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$2.99 VOLUME 76, NUMBER 5 JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 THE VOICE OF THE INDUSTRY FOR 75 YEARS

RETAIL What’s Checking Malibu: Haven for Indie Stores By Andrew Asch Retail Editor

During a time when independent, multi-line stores are con- sidered to be playing defense against digital retailers and mono- brand shops, Malibu, Calif., remains a haven for independent boutiques. For more than 30 years, the Malibu Country Mart and Malibu Village retail destinations have been at the center of this boutique scene, which included pioneering Los Angeles multi-label stores such as Fred Segal and Ron Herman. In 2009, the boutique-focused Malibu Lumber Yard retail cen- ter opened adjacent to the Mart and the Village. Located across the street from the Pacific Ocean, notable for world-famous surf beaches, Malibu also is well known as an enclave for wealthy residents and A-list entertainment figures. It has long attracted local and global travelers, but retailing in the area also presents challenges. What’s Checking page 16

INDUSTRY FOCUS: FINANCE Entering 2020: A New Year for New Plans in the Apparel Industry By Dorothy Crouch Managing Editor Following a great deal of uncertainty as the apparel indus- try approached the fourth quarter of 2019, businesses entered 2020 with cautious optimism. While the warnings of a reces- sion had turned around, with forecasters revising their predic- tions for the new year and progress with trade deals including the finalization of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agree- ment, in addition to advancement toward an agreement with Blue Jean Baby China, additional concerns remained. Regardless of the outcome, an important presidential elec- Taking inspiration from nature, Ética shared how it created its Spring Finance page 6 2020 denim collection in true blue and new hues using responsible INSIDE: manufacturing as it adheres to ethical practices that promote a healthy Where fashion gets down to business SM environment. See page 11 for additional styles.

10 12 Amazon Q4 2019 ... p. 2 Egeck to leave PSEB ... p. 2 O2 trade show to launch ... p. 2 Industry Voices: Fashion ... p. 4 SeeBiz technology ... p. 12

JESSE GANTT www.apparelnews.net

01,6-9-cover-finance.indd 1 1/30/20 8:39 PM NEWS Week in Review Egeck Exits PSEB Group Diesel recently announced that it had After guiding the Eddie Bauer outdoor brand to a merger with from his insights and expertise as a board member.” Attenborough been taking steps to combat counterfeit- surf-and-youth retailer Pacific Sunwear of California to form the also serves as the operating partner at Golden Gate Capital. ing. The Italian premium-denim brand operating company PSEB Group, Mike Egeck will step down as Attenborough also said that PSEB’s business is sound and that it had worked to block and shut down chief executive officer, it was announced Jan. 23. His last day on the enjoyed positive same-store sales during its fourth quarter. However, websites that promoted the sale of items job will be Feb. 4, said Neale Attenborough, PSEB chairman. he did not break out those comps. counterfeiting its products. In 2019, Jim Gulmi, a PSEB director, will serve as the company’s interim In 2016, San Francisco–based Golden Gate Capital acquired Pac- Diesel penalized 1,244 sites for promot- CEO until a replacement is confirmed. Attenborough said that Egeck Sun, which allowed the Anaheim, Calif.–headquartered retailer to ing counterfeit Diesel. On social me- left the company to pursue an opportunity outside of apparel and be emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Golden Gate infused $20 mil- dia, 2,351 URLs dealing in fake Diesel geographically closer to his family. lion into the retailer to help get it back on its feet. products were found and removed. Also “Mike led the successful transformation of the Eddie Bauer brand, Egeck joined Eddie Bauer in 2012 after stints leading Hurley removed were 4,901 fake advertise- was instrumental in the formation of the PSEB platform, and has as- International, serving as president of VF Corporation’s North ments, according to a Diesel statement. sembled best-in-class leadership teams at Eddie Bauer and PacSun,” American outdoor business and leading the sportswear division at Attenborough said. “We are thrilled that we will continue to benefit Columbia Sportswear Company.—Andrew Asch The North Face outdoor brand re- cently introduced The Summit Series Advanced Mountain Kit, which it says will bring Alpine athletes and those who Forever 21 Auction Potentially Amazon Reports scale other mountains to new heights. The kit is described as breathable, pack- Stellar Fourth Quarter able, warm and lightweight. It offers lay- Scheduled for Feb. 4 ering systems that will give mountain- An auction for bankrupt retailer Forever Lifestyle Fairs trade-show founder. Retail giant Amazon.com reported that eers the freedom to move quickly and 21 might be scheduled for as soon as Feb. 4, Forever 21’s bankruptcy has been disorga- its net sales increased 21 percent, to $87.4 efficiently in extreme Alpine conditions, according to Bloomberg. A new owner for nized, Bloomberg reported. In recent weeks, billion in the fourth quarter of its 2019 fis- said Scott Mellin, North Face’s global the Los Angeles–based fast-fashion retailer the retailer said that it is short on cash and may cal year, compared with $72.4 billion in the general manager of mountain sports. The might be announced as soon as Feb. 11. be forced to liquidate if it doesn’t find a buyer. fourth quarter of its 2018 fiscal year. kit includes proprietary fabric technol- No buyers have been identified, but media In the 1990s and first decade of this century, For the 2019 fiscal year, net sales in- ogy such as Cloud Down, which con- reports have identified one potential buyer Forever 21 was considered one of fashion’s creased 20 percent to $280.5 billion com- structs the jacket in such a way that it as Forever 21’s landlord, Simon Property most innovative retailers. But it has been pared with $232.9 billion in 2018, said Jeff offers more warmth in a lighter garment. Group, who also is listed as a creditor in its criticized for not getting more involved with Bezos, Amazon’s founder and chief execu- Other new fabrics include FutureFleece, bankruptcy filing. The real-estate investment e-commerce and not keeping up with chang- tive officer. In an earnings statement, he said which also is said to increase warmth in trust owns and manages prominent California ing consumer tastes. The management style of that the retailer’s Prime membership is grow- jackets, and Futurelight, a breathable, malls including the Del Amo Fashion Center the retailer’s founders, Do Won and Jin Sook ing and has been a driver of its business. waterproof, membrane-like coating on in Torrance, Fashion Valley in San Diego and Chang, also received criticism. They have kept “More people joined Prime this quar- outerwear. The North Face is a division the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto. a tight control over the company without con- ter than ever before, and we now have over of VF Outdoor, LLC. Another potential candidate is the Authentic sulting equity analysts and a board of directors. 150 million paid Prime members around the Brands Group, LLC. The New York–head- In 2019, Forever 21 closed a number of world,” he said. Applied DNA Sciences, Inc., re- quartered brand-development company made stores in California including locations in Amazon also provided guidance for the cently announced that it was granted a waves in 2019 by acquiring retailer Barneys Anaheim, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Ventura, first quarter of its 2020 fiscal year. Net sales U.S. patent on a product that will help New York in a contentious auction that in- Chico and Newport Beach, according to the are expected to grow between 16 percent and brands trace the man-made cellulosic cluded a bid from Sam Ben-Avraham, an en- State of California Employment Develop- 22 percent, to $69 billion to $73 billion. fiber used in some sustainable cloth- trepreneur, retailer and Liberty Fashion & ment Department.—A.A. In an earnings statement, Amazon execu- ing, said MeiLin Wan, vice president of tives mentioned a myriad of businesses rang- textile sales at Applied DNA, headquar- ing from entertainment projects to technolo- tered in Stony Brook, N.Y. “With these gy to grocery. Fashion is part of the mix. Am- new patents, together with our linear azon expanded categories of its house brand DNA-based tagging platform, we can Goodthreads, which now offers women’s offer MMC fiber producers and manu- styles. New brands introduced on the site in- facturers the unparalleled ability to en- clude Tissot, Swatch and Vineyard Vines. sure that their brands are real and safe,” —A.A. Wan said.

Columbia Sportswear Company O2 to Enter the Trade- announced that Tim Boyle will serve as chairman of the board for the Portland, Ore.–headquartered company. Boyle Show Space in March has led the company as its president and There is a new kid on the Los Ange- chief executive officer and also bears les trade-show block as event producer O2 the distinction of being a lifelong Co- Show LLC announced the March 9–11 dates lumbia employee. He is the son of Gert when it launches its show at the California Boyle, the former chairwoman of the Market Center in downtown Los Angeles. company. She might be best known as The event will focus on fashion, accessories, the face of popular advertisements for jewelry, beauty, wellness, gifts and home Columbia. In November, she passed goods that are ethically made from sustain- away at age 95. Andy Bryant, who has able sources. recently served as the chairman of the “As opposed to established, mainstream Intel Corporation’s board of directors, trade shows revolving around large-scale was also named as lead independent di- manufacturing and big brands, we know that rector for Columbia’s board. eco-conscious makers and brands may re- quire a slightly different approach. Small is Gildan Activewear Inc. recently good, quality is greater than quantity, time- was recognized by certifying group less appeal means more than the latest trend, CDP for achieving the top ranking in and additional support may be needed,” the corporate transparency and action on company said in a statement. climate change. Gildan recently re- The wholesale event will take place dur- ceived an “A” rating from this group ing the March edition of L.A. Market Week. and was placed in its leadership level. Named after oxygen, a basic element that is Gildan has been reporting its environ- necessary to protecting life and ensuring sur- mental performance with CDP since vival, the event blends the experiences of 2008, said Claudia Sandoval, Gildan’s trade shows and retail events with a strong vice president of corporate citizenship. foundation in technology that is aimed at “Our business model of owning and connecting brands, retailers and consumers. operating the facilities that produce the Inspired by the G7 Fashion Pact and di- vast majority of our product allows us to sasters throughout the world that have nega- have direct control over the manufactur- tively impacted the planet’s natural wonders, ing process and ensure that responsible the show will focus on not only providing and sustainable practices are deployed sustainable, responsibly manufactured goods throughout the complete value chain,” but also promoting an eco-friendly lifestyle. she said. —Dorothy Crouch

