printed labels, heat Fax: +41 (0) 71 969 32 33 DIRECTOR PUBLISHED BY transfers, size tabs, RFID price tickets, and custom [email protected] LOUISE DAMBERG TLM PUBLISHING INC. smoothness and compression. In 1991, Asher APPAREL NEWS GROUP DIRECTOR OF SALES Fabric Concepts, based in Los Angeles, transformed hangtags, but we also have a service bureau with swisstulle.ch Publishers of: AND MARKETING quick turn-around time and great pricing. Call or California Apparel News the apparel industry by offering cutting-edge, high Buhler Quality Products and Services: Founded in 1912. We are TERRY MARTINEZ email us for more information. one of the leading warp knit Tulle and Bobbinet Waterwear quality, “Made in U.S.A” knits for the contemporary SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Decorated Tulle manufacturers, producing in Switzerland and AMY VALENCIA fashion, athletic, and yoga markets. Since then, Yarns Corp. EXECUTIVE OFFICE the company has become internationally known 1881 Athens Highway England. Our expertise is rigid and elastic warp ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE LYNNE KASCH California Market Center for its premium quality, knitted constructions with Jefferson, GA 30549 Progressive Label knits for fashion categories such as bridal, haute 110 E. Ninth St., Suite A777 2545 Yates Ave. couture, and lingerie as well as the embroidery BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Los Angeles, CA 90079-1777 and without spandex, along with its creative print (706) 367-9834 DANIELLA PLATT (213) 627-3737 Commerce, CA 90040 markets, including technical applications that excel MOLLY RHODES design and application. Asher Fabric Concepts www.buhleryarns.com Fax (213) 623-5707 provides fabric development, knitting, dyeing, and [email protected] (323) 415-9770 in performance and quality. We have the latest SALES ASSISTANT/RECEPTIONIST Classified Advertising Fax finishing in addition to fabric print design and Contact: David Sasso Fax: (323) 415-9771 machinery with a staff that guarantees quality ASHLEY KOHUT (213) 623-1515 printing capabilities based on each customer’s Products and Services: Buhler Quality Yarns [email protected] standards. We cover the whole range of widths ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT www.apparelnews.net RACHEL MARTINEZ [email protected] needs. The company differentiates itself from the Corp.—We make MicroModal® work. The excep- www.progressivelabel.com with special focus on large widths, resulting in SALES ASSISTANT Printed in the U.S.A. competition by offering proprietary textiles and by tional attributes and luxury of MicroModal are Products and Services: Progressive Label is dedi- exclusive wide seamless fabrics. Integrated dyeing PENNY ROTHKE-SIMENSKY continually updating and innovating every aspect now more attainable. Supply chain optimizations cated to helping companies develop and showcase and finishing is an essential part of our quality and of textile design and production. With an in-house and industry relationships allow manufacturers to their brand identity. From logo labels and hangtags service strategy. Swisstullle has just developed the design team, new prints are constantly added to its benefit from our experience as the first successful to care/content labels and price tickets, we will world’s thinnest tulle, made of delicate fabric, so collection, and color stories are updated seasonally. MicroModal spinner in the US. Let us show you how develop, produce, and distribute your trim items thin that from a distance it can be made to look like affordable luxury can be. buhleryarns.com worldwide. We specialize in producing custom it’s not a fabric at all, just a layer of color! products that will meet your design and merchan- A Plus Fabrics Inc. dising needs. We successfully launched production 3040 E. 12th St. California Label Products of RFID price tickets last year. This demand is being greatly driven by the big retailers such as Macy’s This listing is provided as a free service to Los Angeles, CA 90023 13255 S. Broadway our advertisers. We regret that we cannot be (213) 746-1100 Los Angeles, CA 90061 and Target. Our growth and market dynamics responsible for any errors or omissions within Fax: (213) 746-4400 (310) 523-5800 have resulted in opening up a production center the Salute to Suppliers & Services. in Tijuana, Mexico. We have also added advanced

APPARELNEWS.NET DECEMBER 8–14, 2017 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 9

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Jobs Available Min 5 yrs experience for established, stable apparel manufacturer in business 19 years. We Visit www.apparelnews.net/classifieds are looking for a responsible, detail oriented to place your ad in our self-serve system APPAREL BOTTOMS COMPANY SEEKING person. This multi-tasking position includes Jobs Available INDIVIDUALS TO FILL THE FOLLOWINGINCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY FOR purchasing trim, fabric, issuing cutting tickets PRODUCTION POSIT ION. THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS and work orders to sub-contractors for Highly motivated embellishment. Must be good with follow up. IMPORT Computer skills such as Outlook, Excel and Word For classified advertising information: COORD./MERCHANDISER are required. Must speak and write English, person with 2-3 years exp. in the junior/special Spanish speaking is considered a plus. PAT T ERN MAKER • Must have well rounded sizes denim bottoms market needed to assist in Background check required. Please fax resume to import production. 888-677-5579 or email to info@kingsburyunifor Karen Kane is seeking a 1st thru production knowledge of overseas Know how t garment o read TECH production PACKS and & ms.com. Do NOT send your resume as an pattern maker for its established better Location: Torrance/ So construction • attachment, please cut & paste your resume into sportswear division and emerging contemporary understand technical garment terms. • the body of your email. * Compensation: $ 15-19/hr Full divisions. Strong communication skills, Experience with measuring garments as well as Gardena area. attention to detail, great organization skills, approving finished garments, lab-dips, fabrics, Time + health benefits self-motivated, energetic. Computer literacy a Must be a self-starter, detail oriented etc. • must, knowledge of Gerber system is beneficial. individual and Email to [email protected] or have strong written and verbal call Jeffery Bilingual a plus. Min 2 yrs experience. Fax comm. skills. resume with salary history to 323-277-6830 or f ax res ume wi t h s al ary hi s t ory t o: (323) 657-5344 email in PDF or Word format only to: T RIM ASSIST ANT [email protected] PAT T ERNMAKER Karen Kane is seeking to fill a trim assistant T RIM BUYER position.The person will be responsible for filling We are currently looking for a Patternmaker with 1st through trim orders for cuts •Data entry of cut tickets, Sportswear or Activewear experience.Ability to POs, receipts •Prior experience in a Trim dept. NYDJ Apparel is seeking an experienced Trim organize work, manage time and schedule and/or minimum of 2 years’ experience. in the Buyer to lead trim development and buying for projects to meet deadlines. industry •Strong communication skills, oral & the company. Interact with product teams to production patternmaking for the creation and 213-627-3737 ext. 280, written •Strong MS Office skills, especially ensure appropriate inventory, with the goal Excellent of execution of Sportswear product. Expertise at Excel •AS400/VPS software knowledge a plus on-time delivery of finished goods. Continuously garment fit, construction, textiles, shrinkage. No phone calls •Bilingual English/Spanish a plus Fax resume analyze production and calendars, while seekingeric. Qualification Requirements □ Knowledge of We offer a with salary history to 323-277-6830 or email in cost savings or other efficiencies. garment wash, dye wash □ Experience in PDF or Word format only to resumes@karenkane. benefits & work environment. Sportswear or Active wear □ Knowledge and com please. Send resume and salary history to: experience with Gerber and Illustrator. [email protected] competitive compensation and benefit packagePlease submit your including health, dental, 401K, paid vacation, and product discount. resume and salary history to hrdept@mbwswim. email [email protected] or com SPEC WRIT ER EDI & LOGISTICS COORDINATOR Immediate opportunity for a detail oriented and well organized individual who will be We are looking for an experienced EDI & responsible for writing spec sheets and sending Logistics Coordinator to join our team. sample approvals to buyer. Must be computer Receiving and processing EDI orders. Creating literate in excel, illustrator/Photoshop and be UPC's. Preparing shipping documents, arranging T ECHNICAL DESIGNER able to work well under pressure. Fax resumes pick up. Must have knowledge of GXS Inovis (323) 887-8484 Catalog. GXS DiCentral. 3-5 years' experience. NYDJ Apparel is seeking an experienced Please send resume to [email protected] visit www.apparelnews.net/classifieds Technical Designer. Creation and updating of all T ECHNICAL DESIGNER FOR OUR MISSYDIVISION CUST OMER SERVICE First to Production Technical Packages for Missy, Duties will include but not • Create tech packs for Petite and Women Divisions. Lead fit sessions • Minimum 3-5 years experience • Illustrator,A premium denim LA based company is seeking No phone calls and send pattern Track sample corrections submissions. to the overseas Excellenteric. photoshop, Excel for a customer service. factories. overseas & domestic vendors• Experienced in limited to data entry, shipping and invoicing. benefits & work environment. conducting fittings, generating fit comments... • Must have strong written and verbal please. Send resume and salary history to: Pattern making knowledge a plus • Excellentcommunication skills. Must be proficient in [email protected] communication skills – written & verbal • Team excel, word, outlook and PAS. Must have a •PRODUCT player and works well with others. Send resume minimum of 2 years in the denim industry. E-mail PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR to [email protected] resume and salary requirement to: info@blackor AND MERCHANDISING COORDINAT OR chiddenim.com to place your ad in Santa Monica based company seeks: SALES REPRESENT AT IVE - MISSY (LOS ANGELES OR NY) PROD. PAT T ERNMAKER DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR• 5+ yrs exp. in evaluating material performance & New misses and plus size knitwear line seeking EXP. DENIM PATTERNMAKER NEEDED. MIN. 323- 5 communicating across multiple product talented Sales Representative to be located YRS IN DENIM EXP A MUST. PREMIUM DENIM EXP categories. Organized. Detail-oriented. Strong either in Los Angeles, CA or NY. Must have an PREFERRED. TUKA SYSTEM EXP A PLUS. time mgmt. skills. Excl. written & verbal comm. active department store, major retail or RESUME W/SALARY HISTORY A MUST FAX: EMAIL: [email protected] skills. Computer literate. •MERCHANDISING specialty store relationships to bring to the 488-9781 Please email resume to: [email protected] COORDINATOR• 5+ yrs exp. in Merchandising & table. Product Development. Excel, Illustrator, ONE OF T HE LARGEST AND FAST EST GREAT DESIGNER Photoshop w/ strong collaboration, analytical, GROWING TEXTILE COMPANIES IN THE USA organizational and prioritizing skills. Fashion Looking to hire 2. for Secretary/Cust. full time position: Support 1. Pls. our self-serve system Fax resumes to (310)828- Fast growing contemporary company seeks Merchandising degree preferred. Import/Prod'n BENEFITS. BOTH F/T Designer for womens sportwear wovens & cut & [email protected] email [email protected] contact: 0091 or sew knits. Candidate must have flair for fashion and detail, and be proficient in Adobe ASSIST ANT DESIGNER Photoshop/Illustrator & Microsoft Office. Please Assisting Head Designer for design, trim, & send portfolio samples and resumes with salary history to [email protected] fabric sourcing for the junior/young missy market 4/16/15 6:17 PM for an LA Import Garment Manufacturer. Minimum 2 years experience. Good computer & graphic skills on Photoshop. E-mail Resume [email protected]