2 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

02-news-wir.indd 2 1/30/20 8:44 PM la-a.indd 1 1/29/20 5:36 PM Calendar INDUSTRY VOICES: FASHION Improving Your Chances for Feb. 2 Las Vegas Feb. 6 Through Feb. 6 Curve New York Vegas Edge Javits Center Footwear Sourcing at MAGIC Alexis Park All-Suite Resort ‘Project Runway’ Success New York Sourcing at MAGIC Convention Center Through Feb. 4 Mandalay Bay Convention Center Las Vegas By Nick Verreos Contributing Writer Las Vegas IFJAG Through Feb. 7 Through Feb. 7 Embassy Suites Las Vegas New York Fashion Week powered Back in 2005, when I applied for the Las Vegas Feb. 5 by The Society Through Feb. 5 Broad Street Ballroom second season of “Project Runway,” I Children’s Club New York would never have imagined the crazy ride Feb. 3 FN Platform Through Feb. 9 on which the show would take me. I was MAGIC Mens OffPrice a working designer, co-running my line, Pooltradeshow Sands Expo and Convention Center Nikolaki, with my partner, David Paul, as Project with Neighborhoods: The Las Vegas Tents, The Foundry, District, well as having a part-time job as an instruc- Through Feb. 6 MRket, Denim Room, Project tor at the Fashion Institute of Design & WWIN Now Merchandising. Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Project Womens, Stitch @ Somehow, in my naiveté, I figured I could Las Vegas Project Womens Through Feb. 6 add something else to my already full plate. WWDMAGIC “Project Runway” had only gone through Mandalay Bay Convention Center Feb. 4 Las Vegas its first season, but word was spreading and Liberty Fashion Fairs Through Feb. 7 I saw it as a chance to further my fashion- Sands Expo and Convention Center design career while elevating our business to the highest level. I went to the castings and received a “You’re in!” from Tim Gunn. Since then, I have been a casting judge for For calendar details and contact more than 15 seasons, traversing the coun- There’s more information, visit ApparelNews. try looking for the most-talented designers Nick Verreos on ApparelNews.net. net/events. in every city. Recently, I was asked to come aboard the new-and-improved “Project Run- Submissions to the calendar should be emailed to the Calendar Editor at [email protected]. Please include the event’s way” as a consulting producer. 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. In this new role, I have been tasked with that side of you. We want to see if you can a wide range of assignments. My job is to design and make clothes! be the fashion voice for the show. One of the most important duties I have involves the Test yourself POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS, Customer Service, PO Box 4419, Orlando, casting process. In all of my years of being 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®, Water wear®, New part of this exercise, I have pocketed some Try to make a complete outfit, or a dress, York Apparel News®, Dallas Apparel News®, Apparel News South®, Chicago Apparel News®, The Apparel helpful tips for anyone who seeks success on in 12 hours—from sourcing fabric to sewing News (National), Bridal Apparel News®, Southwest Images®, Stylist® and MAN (Men’s Apparel News®). Proper- ties of TLM PUBLISHING INC., The New Mart, 127 E. Ninth St., Suite 806, Los Angeles, CA 90015, (213) 627-3737. the show. the garment. Most of the show’s challenges © Copyright 2020 TLM Publishing Inc. All rights reserved. Pub lished weekly except semi-weekly second week of July. Periodicals Postage Paid at Los Angeles, CA, and additional entry offices. The publishers of the paper do not assume involve either one or two days, totaling ap- responsibility for statements made by their advertisers in business competition. Opinions expressed in signed editorial proximately 10 to 14 hours of work. A help- columns or articles do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the publishers. Subscription rates: U.S.: 1 year, $89; 2 Know how to sew years, $140. Foreign: $180 U.S. funds (1-year subscription only). Single-copy price $2.99. Send subscription requests ful practice is pretending to complete an to: California Apparel News, Customer Service, PO Box 4419, Orlando, FL 32802 or visit www.apparelnews.net. For customer service, call (866) 207-1448. This may seem like the most obvious actual “Project Runway” challenge in the AS YOUR BRAND EVOLVES thing, considering this is a show about cre- same amount of time as our contestants us- ating clothes, but season after season I can- ing guidelines similar to those established on not tell you how many prospective design- the show. ers have shown up to the interview without knowing this basic skill. While I would say Be prepared to present that the majority of the applicants we see can sew, there are always some who fall through When I decided to attend the Los Angeles the cracks. It shocks me still that there are castings of season two of “Project Runway,” people applying to be on the show who think all they asked of applicants was to bring three there is a team of seamstresses in the back examples of their work plus a portfolio. In room ready to sew all the garments! addition to the minimum, I also brought a six-foot-tall model who just happened to be Have some knowledge of draping and a good friend. I was the only person with a patternmaking model, and it did the trick, allowing me to move to the front of the line. Over years of This second tip is an extension of the casting, more aspiring contestants now show first. Most designers, whether just start- up with models. While it is not required, it is ing or established, have some knowledge helpful, especially if your designs don’t have, of draping and patternmaking. They might as we say in the industry, “hanger appeal.” have learned this on their own or through a Also, make sure you’re prepared to formal education. To be on “Project Run- present by practicing in front of friends or way,” you have to create your designs from family. While many people do not know how scratch, and this involves using a dress form, to sell themselves or are not comfortable draping on the dress form, and making the speaking in front of others, this part of the pattern of your design so you can then cut casting interview is important—it tells us and eventually sew it. These are the basic who you are and, frankly, if you will be steps. So, not only do you have to have the good for television. mastery of these disciplines but you also need to do all of them fast! Be genuine, be yourself Get your social-media profile in order Casting professionals have a keen eye and can easily spot real personalities, but they can When weeding through the hundreds, if also recognize those that are fake. If you are not thousands, of applicants, one of the first nervous, it’s okay! If you’re confident and steps we take is to review each applicant’s so- self-assured, use it. We want to see the real MAKE YOUR BRANDING SOLUTIONS cial-media presence. Many aspiring design- you. Just be yourself. Viewers love watching ers will send a link to their Instagram pages, the intimate and sometimes gut-wrenching and it is not a positive sign when we have to process of clothing creation, but they also scroll to the 20th image in order to see any want to relate to you. examples of the applicant’s fashions. Lastly, if you are lucky enough to be cho- PROGRESSIVE Keep your personal Instagram page sepa- sen for the show, be consistent about your de- rate from your business account. Back in the signs while competing. Establish your brand day, many people would send website or blog and your design aesthetics starting with the WWW.PROGRESSIVELABEL.COM links, which is still helpful, but a simple In- first challenge. Who are you as a designer? (323) 415-9770 stagram account representing your brand is Are your designs avant-garde, minimalist, LOS ANGELES • MEXICO • HONG KONG perfectly acceptable. It should showcase your extravagant or streetwear? Be consistent work—not photos of you in Las Vegas with a throughout the show so the judges begin to LABELS • HANGTAGS • PATCHES • RFID • HARDWARE • LOOKBOOKS • & MUCH MORE margarita in your hand. We don’t want to see recognize who you are as a designer. ●

4 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

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2019 was a challenging Continued from page 1 Finance year overall for the apparel tion in the United States during No- industry, and I would expect vember 2020 will have an impact on more of the same for 2020. where we go from here. Protests in The retail environment India and Hong Kong have contin- continues to struggle, with ued to influence the market, while retailers reducing their foot- the United Kingdom’s Brexit deal prints or going out of busi- continues to leave unanswered ques- ness altogether and online tions. Devastating natural disasters retailers still trying to figure also continue to impact business out how to be profitable hubs around the globe, leaving un- despite increasing market certainty and necessitating not only share and popularity. an initial approach to sourcing and Darrin Beer, Western Mark Bienstock, Sydnee Breuer, Gino Clark, Executive Joshua Goodhart, Executive Now that the election Regional Manager, Managing Director, Executive Vice Vice President, Managing Vice President, National supply chain but also alternate plans Commercial Express Trade Capital President, Western Director, Originations, Sales Manager, Merchant season is in full swing, the to quickly pivot if sudden changes Services, CIT Region Manager, White Oak Commercial Financial Group political environment is threaten the market. Rosenthal & Rosenthal Finance, LLC in a constant state of flux. Upon entering 2020, the apparel of California Regulations will continue industry now faces a year filled with opportunities and major evolving news developments. That’s not to say they should to impact how our clients conduct business, most notably the decision-making. We asked financial-industry experts with overreact to every headline, but the twists and turns in busi- contract worker versus employee changes in California. Tar- a deep understanding of the apparel market, “When thinking ness conditions that evolve over the course of a year deserve iffs were a major headline in 2019, and our clients needed about the end of 2019 and examining the current climate in constant monitoring. Staying informed about business and to manage their supply chains to be more efficient and cost- 2020, what financial forecast would you offer to your clients to regulatory trends can help apparel manufacturers better an- effective, including seeking out more-economical resources help them succeed throughout this year?” ticipate and respond to market shifts. in other countries. It is imperative that our clients continue to manage their ex- Darrin Beer, Western Regional Manager, Commercial Mark Bienstock, Managing Director, Express Trade penses and inventory levels in order to be profitable and success- Services, CIT Capital ful in 2020. Product needs to be placed strategically to match consumer demand, be it in physical stores or online. With our This year could be challenging as a slowing economy The unfortunate picture that we see is that retail continues expertise and knowledge of the creditworthiness of retail custom- could impact the growth prospects for apparel manufactur- to contract. With fewer stores to sell to, it makes it that much ers, we are able to assist our clients in navigating the minefield. ers. Instead of focusing on topline growth, apparel companies harder for a manufacturer to grow or even sustain its volume. It should seek to operate more efficiently by improving produc- truly boils down to price, newness and brand awareness in win- Gino Clark, Executive Vice President, Managing Director, tivity in the supply chain and operations while ensuring fi- ning the business of the retailer. Inventory management will be Originations, White Oak Commercial Finance, LLC nancial flexibility. The right financing can help manufacturers critical for the future of apparel. Speculation will put companies invest more in product development. out of business. Rotation is what we preach to all of our clients. Preliminary reports for the 2019 retail industry show that last Continued investment in product development should be Apparel inventory is not like fine wine. It does not go up in val- year encompassed a challenging marketplace complete with complemented with a social-media strategy focusing on con- ue. The best course of action for many of the well-established many opportunities for ready businesses. In this environment, sumer preferences that promote their beliefs, including social brands is to consider licensing their name to generate an ongo- we noticed that the majority of our successful clients embodied consciousness and sustainability. For today’s consumers, ap- ing revenue stream from a wide spectrum of categories. these common traits: expense controls, well-managed inven- parel goes beyond being just a fashion statement—it’s also a tories, the discipline to pass on long-margin orders or margin statement about values. Sydnee Breuer, Executive Vice President, Western accounts, the ability to adapt to consumer demands, and ac- Apparel manufacturers should also pay close attention to Region Manager, Rosenthal & Rosenthal of California tive engagement with industry specialists such as accountants,

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6 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

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lawyers and lenders or factors as a valuable sounding board. As we begin 2020, we are encouraging clients to build on their recent successes by reinvesting profits back into their businesses and addressing changes in supply-chain and distribution channels by closely managing their business model. For example, we have a private-label manufacturer that understands the importance of global diversification and has developed the capability to source from multiple global regions to offer a balance be- tween price points and production times to Rob Greenspan, Kee Hyung Kim, CEO, meet specific customer demands. President, Chief Finance One, Inc. We believe smart and adaptive decision- Executive, Greenspan Consult, Inc. making will be essential for our clients’ suc- cess and that we are the right lender and fac- and when the trade deals will be concluded. tor to help them manage through the challenges As always, companies need to keep a high and capitalize on the opportunities in 2020. level of liquidity in their businesses. You need to make sure you can survive on your cash Joshua Goodhart, Executive Vice flow without having to go to your lender for President, National Sales Manager, continuous over-advances. Work on improv- ing profitability by managing gross profit mar- Merchant Financial Group gins and overhead and of course keeping in- 2019 was certainly an interesting year for ventory at the proper levels and turnover rates. the apparel industry. Although the stock mar- ket’s performance was well above what most Kee Hyun Kim, Chief Executive Officer, analysts expected, the apparel market contin- Finance One, Inc. ued to fight through turbulent times and new challenges. I would say the most prominent The U.S. economy expanded at a healthy Working Capital Solutions obstacles included the tariffs put on foreign- rate in 2019 despite fears of a looming reces- made product as well as the constant strug- sion. A steady growth is expected to continue gles of many large chain retailers and bricks- in 2020 with a low unemployment rate and Tailored for Your Business and-mortar outlets. In 2019, we saw the trend relatively high consumer confidence. But of more retailers filing bankruptcy and their there are numerous uncertainties that can financial condition continuing to deteriorate. have significant impact on our economy. We saw wholesalers seek other options out- Domestically, the outcome of the 2020 NEW YORK LOS ANGELES CHARLOTTE side China to produce goods and try to man- presidential election and the ongoing nego- Bob Grbic Gino Clark David Montiel age expenses. Overall, many wholesalers saw tiation of the trade agreement with China add [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] a drop in sales volume due to not wanting to layers of unpredictability. Brexit, the contin- 212.887.7902 213.226.5350 (704) 248-5748 accept a thinner-margin business or a once- ued protests in Hong Kong and the spread of solid retailer no longer being creditworthy. coronavirus are some of the global factors www.whiteoaksf.com In 2020, I believe we will still see much of that can impact the U.S. economy. On top of the same trends for the traditional wholesale those economic uncertainties, troubles within apparel businesses that we saw in 2019. Those the apparel industry are expected to continue. wholesalers who have adapted, kept overhead The increasing cost of doing business and de- tight and maintained solid relationships with clining numbers of retail stores are expected their core retail accounts will continue to fi- to persist throughout the year. nancially weather the storm. We will see more Opportunities exist even amid an indus- Superior credit protection, and more private-equity money going into trywide slump and economic uncertainties. growing direct-to-consumer businesses with Sustainable fashion continues to be one of fun, new products that will create excitement the main interests among young consum- unparalleled industry insight. in the market. Companies will look to use ers. Companies first to adapt and act on more financial resources on more joint col- changes in consumer behavior will have a laborations with other brands, celebrities and better chance to succeed. The proliferation influencers to try and develop an extra buzz of e-commerce has caused retailers to opt for in the market. Manufacturers will continue drop-ship orders. Vendors who can effective- to search for other resources for production ly manage the inventory and provide service at competitive prices outside of China. We to the consumer should be able to increase would also urge our clients and other apparel business volume in 2020. manufacturers to not take any unnecessary fi- nancial risks to maximize profits. Sunnie S. Kim, President, CEO, Hana I do believe there will be challenges in Financial, Inc. 2020, but I also believe there will be op- portunities. There is a tremendous amount Although our firm does not provide spe- of private-equity money out there as well as cific economic advice, we feel 2020 will M&A opportunities in the apparel sector. If be another year filled with uncertainty for re- the price is right, these opportunities can be tail apparel. Consumer behavior is still shift- very lucrative in this environment. ing, the possibility of a recession looms on the horizon, and international-trade conflicts Rob Greenspan, President, Chief are not yet fully resolved. Executive, Greenspan Consult, Inc. In such a climate, firms should prioritize investing in automation and technology and 2019 was not the easiest year to navigate more carefully managing expenses to build due to the continued retail issues of store clo- reserves for future growth. QUICK DEDICATED INCREASED RESPONSE FASHION INDUSTRY CREDIT sures, bankruptcies, continuing retail credit TIME EXPERIENCE COVERAGE issues and of course the effects of Internet Robert Meyers, President, Republic sales continuing to pound the retail environ- Business Credit, LLC For over 75 years, Milberg Factors has been delivering factoring solutions to our satis ed clients. ment. 2020 will probably be more of the same. As one of the largest factoring and commercial nance companies in the United States, we’re a top Companies need to continue to find ways to Republic’s advice remains pretty consistent choice for the fashion industry — because we understand your business. As a Milberg client, you grow their topline sales revenues. That will every year. The only certain thing in business can rest easy knowing that you’ll get the credit protection you need, when you need it. include e-commerce growth as the wholesale these days seems to be its consistent uncertainty. side of the business is becoming more difficult 2020 seems to have it all for apparel manufacture For more information, contact Dave Reza at 818 6498662. to find, develop and grow new customers. to worry about, elections, travel restrictions, tar- Managing production through the tariff is- iffs, trade wars, new supply chains and elongated sues was a real problem during 2019. Many Chinese New Year to kick it all off. Republic’s FACTORING SERVICES companies have been successful in finding new advice remains rather simple, you need to have COMMERCIAL FINANCE

sources of production in non-tariff countries. flexibility in your business wherever possible. CALIFORNIA | NEW YORK | NORTH CAROLINA TRADE FINANCE Continuing to find new avenues for quality Businesses should strive for a diverse customer production should be a focus for apparel com- base, robust ecommerce platform, higher mar- .. SERVICES TO BANKS panies during 2020 as we still don’t know how Finance page 8

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Finance Continued from page 7 slowed a little toward the end of last year due to the uncertainty surrounding the tariff situation, spending gins, retain profits, less inventory on hand should improve as that uncertainty begins to lift. In- and reduce their overheads wherever pos- terest rates should remain reasonably low as the Fed sible. While all of that isn’t easy, it provides is basically in a holding pattern on rates. a pathway for your business to absorb the While consumer spending should remain strong uncertainty. The biggest struggles we see in 2020, the key for apparel companies continues to involve apparel companies that are cash lie in their ability to capture consumer dollars rela- tight and keep more inventory on hand tive to purchases of other goods and services. The than necessary. Cash remains king during companies that continue to thrive have been able to these types of cycles and uncertain times. diversify their customer bases, whether through ac- Make sure that you have discussed your quisitions, adding new product categories or licens- business projections with your accountant Sunnie Kim, President, Robert Meyers Kevin Sullivan, Senior Ken Wengrod, Co- es, or venturing out into new distribution channels. and factor so they are prepared to support CEO, Hana Financial, President, Republic Vice President, Regional founder, President, FTC Direct-to-consumer models will continue to impact your success in the upcoming years. Inc. Business Credit, LLC Credit Manager, Commercial Corp. apparel, and the ability to either develop company- Commercial Services Group, Wells Fargo owned DTC models or find new customers in the Kevin Sullivan, Senior Vice President, Regional Capital Finance space will remain an important part of maintaining Credit Manager, Commercial Services Group, Wells or growing topline revenues in 2020. economy remains pretty strong. Unemployment continues to run Fargo Capital Finance at around 3.5 percent, which is about as low as the unemploy- Ken Wengrod, Co-founder, President, FTC Commercial Corp. It’s important to remember that, despite some of the issues ment rate gets. We’re seeing around a 2.0 percent GDP growth that continue to plague the retail bricks-and-mortar segment, the rate, which also remains pretty solid. While business spending 2020 will be an excellent year for apparel manufacturers who understand how to deal with vola- tility and mitigating market risks. I believe the U.S. economy will re- main robust, with strong consumer confidence, and, with the trade barriers behind us, today’s apparel manufacturers will need to heavily compete to attract consumer dollars for their merchandise. First and foremost, apparel manufacturers need to have the right merchandise for their specific consumers. They need to define their DNA and stay true to their core beliefs. Old business models and strategies need to be discarded and replaced with strategies that stress new technologies, includ- ing a strong emphasis on digital, sustainability and diversity. Pres- sure to employ new technology will be evident. Small to medium enterprises, on the surface, will be at a disadvantage to larger play- ers who have the funds for R&D and acquire the “right platforms.” SMEs need to run lean operations with low overhead so they can em- ploy the necessary technology to effectively compete in this new en- vironment. Building financial flex- ibility should remain their focus by maximizing gross margins, low overhead and not chasing sales. Manufacturers need to de- velop a platform and marketplace that consists of a multi-channel distribution network, bricks-and- mortar, social media and on-line WORKING CAPITAL SOLUTIONS sales. These are key opportunities to maximize the exposure of their merchandise. FOR INNOVATIVE BUSINESSES. In 2020, today’s consumers, Millennials and Gen Zers are ex- pecting manufacturers to walk the talk on sustainability. Manufactur- ers will need to develop a strategic We’re committed to amplifying the growth of your business with our plan to define their life’s purpose forward-thinking ­nancing services. Get in touch with Merchant today to and how they are addressing sus- tainability, diversity and their sup- talk about how we can help you set sail to your dream business. ply chain. Once the consumers feel confident knowing the manu- facturers are transparent in these areas and have a positive experi- ence visiting the manufacturer’s marketplace, the consumers will be inclined to spend. Also, building export sales should be a primary focus in this coming year. Ninety-five percent NEW YORK of the potential market is outside NEW YORK LOS ANGELES MIAMI of our boundaries. Europeans and Asians are still craving U.S.- Ph. (212) 840-7575 Ph. (213) 347-0101 Ph. (954) 440-1453 designed merchandise, especially the SoCal lifestyle. The essence in 2020 will be for apparel makers MERCHANTFINANCIAL.COM to be able to be agile so they can move quickly and maintain their resolve for all challenges. ●

8 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

01,6-9-cover-finance.indd 8 1/30/20 8:41 PM NEWS New Faces at Z Supply as Company Is on the Move and Expanding Its Reach