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$2.99 VOLUME 73, NUMBER 46 NOVEMBER 3–9, 2017

YEARS THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY FOR 72 Arts District Shops Hit Roadblock as Construction Escalates Guerilla Atelier, Apolis and Poketo are among the retailers who have closed or relocated recently. By Andrew Asch Retail Editor Construction is booming in downtown Los Angeles’ Arts District, which is currently home to numerous sites for future offices and residences as well as crowds of people lining up for restaurants such as the critically lauded and popular beer and food hall Wurstkürche. Manuela Retailers have been scouting the once-blighted district, and high-end boutiques such as Dover Street Market are scheduled to move into the enclave in 2018, according to media reports. But the pace of construction has delivered setbacks to some of the area’s pioneering retailers. Renovations to the building housing Apolis: Common Gallery caused the 6-year-old boutique to shutter its location for a year, said Raan Parton, Apolis’➥ Arts creative District director. page 3

Artisan Cloth’s New LA HQ Showcases International Mix of Premium Denim

By Alison A. Nieder Executive Editor Brad Alden Mowry and Danielle Lee are putting the finishing touches on the new 2,600-square-foot showroom space in downtown Los Angeles for their denim textile company, Artisan Cloth. The husband-and-wife team will officially host a grand- opening party in December in, thepartnership Mexican with denim Invista mill, thatthe maker of Lycra, and Tavex was acquired two years ago by Ropa Siete Leguas. Four years ago, Mowry opened Artisan Cloth to showcase new developments from Japanese denim mill Kurabo. The longtime denim-industry executive provides development and marketing for the Japanese denim mill as well as the company’s wovens division, which is made in Japan and Thailand, and premium denim made in China through a joint venture between Kurabo and➥ Hong Artisan Kong–based Cloth page 6

2 SM INSIDE: Where fashion gets down to business

6 ‘Runway’ Star 2 Import/Export ... p. 4 FCI Fashion School recently showcased the work of its latest crop of True Religion exits Denim ... p. 6 bankruptcy ... p. 2 students alongside the work of several designers from the current Resource Directory ... season of “Project Runway.” In addition to Kentaro Kameyama, an FCI Activewear ... p. 3 p. 9 alumnus and current FCI instructor, other designers from the current Retail Sales ... p. 3 season of the fashion reality show included Batani-Khalfani, Margarita www.apparelnews.net Alvarez and ChaCha. For highlights from the show, see pageKentaro 7. Kameyama

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December 15 December 22 December 29 January 5, 2018 Cover: Fashion Cover: Year in Review Cover: Retail Cover: Retail 2017 Retrospective and Activewear Technology New Laws Swim/Active Profiles Retail Report Surf Report Technology Advertorial Fashion Advertorial Activewear Special Section Fashion Advertorial Bonus Distribution Waterwear Special Section Agenda Long Beach 1/4-6 Waterwear Advertorial AccessoriesTheShow/FAME/Moda Manhattan 1/7-9 Active Collective 1/11–12 Bonus Distribution Swim Collective 1/11–12 Active Collective 1/11-12 Premiere Vision NY 1/16-17 Swim Collective 1/11-12 DG Expo NY 1/17-18 CALL NOW FOR SPECIAL RATES Designers & Agents LA 1/15-17 LA Fashion Market 1/15-17 TERRY MARTINEZ Premiere Vision NY 1/16-17 DG Expo NY 1/17-18 (213) 627-3737 x213 Texworld USA 1/22-24 Liberty Fairs NY 1/23-25 Apparel Sourcing USA 1/22-24 Surf Expo 1/25-27

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10-11.classifieds.indd 11 12/7/17 6:01 PM 11/30/17 4:15 PM Apparel by twenty tees / Spring 2016 Collection / twentytees.com

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