Known for its simple essentials in the womenswear cat- egory, Z Supply recently announced a number of changes as the company expands. The formerly Irvine, Calif.–head- quartered brand recently moved into a new 25,000-square- foot office space in Costa Mesa, Calif. With this move, the company gains more than 5,000 additional square feet. In addition to its namesake brand, 7-year-old Z Supply includes a roster of brands that includes Rag Poets, White Crow and Others Follow. Under its Z Supply brand, the company will expand its Z Supply Lounge collection, which will include fresh prints and silhouettes in addition to acces- sories including sleep masks, socks and bags. The company will also expand into the specialty lines Z Supply Girls, targeting ages 7–14, and Z Supply Black, which adds day-to-night offerings to the brand that is known for its comfortable, essential pieces. Using the Las Vegas shows to JADE YUAN unveil the Fall 2020 collections for these labels, Z Supply Ann Fong Kristy Michaels Kelly Santos Stacy Voisard will introduce pieces during Project Women’s, which will be held Feb. 5–7. Recently appointed Z Supply president Mandy Fry—who for- mally joined the company in Octo- ber after providing consulting ser- vices to the brand for six months— Crystal by looks forward to this expansion and continued growth. bierrebi International “Our brands’ identities are 8725 NW 18th Terrace, Suite 304, serving as the compass leading Doral, FL 33172 - USA Z Supply in a direction of con- ph. +1 305 456 1082 tinued growth and expansion this [email protected] year,” Fry said in a statement. www.crystal-cut.it “They are bursting at the seams with fresh designs and creative direction across several categories that are sure to catch the attention of our loyal customers and extend Innovation…tailored our reach into new accounts as well.” In addition to an expanded Top quality, single-ply automatic space and fresh collections, Z cutting for the fashion, automotive Supply had announced new hires and home textiles industries, now across departments. Named to the available with two innovative chief financial officer and chief features, Vision and Slide Away. operations officer position, BB Dakota alum Ann Fong joined the team earlier in January. In August 2019, Stacy Voisard was hired as design director, following her work as creative director for P.J. Salvage. As the co-founder of Amuse Society, Fry sought talent from her former team when making im- portant talent-sourcing decisions. After fulfilling roles at Vitamin A and Amuse Society, Kelly Santos was named Z Supply’s digital mar- keting director in October 2019. “We are excited to have such an amazing pool of talent join the team,” Fry said. “We are focusing on hiring top talent to assist in our strategic growth.” Another Amuse Society alum, Kristy Michaels, will now work with the team as design director of White Crow, an appointment Features include: made earlier this month. Addi- tional appointments were made to the company’s design, production, Vision: e-commerce and data-analysis de- Image management and pattern partments. matching placements (stripes & checks, “Z Supply is ascending to new pr ints, etc.). heights with incredible talent join- A high resolution camera captures the ing our already stellar team and an office space that is sure to in- fabric texture and a latest generation spire and accommodate our fu- software creates the best placement. ture growth,” Fry said. “Some of Z Supply’s biggest goals this year Slide Away: included continuing to elevate our Automatic unloading system to increase existing brands through design and the productivity. In a few seconds, it is marketing, cultivating brand part- nerships, and identifying and capi- possible to start again the cutting process talizing on new opportunities in while the operator collects the material the market. We are excited to get just cut. moving this year.” —Dorothy Crouch

APPARELNEWS.NET JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 9

01,6-9-cover-finance.indd 9 1/30/20 8:42 PM MADE IN AMERICA SPONSORED CONTENT 2020 Trends: How to Set Yourself Up for Financial Success in the Year Ahead By Sydnee Breuer

As the new year gets into full swing, especially when it comes to taking every brand is wondering what’s in advantage of growth opportunities. store for 2020. Will the retail sector face Having a factor in place that offers significantly more downsizing this year? working capital to help grow and run a Will the international-trade environment business while also protecting it from stabilize or will businesses continue bad debt and chasing payments will be Clothing and handbags by Malena Ruth to feel pinched by burdensome trade essential in 2020. tariffs? What effect will the upcoming election ultimately have on the state Making Sustainability Profitable of the economy? While no one has all With extreme weather, massive the answers, we can expect that the

wildfires, and a looming climate RUDI WEISTEIN uncertainty that overshadowed 2019 will crisis capturing headlines every day, continue for the foreseeable it’s impossible to ignore future. With those the growing trend of unpredictable factors as a sustainability in retail. Brands Sourcing From Global Artists, Malena backdrop, we’ve identified are practically tripping over a few key trends that will one another racing to be have a big impact on the the first to market with the Ruth Empowers Others With Her Brand industry in 2020. latest recycled or organic products or to tout their By Dorothy Crouch Managing Editor Balancing local production facilities E-Commerce and or fair-labor manufacturing Global inspiration is at the heart of the are refugees from domestic violence and Brick-and-Mortar practices. As consumers Mozambique-born, Los Angeles–based de- gang violence. They were looking for a way become more aware of We’re still seeing a good signer Malena Ruth. Her eponymous brand to raise funds,” she explained. “They sent how the products they has encountered an issue within fashion that some samples to me, and I knew I could cre- deal of volatility across the buy are being sourced and she hopes will re-center the appropriation by ate something out of it. I use their weaving retail sector, especially as manufactured, the pressure and create these elegant handbags.” traditional brick-and-mortar is mounting for brands to Western designers into an appreciation for continues to struggle. While be as responsible and transparent as the communities from which they take their By incorporating the work of these women there were perhaps fewer retailers that possible. inspiration. Now, as she celebrates her 10- who are facing dangerous challenges, Ruth shuttered their doors in 2019 than in As the Harvard Business Review year anniversary, Ruth is sharing her story of can emphasize her point, lending a hand-up years past, the sheer volume of overall recently reported, however, few giving back. rather than a handout. The beautiful work of store closures was felt industrywide. consumers who aspire to use “Major designers, if you dig deep into these women, which has traditionally been The majority of those closures were sustainable products and services their collections, you will find traces of Af- either appropriated or simply bought by tour- traditional retailers unable to adapt their actually follow through with purchases. rica. If I recognize a pattern [in a Western ists for much less than they are worth, is now business models to meet the demands In a recent survey, 65 percent of collection], I can say, this is inspired by the showcased in Ruth’s luxury handbags. Her of today’s consumers. And for many, respondents said they want to buy Bambara people of Malawi, or this is inspired creations couple the fabrics from these com- their online sales have simply not been purpose-driven brands that advocate by the Maasai,” she said. “My question was munities with Italian leather and hardware. able to make up for the decline in brick- sustainability, yet only 26 percent always, ‘Are these communities benefiting “How can we take them from begging and-mortar traffic. actually do. So, the challenge for brands from this? The reality is no, they are not.” for your dollar to you wanting to buy their The opposite has been true for becomes how to make sustainability digitally native brands. Last year, we Through establishing connections with co- wares?” she said. “In those communities, ev- appealing for consumers in a way that’s operatives in Africa and, now, Guatemala— erything is done by hand.” witnessed countless examples of direct- affordable—and profitable. Walmart’s to-consumer brands expanding their a major apparel-manufacturing hub—Ruth Retail price points for Ruth’s brand Made in the USA pledge to source $250 purchases fabrics from residents of commu- range from $125 for a clutch to travel bags offerings into brick-and-mortar, whether billion in products by 2023 is a great through standalone pop-ups or brand nities that are impoverished but filled with for $4,500, while garments range from $95 example of how companies are thinking creative potential. She then creates handbags for a tank top to $3,600 for a gown. Garment boutiques within high-end specialty and about this issue. department stores. We expect that many in Boyle Heights and apparel in downtown sizing ranges from 4–14 in addition to a big- more will follow suit in 2020 as wholesale Thinking Globally Los Angeles, showcasing finished pieces via and-tall line that Ruth designs for women becomes a more attractive option to Instagram @malenaruth_. who wear sizes 18–24. We’ve been spoiled in recent years broaden the customer base. Brands will “Today, manufacturing in the U.S. is be- A self-described perfectionist, Ruth recog- with a robust U.S. economy, but there need a knowledgeable financial partner coming the ‘it’ thing. Here in L.A. we have nizes that her work will not only be a reflec- is still much uncertainty on the horizon, with deep retail experience that can especially surrounding international so many people who are talented and we can tion of her brand but also her partners abroad help manage risky retailer relationships, trade. As a result, supply chains are use them to make things,” she said. “I want who are working toward building a better advise on distribution channels, and, becoming incredibly complex. As to walk into that factory and feel comfortable. life. It is the foundation upon which her brand most importantly, collect payments. an example, an L.A.-based apparel The only way I could do that is making it here, was launched when she started 10 years ago going to the factory, sitting there and knowing working with mud cloth from Mali, eventu- Brands Need to Be Everywhere company might be sourcing products from Vietnam and Italy and selling to it’s a good place that I can be proud of.” ally sourcing embroidered fabrics from South It’s become more challenging than retailers on multiple continents. We In addition to purchasing the fabrics out- Africa. ever for apparel brands to keep up expect to see a much more diverse right rather than simply copying the designs, “It’s not just about me. It’s about all the with customer tastes and demands. supply chain in 2020 as brands rely Ruth also contributes an additional 10 percent makers,” she said. “I always think, ‘I can do Consumer preferences are changing by more heavily on suppliers in places like to 20 percent of her net profit to reinvest in better than that,’ so I always have more than the day and the brands that can’t keep Bangladesh, India, and South America the communities where the artists live. While one, so I come up with six or seven designs. up are finding themselves permanently rather than tying up much-needed Ruth loves designing bags and garments, her That is how I started.” behind the eight ball. Leveraging data capital and resources in places like passion is elevating young girls from com- In addition to working through her Afri- at every touch point, enhancing the China. shopping experience with innovative munities in countries such as Mozambique, can Millennium Foundation, Ruth brings Doing business globally requires a South Africa and Tanzania. children from places such as Kenya and Tan- tech, and creating memorable thorough understanding of international- experiential offerings have given many “If they give credit to where their inspi- zania to study in the United States. She is trade and domestic-manufacturing ration is coming from, it will not only make also working to produce Los Angeles–based brands a leg up on their competitors. issues as well as the potential impact The key to winning over customers them succeed but they will also empower events to showcase African and Guatemalan both can have on a company’s liquidity the people from where the inspiration came creatives. Through this event, she hopes to in 2020 will be about developing deeper and bottom line. The right financial from,” she explained. “This world is inter- reinvest in children’s education in these com- connections with them wherever they partner with expertise in these areas are—on their phones, in their homes, can help brands navigate trade tariffs, twined; we are all interconnected in some munities. even on Instagram. This transformed supplier prepayment requirements, way. By doing that, they will lend humanity “My vision for the future is to work with shopping experience will likely focus and other hurdles with more ease and to their own designs.” different co-ops from around the globe, espe- more on giving customers tangible flexibility. From Africa, she chooses wovens and em- cially from developing countries, and bring opportunities to experience the brand broidered fabrics. Through a cooperative in other designers onboard for them to source and less on the actual transaction. The Sydnee Breuer is EVP and Western Mali she is looking forward to sourcing more directly from those communities and have toughest challenge for brands will be Region Manager at Rosenthal & wovens and is working with artists to create the [artists] benefit from all that we see here how to do this well when revenue drops Rosenthal, the largest privately held a look that will be more popular in the West. in the magazines,” she said. “It doesn’t take and cash flow is strained. The most factor and finance company in the Her Guatemalan fabric is sourced through an much. They don’t need much. If other de- successful companies will figure out how United States. For more information, visit organization that assists women in the region signers come onboard, we will help elevate a to be more efficient, creative, and nimble, www.rosenthalinc.com. who are fleeing domestic violence. community of girls and send them to school, “The nonprofit works with women who giving them a chance for a better life.” ●

10 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

10-12-mia-denim.indd 10 1/30/20 8:46 PM 10-12-mia-denim.indd 11 afforded by nature. afforded bynature. ing outdoors in the sunshine, relishing the splendor images reflect time spent in citrus groves and relax campaign alsoreliedontexturesfoundinnature,as for yearstocome.Amajorfocusthebrand’slatest fresh stylesyetwillalsoserveasinvestmentpieces ing piecesthatremainrelevantfortheSpringseason’s approach totrendsinbluedenimandtie-dye,yield- ing thesenaturallyinspiredhues,Éticabrings a classic blush whendevelopingitsdenimforthisseason.Us- les brand Ética coffee rootforitsSpring2020inspiration,LosAnge- Ecologically Sound,ResponsiblePractices Ética BringsaNaturalApproachto JESSE GANTT The ethicallymade,sociallyconsciousanden- Returning tonature’sofferingsinflorals,barkand relied on a palette of tan, patina and - clean enoughtoeventuallybeusedinfarming. production. Waterthatisusedduringtheprocess steps thathavelongbeenapartoftraditionaldenim amounts ofwaterandeliminateanumbertoxic Ética engages inpracticesthatrequireonlysmall ter supplies.ThroughitsworkwithHeraApparel, duce its products to reduce the impact on freshwa- on usingcleanermanufacturingtechniquestopro- tion totheglobalwater-healthcrisisasitfocuses facturing. Thisseason,Ética wishedtobringatten- company adhere to a program of responsible manu- drew inspirationfromitssolutions,whichhelpthe vironmentally aware women’s clothing brand also DENIM —Dorothy Crouch APPARELNEWS.NET JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6,2020CALIFORNIAAPPAREL NEWS11 1/30/20 8:47 PM TECHNOLOGY ACTIVEWEAR / APPAREL / INTIMATES Startup SeeBiz Wants to Introduce Social CRM Nadeem Ballaj has worked on all sides of Boom have gained popularity in fashion- business, ranging from wholesaling sports- business circles. wear to managing websites for fashion com- SeeBiz is currently in beta testing. Ballaj panies and entrepreneurs. Prior to his latest anticipates officially releasing it in the spring. venture, the Los Angeles–based businessman “My goal is to help small businesses elim- concluded that a lot of technology designed inate overhead and basically save time and to improve business might contribute to en- money,” he said. Currently, more than 1,500 trepreneurs losing sales. American businesses, which range from ap- All of the communications tools that parel to home goods and herbal medicine, are business owners currently have at their fin- part of the beta test. gertips—phone, email, website and social Businesses working on SeeBiz join its net- media—never reach all of the people that an work and participate in a platform where they entrepreneur needs to contact in order to in- can make business profiles and digital show- troduce new products or to make announce- rooms that exhibit products. Companies also ments. When entrepreneurs can’t get their can sell products and make orders for goods messages through, they miss out on sales. in their digital showrooms. With the social- Ballaj said that his new platform, SeeBiz, media style platform, they also can use tools is a new angle in customer-relationship man- such as instant messaging and chat. agement. On another SeeBiz screen, businesses can “It’s a unique platform,” he said. “It’s so- work on back-office tasks such as invoic- cial CRM.” ing as well as inventory management. This SeeBiz will offer an expansive platform part of the platform also can assemble sales for managing contacts. It also will provide reports. Eventually, the platform will offer a tools for back-office jobs and sales. He de- place to handle shipping. scribed it as a mix of Facebook, Quikbooks SeeBiz is a company that runs on the MAGIC and the e-market Alibaba.com. Amazon Cloud system. Participation in the Feb 5-7, 2020 He is introducing this platform to a wide SeeBiz social network is free. However, the Booth: 71830 array of businesses, which includes fashion company will eventually charge fees for host- brands. The fashion business has long been ing back-office tasks such as inventory man- criticized for being slow to adapt to new agement, Ballaj said. Businesses will not be ASD LAS VEGAS technology. However, in the past decade, charged any fees during a trial period upon Mar 22-25, 2020 new sales platforms such as Joor and Brand- joining the platform.—Andrew Asch Booth: C-4231 NEW RESOURCES YELETE 6450 BANDINI BLVD COMMERCE, CA 90040 New Fashion Duo Starts Funeral Party 323.201.3770 [email protected] @YELETE Los Angeles’ Funeral Party brand has tures a cartoon of a hot-rod hearse. Another WWW.YELETE.COM been sold in San Francisco’s influential brand graphic features a gothic cathedral and Stashed boutique for a few months as well the name of the brand. as in a couple of Tokyo-area boutiques such Funeral Party’s other looks include pull- as Sugata. But the brand’s founders, Jordan over and zip-up hoodies that feature high-end Avery and Max Bahramipour, made the of- Riri-brand zippers. The first collection also ficial drop of Funeral Party’s first collec- offers an oversized, boxy Sherpa jacket that tion on Jan. 24 on its will set something of a Designer’s Atelier direct-to-consumer web- pattern for the collec- site, funeral-party.com, tion. Some of the collec- after the site’s design had tion’s other items feature been polished. They also fitted silhouettes. The wanted to wait for an of- designers wanted fitted ficial release until after and boxy styles to be Private Label they placed the brand’s juxtaposed against each clothing on hip-hop art- other, Avery said. They ists such as Cousin Stizz also thought that it could and Levi Carter, whom present an alternative. Patternmaking Funeral Party styles dur- “We were tired of ev- ing performances and for erything being oversized. performers’ Instagram We wanted some items profiles. to be cropped so you Grading The novice fashion could see the layering. entrepreneurs make the The pieces would not brand in Los Angeles. be hidden by each other. They hoped to offer a Funeral Party hoodie They would not be lost,” Markers fashion label that would Avery said. mix elements of streetwear and luxury. They The line’s other styles include cargo pants, also wanted a name that would make the line dubbed the Casket cargo, which feature pip- stand out. ing on the pant’s side pockets utilizing unique Samples “It has a dark connotation,” Bahramipour colors such as gold on green pants, pink on said. “But it’s celebrating life and mourning. camel-colored pants and black-velvet piping It’s a perfect in-between.” on black pants. Funeral Party’s first drop features 18 gar- Retail price points run $65 for a trucker Any Quantity Production ments, including sweatpants, T-shirts and cap, $85 for a T-shirt, $250 for a pullover hoodies. Graphics are an important part of hoodie, $325 for a zip-up hoodie, $550 for Funeral Party’s first line. pants and $600 for a Sherpa jacket. “Graphics are big,” Avery said. “I wanted Funeral Party serves as the first fashion everything to be recognizable.” venture for the business partners. Avery Big graphics are a way to get noticed and formerly worked as a hip-hop musician stay on people’s radars, Avery said. He de- and also ran a company that resold vintage veloped the graphics with designer AntNoir, concert shirts, inspiring some of the vintage who worked on the streetwear brand Van- looks of the Funeral Party line. Bahramipour ity and also collaborated with the streetwear worked in real estate, where he worked with 1515 Maple Ave. #15 LA. CA. 90015 brand Black Scale. investor groups to redevelop homes and sell Funeral Party graphics include a skull and them for a profit. 213 - 926 - 8979 crossbones juxtaposed with a large cinematic Next up for the brand is a capsule collec- [email protected] font spelling out the brand’s name. Another tion that is scheduled to be released for Sum- graphic features a mock advertisement for mer 2020 and another 18-piece collection www.filandneedle.com “Funeral Party Mortuary Services” that fea- scheduled to be released for Fall 2020.—A.A.

12 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

10-12-mia-denim.indd 12 1/30/20 8:48 PM RETAIL REAL ESTATE After A Decade, Malibu To Build a Retail Center

By Andrew Asch Retail Editor with cities and private-sector developers. “In many coastal communities, it can take 10 or more years Malibu has been taking steps to give a final approval to to complete if it has any scale to it,” he said. “Coastal commu- start construction of Malibu La Paz Ranch, a new retail cen- nities like things the way they are. Many residents don’t want ter, it will be one of the only new retail centers to be con- to see more. More is not always good for coastal communi- structed in Malibu in more than a decade. This project is being ties. They’re justifiably worried about overdevelopment and developed in a market where only around two new malls have as a result there’s a natural tension between developers and a opened in the past 12 months in California. city’s constituents.” The Malibu La Paz Ranch project recently passed a signifi- Describing negotiations between developers and residents cant milestone in a long approval process. The City of Malibu’s looking to control development as a “full-contact sport,” Kos- planning commission approved revised plans for the project on mont offered a few words of advice. “Bring your pads, your Jan. 21, which has been called La Paz Ranch when undergoing helmet and probably your lawyer,” he said. the permitting process. With Jay Luchs, vice chairman of New- While the permitting process is arduous, developers can mark Knight Frank, managing leasing details, an anticipated earn a lucrative payday from developing retail centers. The date for Malibu La Paz to open is May 2022, according Bryan A rendering of La Paz Ranch Malibu Lumber Yard developers, Richard Weintraub and Gordon, chief executive officer of Pacific Equity Properties, business partner Richard Sperber, spent $25.5 million to de- Inc., which is developing the center. Retail and offices will be housed in buildings that the de- velop the two-story, 31,441-square-foot retail center. In 2012, The last boutique retail center constructed in Malibu was veloper says are inspired by “coastal rural village” architec- Glimcher Realty Trust, a real-estate investment company, the Malibu Lumber Yard, a boutique-retail center that ture. Buildings will feature natural materials that blend with acquired the property for $35.5 million. opened in 2009. Malibu Lumber Yard is a short walk away the surrounding area of mountains and ocean. Malibu La Paz In a market where a lot of commercial property has been from Malibu La Paz Ranch, which is sandwiched between the Ranch will feature landscaping that includes plants native to developed, entrepreneurs seek to redevelop sites. Earlier this Malibu Civic Center and Malibu Country Mart. The mart Malibu and the Santa Monica Mountains. The eastern edge of month it was announced that a former Sears building at the is an established retail center and the address of high-end bou- the retail center will feature a multi-use trail for biking, hiking Westfield Topanga & The Village mall in Los Angeles’ tiques such as John Varvatos, Double RL and Alice & Ol- and horseback riding. Woodland Hills area would be redeveloped into a shopping ivia. All of these developments are located in the city’s main The project will offer 519 parking spaces, some of which and entertainment district. The mall’s parent company, Uni- government-and-retail hub in Malibu, which is located at the will be located in an underground parking structure. Parking bail-Rodamco-Westfield, will revamp the 160,000-square- intersection of Pacific Coast Highway and Civic Center Way. options will include valet and 33 electric-vehicle charging sta- foot Sears building for $250 million, according to media re- A retail center anchored by a Whole Foods grocery opened tions; there will also be space for bicycle storage. ports. in June 2019. This center is located adjacent to the vacant lot Initially approved by the Malibu City Council in 2008, the Mall guru Paco Underhill, an environmental psychologist, where Malibu La Paz is scheduled to be constructed. Malibu La Paz Ranch project’s developers were required to author of “Call of the Mall” and chief executive officer of Malibu La Paz will feature 42,000-square-feet of office complete a lengthy permitting process that included nearly the retail-development consulting firm Envirosell, Inc., said space and 70,000-square-feet of retail space. Malibu La Paz every detail of the plans to be carefully vetted. At the recent that in the past few years mall developers have been looking also will feature unique architecture, as well as green space planning commission meeting, developers submitted plans to bring nontraditional businesses into malls. These untapped to picnic, lounge and places where kids can play. “There’s that improved pedestrian safety, polished guidelines for the opportunities include residences, schools, groceries and even no real meeting place in Malibu,” Gordon said. “We aim to Malibu La Paz garage and relocated the area’s retail closer places of worship. create a place in Malibu where people can hang out. “When to Civic Center Way. The planning commission also gave a “When you think of American shopping malls, the most people hang out, shopping and dining will happen organi- green light for a restaurant to serve breakfast in the morning. important resource they have is the crumbling parking lot that cally.” Gordon anticipates fashion retail playing a role at the A lengthy permitting process is common, said Larry Kos- surrounds the malls,” he said. “There are plenty of opportu- center, which is intended to serve Malibu residents and people mont, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Kos- nities to develop something new in sprawling parking lots, who work in the area. mont Companies, a real-estate advisory firm that consults perhaps a use that did not fit into a traditional mall.” ●

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APPARELNEWS.NET JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 13

13-retail-realestate.indd 13 1/30/20 8:38 PM TRADE SHOW REPORT Mexico’s Intermoda Expands International Offer By Ivan Castano Contributing Writer Top industry lobby Canaive Yucatán director Fernando Muñoz forecasted exports could jump 3 percent this year as During the 72nd edition of Guadalajara, Mexico’s textile- long as U.S. demand remains relatively firm. and-apparel sourcing event Intermoda—dubbed “Intermoda Yucatán is working to diversify its fashion offerings, most Fashion and Business”—visitors found clothing, accessories, notably with the recent purchase of a digital-printing machine footwear and, in the women’s aisle, a broad assortment of to make larger amounts of pricier linen and cotton apparel, dresses, from wedding to quinceañera collections. Muñoz added. This includes guayaberas, or Cuban-style “One of the things about Intermoda is that you can find summer dress shirts that local brands such as Hábito and everything now—and I mean everything,” said Jaime Barba, G.Candila sell to markets in California and Florida, which president and part owner of the biannual Mexico apparel-in- Muñoz claimed buy 60 percent of all U.S.-bound Mexican dustry sourcing fair. garments. He said the event, billed as Mexico’s largest of its kind, “We make 100,000 guayaberas monthly, of which 5,000 has grown 50 percent over the past 10 years, with its global- are exported,” said Muñoz. “We hope to begin exporting at sourcing wing now drawing more than 100 buyers from the least 5 percent more every year.” United States and nearly 50 from California. Alysh booth That may be easier said than done, said Emilio Penhos, “We have grown to 1,520 stands and 1,000 brands,” Barba fornia visitors often come searching for childrenswear, den- owner of the outerwear brand Shyla, who said that Mexican said during the four-day event’s Jan. 14–17 edition in Mexi- im, women’s sportswear and specialized imported fabrics. A trademarks face tough challenges planting a flag in the U.S. co’s fashion capital. growing Asian pavilion saw Thailand added to the fold. “There are many practical and marketing know-how barri- Barba said California firms—highlighting jeans-wear la- Barba said that U.S. buyers, who also came from Texas, ers,” he said. “It’s very difficult to be recognized in a highly bel Ranger as one scouting for denim shirts and Little Kids Arizona and Illinois, ordered roughly $1.3 million in product. competitive market unless you have a local structure and good Wear as searching for finished apparel or full-package sup- Meanwhile, he estimated international sourcing contracts for partnerships.” pliers—account for the largest buyer delegations visiting the the whole fair totaled $45 million. Additionally, Penhos mentioned that greater marketing ef- fair, which also boasts showrooms, a new-designers wing and Intermoda comes as Mexico hopes to recover textile and forts would benefit the Mexican apparel market. several runway shows. apparel exports to the U.S., which fell 6.4 percent between “Mexican brands have to do a better job at marketing There was also a strong lingerie presence, dominated by 2017 and 2018 to hover around $4 billion as NAFTA’s 2.0 themselves. Everyone knows Corona beer, for example, but big stands from Colombia’s Leonisa and Ann Chery. Cali- rewrite and presidential elections hurt trade. hardly anyone knows Mexican fashion.” In New York, Apparel Sourcing USA and Texworld USA Break Records Following the New York editions of sibling shows Ap- als. Other educational components included the Innovation parel Sourcing USA and Texworld USA, the Atlanta-based Spotlight, a segment that afforded opportunities for guests to show producer Messe Frankfurt North America—a subsid- experience materials such as smart textiles and engage with iary of the Frankfurt, Germany–headquartered Messe Frank- providers of fresh options in fiber sourcing that were high- furt—reported record attendance for its winter editions. The lighted during the conference. shows made news because of a greater focus on sustainable As the term “sustainability” continues to reflect an expand- practices as the push toward sustainability in the garment in- ing umbrella of progressive initiatives such as ecologically dustry grows with rising concerns about environmental im- sound manufacturing, closed-loop apparel manufacturing, ethi- pacts and social awareness. cal sourcing and empowerment of developing communities, “This edition has proved to be one of the most successful to this edition of the shows provided needed clarity to help attend- date, with innovation and sustainability initiatives incorporat- ees make decisions regarding their next steps. Through Textile ed into every aspect of the exposition,” Jennifer Bacon, show Talks and the Texworld USA Lenzing seminar series, attend- director for fashion and apparel for Messe Frankfurt North ees were able to explore in greater detail topics that included America, said in a statement. “We are elated at the level of en- “Women in Textiles,” “Intro into Traceability, Standards & gagement that we have received from the visitors. The impact The New Dimensions by The Donger Group Sustainability” and “Collection the Key to Circularity.” of technology on the industry has never been stronger, and we “The educational series and seminars this past year had a are pleased to be seen as the premiere platform for sourcing a compelling reflection of Texworld USA’s position in the heavy focus on not only how to be sustainable with fabric and product discovery in the marketplace.” market,” Bacon said. materials but also as a company—which is a huge focus for Hosted at the Javits Center Jan. 19–21, the shows report- Messe Frankfurt North America reported attendees hail- Revolve in 2020,” Julie Wilensky, fabric research and devel- ed an increase in attendance of 8 percent, with show floors ing from several regions of the United States, France, Austra- opment manager for Revolve, said in a statement. that boasted nearly sold-out space. Exhibitors that partici- lia, Canada, Japan, Brazil, India, Israel, Mexico, Guatemala, A new Texworld USA trend showcase, named The New pated traveled to New York from Canada, the United States, Puerto Rico, Italy, Costa Rica, Argentina, Taiwan, the U.K. Dimension, was developed by the New York–headquartered Colombia, India, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Thailand and and South Africa. According to Melissa Stefania Parra Nuñez fashion-and retail-strategy firm The Doneger Group in order Ukraine. Country pavilions were organized to represent the of Colombia’s Textiles Lafayette SAS, the consistent traffic to unveil trends for Spring/Summer 2020 and 2021. offerings of Mauritius, Korea, Nepal and Taiwan in addition resulted in a welcome issue. “The inspiration behind The New Dimension is to pur- to a Lenzing pavilion that showcased products using Tencel “I was so busy I couldn’t even take a break,” she said in a posefully rethink the definition of fashion,” Kai Chow, The and Lenzing Modal. statement. “I’ve done a lot of business.” Doneger Group’s creative director, said in a statement. “Here, “Our show floor has equipped retailers, designers and ap- For this edition, Messe Frankfurt North America intro- fashion meets sustainability and durability, traditional compli- parel buyers with the knowledge about new materials, tech- duced FashionInnovate, a conference during which industry ments high-tech and form marries function with long-lasting nology and trends to grow their businesses, and the spectacu- leaders discussed trends and advancements, including block- styles taking on seasonless and multipurpose qualities.” lar collection of domestic and international manufacturers is chain technology, circular tracing and biosynthetic materi- —Dorothy Crouch The Fabric Shows by DG Expo Showcase Textile Options at Lower Minimums Show producer DG Expo unveiled its latest edition of the with low minimums both in Los Angeles and overseas,” he said. New York Fabric Show Jan. 20–21 at The Metropolitan “That generates a lot of interest from startups who are looking to Pavilion located in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. The enter the market with their own proprietary things.” trade show saw buyers from boutique brands in addition to He also mentioned a few lingering challenges regarding large players including DKNY, Calvin Klein, Chico’s, Dis- price points, but Kaufman works with his customers to offer ney and NBCUniversal. the best quality at the most affordable cost. “This show was launched in 2012 as a low-minimum “Obviously the tariffs have impacted some of our fabrics,” sourcing show, primarily for designer brands. What we he said. “We try to absorb as much as we can, but there are quickly learned was that everybody needs small quantities some things that have to be passed on.” sometimes,” Susan Power, producer of the show, said in a In this current climate, Kaufman sees an opportunity to statement. “Visitors to our show include some of the most connect with the customers who don’t require inventory at prominent names in our industry. We see many well-known the level of a large corporation while exhibiting at a show designers on a regular basis. Our exhibitors also welcome such as DG Expo’s events. startups, realizing that they are potentially future customers!” New York Fabric Show “We have customers that supply major retailers and a lot Offering fabrics to meet multiple categories including of boutiques. [The show] offers a wide range of fabrics. Sup- men’s, women’s, children’s, career and uniform, Los Ange- of our regular customers and a fair contingent of new customers.” pliers are flexible and cater to their needs,” Kaufman said. les–based Robert Kaufman saw requests for its flannel yarn Mentioning that the show is ideal for the small-to-mid- “Regardless of the size of the company, a lot of people don’t dyes, corduroy collection and ponte knits. sized company, Kaufman noticed trends in animal-skin prints, want to be saddled with too much inventory now. Flexibility “The DG Expo show was good; over the two days we had tropicals and florals and also mentioned a growing interest in is a bigger part of this market, even for bigger companies.” more than 80 customers, which is a nice, robust turnout,” said digital printing from emerging brands. In addition to the January New York show, the Fabric Ron Kaufman, who manages sales for the manufacturing divi- “We’re a big print house. We’re starting to offer digital print- Show will return to the area in July. A new edition of the sion at his family’s nearly 80-year-old company. “We had a lot ing on every substrate, and that is a big draw for custom printing event will launch in Atlanta during June.—D.C.

14 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

14-tradeshowreport.indd 14 1/30/20 8:36 PM bossa.indd 1 1/30/20 8:13 PM RETAIL

What’s Checking Continued from page 1 boutique. But he also said that business has been recovering nicely, and the Mal- Hundreds of Malibu residents lost ibu community has supported its shops homes during the devastating Woolsey even through tough times. Fire of November 2018. Many moved “They are loyal customers,” he said of the away, and the city’s retail suffered, said people of Malibu. “They love their commu- Fred Levine, co-founder of the M.Fredric nity.”

M.Fredric exterior M.Fredric interior

M.Fredric Malibu Country Mart to $200. One of the brands mak- 23410 Civic Center Way ing these coats is Dylan, said www.mfredric.com/malibu Mikayla Giroux, an M.Fredric Malibu salesperson. “They are For the second time in its soft and reasonably priced,” she 12-year-history, the M.Fredric said. “They are cozy when it’s boutique at the Malibu Country been really cold.” Mart is being remodeled. The A biker-style leather jacket 4,200-square-foot space will get produced by the Mauritius new tiles on its floor as well as brand retails for $250. Custom- new lighting and fixtures, said ers like the soft feel of the leather Fred Levine, co-founder of the and the price. Similar biker jack- casual-fashion retailer that is ets for women are triple the cost headquartered in Agoura Hills, Aviator Nation of the Mauritius jacket, she said. Calif., which neighbors Malibu. Every style in the Aviator The Malibu customer is Nation brand is selling well at unique and seeks a specific look, Levine said. M.Fredric. T-shirts start at $86, Giroux said. “It’s That customer is looking for casual sweats, the Chanel of athleisure,” she said. “It’s expen- high-end terrycloth and fashion. “It’s a differ- sive, but it’s super comfortable.” ent feeling at the beach. We have to look for Also popular are T-shirts bearing the lo- a sweet spot in styles,” he said of balancing gos of rock bands from the 1970s and ’80s. casual styles and fashion. Original Retro Brand is one of the top-sell- Popular styles at M.Fredric include faux- ing brands making this style, which retails for fur coats. Retail price points range from $100 $48 and up.

Wittmore exterior Wittmore interior Wittmore ance takes inspiration from the Malibu Village beach. 3832 Cross Creek Rd. The personality and the www.shopwittmore.com merchandise mix at Wittmore For the past eight years, Malibu is still taking shape, Paul C. Witt has run the Witt said, but apparel with a men’s lifestyle store Wit- Malibu point of view has en- tmore on Los Angeles’ West joyed popularity. The Hiro Third Street boutique neigh- Clark brand designed a hood- borhood and since 2015 a ie and a sweatshirt bearing the Wittmore shop in downtown city’s name printed upside Los Angeles’ Arts District. Alex Crane down. The hoodies retail for In August 2019, Witt opened $154 while the sweatshirt re- a third Wittmore location, located in the Mal- tails for $144. Cash flow problems are ibu Village center. The Alex Crane brand is manufactured in “I always wanted to do a Westside store, Commerce, Calif., and it has been selling well SO LAST SEASON and this is far west!” said Witt, who grew up in at Wittmore. Some of the best-selling items in- the New York City area. The California dream clude the button-down Playa shirt. The most TRADE FINANCING CREDIT PROTECTION COLLECTION brought him to Malibu. The sun-drenched, popular color is the midnight blue/turquoise– ocean-kissed scenery inspired him. A lively colored Dusk shirt. It retails for $145. The mid- SHORT-TERM LOANS FULL SERVICE FACTORING boutique scene also convinced him that the weight linen top is intended to be worn year- surf town would be a good place to take a risk round, Witt said. The brand’s chore jacket, the Custom Solutions to fit your needs — We’re here for you! on a new location. Wittmore’s neighbors in- Canvas Moss Kite, retails for $195 and has clude Fred Segal, Marine Layer, Catch Surf, also been popular. Levi’s as well as independent boutiques The Another popular item at Wittmore Malibu Los Angeles OfficeOce New York Oce Shanghai Oice Alcove and Surfing Cowboys. has been the Relwen brand’s military-in- Contact: TaeSean Chung Kim Contact: Richard Kwon Contact: Wen Qu Tel:Tel: (213) 534-2908534-2919 Tel: (212) 629-8688 Tel: 86-21-52037670 The 1,000-square-foot Wittmore Malibu spired chino pant. Different categories of the Finone.com Finone.com Shcsrs.cn has an airier feel than the urban Wittmore pant range in retail price from $198 to $220. locations. Since it is located across the street “It fits everybody from a 30 waist to a 36 from the Pacific Ocean, the shop’s ambi- waist,” Witt said.

16 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

16-17-retail-whatscheck.indd 16 1/30/20 8:42 PM RETAIL F C I F A S H I O N S C H O O L

Zuma Jay exterior Birdwell O’Neill

Zuma Jay Zuma Jay sold 13,000 T-shirts, beanies, caps, 22775 Pacific Coast Hwy. tank tops and other items bearing the shop’s https://www.facebook.com/ZumaJays/ name in 2019. “T-shirts and wetsuits are keeping us afloat,” Zuma Jay is the second-oldest retail busi- he said. Among the top-selling items at the shop ness in Malibu, said Jefferson Wagner, presi- is the Diamond T-shirt, which features a graphic dent of Zuma Jay Inc. and a two-time mayor of a diamond with the store’s name on it. Re- of the city. The oldest Malibu tail price points for T-shirts range retailer is Malibu Glass & Mir- from $10 to $17. The shirts come ror, which sells glass windows in 12 different colorways and are SHORT-TERM and doors. made on blanks from the Gil- PROGRAMS Wagner is a lifelong surfer dan label and soft garment-dyed who, in the 1960s and 1970s, ran blanks from the Comfort Colors Fashion Design Day & Night with a legendary crowd of beach label, headquartered in Paso Ro- Menswear Design lovers, which included iconic surf- bles, Calif. Programs er Miki Dora. In 1968, Wagner “The bestseller is a blue-jean Handbag Design opened a surfboard-repair shop. blue,” Wagner said. “It’s an Starting In 1975, he opened a shop on ash-colored blue that flies out Fashion Styling Now Malibu’s Zuma beach, where of here. It’s not black or light Fashion Merchandising he sold T-shirts and boardshorts Zuma Jay top gray. People are tired of a black along with surfboards. In 1979, shirt or white shirt. People are Shoe Design he moved a few miles south to the shop’s cur- ready for a little flair.” rent address. Neighbors include the exclusive Other items that are selling well are the FCI Student Little Beach House, a private club owned by O’Neill Hyperfreak boardshorts, which retail the Soho House members-only clubs. for $50. www.fcifashion.com Karoline Goncalves “It’s funny that they have a dirtbag surf “It stretches well and dries well,” he said. shop across the street,” he said of the club, “It feels nice under a wetsuit. It doesn’t get 213.688.4936 which typically serves people who drive styl- all scrunchy.” ish, expensive cars. However, Zuma Jay has Los Angeles County and California State been popular with that club-going crowd as lifeguards drop by Zuma Jay to purchase the well as tourists and veteran Malibu surfers. 520-style shorts from the Birdwell Beach People are looking for unique shopping Britches brand. The county lifeguards pur- experiences. “I’m unique, and they are buy- chase the red boardshorts, while state life- ing,” he said. With deep roots in the Mali- guards pick up the yellow style. They retail bu surf scene, people seek to be a part of it. for $75.

                       
           ­€€   ‚    @  Sol Angeles Fred Segal Mailibu Village exterior  

            
  Fred Segal Collective, curates the merchandise mix at Malibu Village Fred Segal Malibu. She said that the Malibu 3822 Cross Creek Rd. location also focuses on the Fred Segal tradi- www.fredsegal.com tion of introducing new designers. “We try Apparel News Group to give back to designers,” Sauter said. “We CREATIVE MARKETING DIRECTOR LOUISE DAMBERG Malibu is the hometown of Fred Segal, the get brands that people are interested in learn- DIRECTOR OF SALES AND MARKETING founder of the pioneering Fred Segal boutiques. ing about and we also revolve in new brands. TERRY MARTINEZ 751945-2020 SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE He also ran a Fred Segal location in Malibu There’s a lot of newness.” PUBLISHED BY AMY VALENCIA Seventy-five years of news, TLM PUBLISHING INC. from 1975 to 1984. The store returned to Mali- Items selling well at the store include fashion and information ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE APPAREL NEWS GROUP bu in 2019 when it opened a 4,000-square-foot sweats from Hollywood, Calif.-headquartered LYNNE KASCH Publishers of: BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT CEO/PUBLISHER California Apparel News shop in the former location of the Malibu Cin- clothing label Sol Angeles, which retails for MOLLY RHODES Waterwear TERRY MARTINEZ emas in the Malibu Village retail center, said $118. “It’s colorful. It’s comfortable and you SALES & MARKETING ASSISTANT/ Decorated John Frierson, Fred Segal’s president. can find styles for men’s, women’s and kids. RECEPTIONIST EXECUTIVE OFFICE MANAGING EDITOR CHLOË HULETT The New Mart “We’re going back to our roots with the You can shop for the whole family,” she said. DOROTHY CROUCH ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS 127 E. Ninth St., Suite 806 store in Malibu Village, which continues to Also selling well, embroidered items RETAIL EDITOR CHRIS MARTIN Los Angeles, CA 90015 be a gathering place for the community,” from artist C.Bonz and her self-named line ANDREW ASCH RACHEL MARTINEZ (213) 627-3737 CONTRIBUTORS SALES ASSISTANT www.apparelnews.net Frierson said. “The Malibu location still has of vintage inspired styles, which ranges TIM REGAS PENNY ROTHKE-SIMENSKY [email protected] NICOLE MARTINEZ CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE the shop-in-shop concept that Fred Segal pio- from jumpers to sweatsuits. Retail price JOHN MCCURRY JEFFERY YOUNGER PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. neered where we offer a highly curated col- points range from $85 to $795. Men’s basics NATALIE ZFAT VOLKER CORRELL PRODUCTION MANAGER lection of menswear, womenswear, active- from Hartel are selling well. Retail price JOHN ECKMIER KENDALL IN wear and accessories but has a more playful, points range from $65 to $220. They speak CHRIS MARTIN FINANCE NICK VERREOS DAVID MARTINEZ seaside style than what can be found at our more to an urban interpretation of Malibu,” WEB PRODUCTION flagship Sunset store.” Sauter said. “It’s something with an edge, MORGAN WESSLER LeAnn Sauter, founder and CEO of Maris but not too far outside the box.”

APPARELNEWS.NET JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 17

16-17-retail-whatscheck.indd 17 1/30/20 8:43 PM Resource Guide on the first day of their program. They will make catering to our international customers knits for the contemporary fashion, athletic, labels and hangtags to care/content labels Denim also work on their internships during L.A. and our clients across the U.S. very efficient. Milberg Factors and yoga markets. Since then, the com- and price tickets, we will develop, produce, Fashion/Market Week and the Las Vegas We serve both wholesale (wholesalers, dis- David M. Reza, SVP Western Region pany has become internationally known for and distribute your trim items worldwide. We [email protected] BOSSA trade shows, including MAGIC, Project, tributors) and retail (boutiques, franchises) (818) 649-8662 its in-house system of vertically integrated specialize in producing custom products that Turkey and Stitch. markets and pride ourselves in our excellent www.milbergfactors.com machines that manufacture premium qual- will meet your design and merchandising Contact: Burcu Dalaman Ozek customer service. Products and Services: Milberg Factors ity, knitted fabrications with and without needs. We successfully launched production [email protected] offers a competitive menu of factoring, spandex. Asher Fabric Concepts provides of RFID price tickets last year. This demand Contact: Sule Aksoy Tornacı financing, and receivables-management fabric development, knitting, dyeing, and is being greatly driven by the big retailers [email protected] Los Angeles Apparel Finance finishing in addition to fabric print design such as Macy’s and Target. 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Trinidad3 Jeans is showing at the challenge, and with a 20-year track record LYCRA.com and negotiation, global sourcing flexibility, Our team is dedicated to establishing a industry, Rosenthal & Rosenthal understands Denim Room, Project Las Vegas, Mandalay of success, there’s no doubt as to why our Products and Services: Since its invention compliance monitoring, quality assurance to strong and long-lasting relationship with our our clients’ business and is able to cater to Bay Convention Center, Feb. 5–7, Booth motto is “Win/Win Factoring.” more than sixty years ago, LYCRA® fiber export documentation. We strive to meet the customers and are happy to assist you with the needs of our clients, including prompt #62711 set the standard as the world’s best-known challenges of making procurement easier, any inquiries you may have. turnaround on requests, flexibility in structure, Merchant Financial and a user-friendly state-of-the art on-line elastane fiber brand. Lightweight and nearly faster, cost effective and reliable for all Fashion client system. Services include factoring, credit invisible, LYCRA® fiber became the active our partners. Group protection, collection, cash application, lending ingredient in our clothes and revolutionized Yelete the way we wore them. Whenever it’s used in www.merchantfinancial.com services, and letters of credit. We were estab- [email protected] fabrics, LYCRA® fiber transforms garments Technology FCI Fashion School Products and Services: Merchant Financial lished in 1938, and 75 percent of our clients are http://yelete.com/ into better fitting, durable clothes that move Joe Farrell Group, located near the garment center in apparel-related. Los Angeles with our bodies, delivering fit, shape and www.fcifashion.com downtown L.A., offers non-recourse factor- bierrebi (323) 201-3770 comfort that lasts. Day after day. Wash after (213) 688-4936 ing, asset-based loans, inventory financing, New York wash. The LYCRA® brand team is continu- International Products and Services: FCI Fashion School (718) 628-8868 purchase-order financing, letters of credit, White Oak ally developing our portfolio of products to 8725 NW 18th Terrace, Suite 304 is unique because it is the only fashion Products and Services: Established in and revolving lines of credit against other provide lasting performance and support Doral, FL 33172 school specializing in “short-term” fashion 2006 in New York City, Yelete Group is the tangible assets, such as commercial real Commercial Finance 555 West 5th Street, Suite 3380 wherever you need it. That’s why today you’ll (305) 456-1082 training. During the Fashion Design program, leading apparel importer and wholesaler estate, trademarks, and royalty income. Los Angeles, CA 90013 find there’s a versatile range of LYCRA® Fax: (786) 454-4962 students learn fashion drawing, pattern- in the United States. We offer high quality Our local management team offers quick Contact: Gino Clark fibers inside everything from cycling apparel [email protected] making, and sewing. At the program’s products for men, women, and children, in responses, hands-on personalized service, Phone: (213) 226-5201 to swimwear, denim to hosiery, sneakers to www.bierrebi.com conclusion, students participate in a fashion regular and plus sizes, at the best rates. Our and the flexibility to meet all our clients’ Fax: (213) 226-5374 suits, haute couture to socks. In 2008, The www.crystal-cut.it show and present their “mini collection” to specialties are leggings and jeggings, which needs. Established in 1985, Merchant www.whiteoaksf.com LYCRA Company created Planet Agenda, Products and Services: bierrebi is the fashion-industry professionals, family, and we offer in a variety of solid colors, prints, Financial Group has become a leader in Products and Services: White Oak a sustainable operating framework that premier partner for the automated cutting friends. FCI’s other short-term programs and fabric finishes. We also carry hosiery, the industry, satisfying the needs of growing Commercial Finance, LLC (WOCF), formerly touches every aspect of our business. It‘s of fabric for the garment and apparel indus- include Fashion Merchandising, Handbag skirts, pants, seamless basics, body stock- businesses. Merchant services the entire Capital Business Credit/Capital Factors, based on the belief that we can contribute tries. It designs and manufactures automatic Design, and Fashion Styling. FCI’s fashion ings, socks, and most recently, active wear. United States, with offices domestically in is a global financial products and services to a more sustainable apparel industry by machines that increase manufacturing effi- internship program integrates students Our product success allowed us to branch Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, and New York. company providing credit facilities to delivering insights, technology, processes, ciencies and reduce raw material waste in real-world experiences. Students are out to Los Angeles in 2009. Bicoastal offices assigned to a variety of fashion internships middle-market companies between $1 and products that add value while conserv- while improving product quality and con- million and $30 million. WOCF’s solutions ing resources. The LYCRA Company Planet sistency. The company has been operating include asset-based lending, full-service Agenda represents a commitment to devel- globally for more than 50 years. Crystal® factoring, invoice discounting, supply- oping products and technologies that will is the latest breakthrough in automatic chain financing, inventory financing, U.S. minimize our environmental footprint, and single-ply cutting for high end, prototyping, import/export financing, trade credit-risk enhance the performance of our custom- samples, and small lots. It cares for the management, account-receivables ers’ offerings, while safeguarding the health environment, with its low power consump- management, and credit and collections and safety of employees and communities. tion, as it does not require suction for fabric support. WOCF is an affiliate of White Oak We execute this commitment by focusing retention. Thanks to an innovative double- Global Advisors, LLC, and its institutional on three interdependent pillars: Corporate blade system, it cuts using pressure without clients. More information can be found at Responsibility, Manufacturing Excellence damaging the fibers. Crystal enables quick, our website. and Product Sustainability. For more infor- high-quality cutting, integrating perfectly Get Inspired! mation about The LYCRA Company Planet with an efficient production line. Contact us Agenda, please contact your account rep- for a complimentary consultation. Suppliers resentative or visit lycra.com/sustainability. Hundreds of Stocked Novelty Knits, Asher Fabric Progressive Label Wovens, Linings Concepts and More! 950 S. Boyle Ave. Inc. Los Angeles, CA 90023 2545 Yates Ave. One Roll Minimum. (323) 268-1218 Commerce, CA 90040 Fax: (323) 268-2737 (323) 415-9770 This listing is provided as a [email protected] Fax: (323) 415-9771 free service to our advertisers. www.cinergytextiles.com www.asherconcepts.com [email protected] We regret that we cannot be Tel: 213-748-4400 Products and Services: In 1991, Asher www.progressivelabel.com responsible for any errors or Fabric Concepts, based in Los Angeles, Products and Services: Progressive Label omissions within the Resource [email protected] transformed the apparel industry by offering is dedicated to helping companies develop Guide. cutting-edge, high quality, “Made in U.S.A” and showcase their brand identity. From logo

18 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 APPARELNEWS.NET

18-advert.indd 18 1/30/20 8:33 PM CLASSIFIEDS

www.classifieds.apparelnews.net P 213-627-3737 Ext. 280 www.apparelnews.net

Jobs Available Jobs Available 1/30/2020 Buy, Sell & Trade 9/2/2019 7/18/2019 STAFF ACCOUNTANT WE BUY ALL FABRICS & GARMENTS • 5+ yrs full cycle Account ing expe ri ence Excess rolls, lots, sample yardage, small to large qty's. • Bache lors Degree in Account ing ALL FAB RICS! fab ricmer chants.com • Expe ri ence using AIMS and Factor ing Steve 818-219-3002 or Fabric Merchants 323-267-0010 tracey@ven icei nves tmen ts. com NEWS A ER R UCTI N ARTIST Email: steve@ fab ricm erch ants. com 1/30/2020 7/18/2019 he art- ime e s pa per ro d c tion Artist s p ports SALESPERSON the Art and Produc tion depart ment. Work products in‐ WE BUY ALL FABRICS AN GARMENTS Asher fabric concepts clude the design and produc tion of the weekly newspa‐ E B ALL FABRICS A ARME S. o lot Looking for pro / moti vated fabric Saleperson. Our line per, var i o s fly ers, print pieces and p b li ca tion eb sites. too small or large. Incl ding sample room includes domes tic. Knitted fabric, import woven Prints Ex pe ri ence and al i fi ca tions inven to ries. Sil s, oolens, enim, nits, rints, and subli ma tion. We increased our produc tion. Ex cel lent rit ten, ver bal and in ter per sonal and team Solids Apparel and home f rnish ing fabrics. Please send your resume to: or s ills. e also b y ladies', men's children's Asher@ash erco ncep ts. com Self-starter ith ability to maintain prod ctiv ity amid gar ments. Con tact: Michael com pet ing pri or i ties and tight dead lines. S E ARB R 323 277-2777 Real Estate roven graphic de sign and com m ni ca tion pro d c tion ex pe ri ence. 1/30/2020 Real Estate Excel lent s ills in the Adobe Creative S ite, espe cially In e sign. ho to shop and ream eaver pre ferred. FLEXIBLE COMMERCIAL WAREHOUSE FOR LEASE 2 years rele vant or expe ri ence - preferred SHOWROOM OFFICES DTLA CREATIVE OFFICE SPACE no l edge and ex pe ri ence in ne s pa per lay o t - 1326 S. BROADWAY, LOS ANGE LES 90015 pre ferred Clean. Southpark/Fash ion District, 7,630 Sq. ft., Street LA FASHION DISTRICT S bmit a c rrent res me ith cover letter and Level, Freespan, Flexi ble office plan, Air Condi tioned, port fo lio sam ples of past or . Gated parking, Free billboard on roof, Great shipping/ 213-627-3754 Email to: endall@ app arel ne s. net receiv ing, User friendly building! & Fantas tic signage. Contact owner Leon at: 562-787-1834

For classified information, contact Jeffery Younger at 213-627-3737 ext. 280 or [email protected]

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APPARELNEWS.NET JANUARY 31–FEBRUARY 6, 2020 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 19

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http://dev.apparelnews.www.clients.ellingtoncms.com/classifieds/print-preview/8583/ 1/1 Introducing LYCRA® EcoMade fiber. Made with pre-consumer recycled content, it delivers the same unique performance as LYCRA® fiber. Discover more about our sustainable solutions at LYCRA.com/sustainability

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