22_CAN122807lettersi.. - California Apparel News

NEWSPAPER 2ND CLASS 

ApparelNews 

Plus-Size Designers 

Fill the Sizing Gap 

By Robert McAllister 

TECHNOLOGY EDITOR 

Some of California’s plus-size designers are finding 

new opportunities beyond their target customers—and 

they are adjusting their sizing below traditional plus-size 

boundaries. 

The plus-size segment traditionally has addressed sizes 

14 and up, but a group of young California companies is 

bringing those sizes down a notch to address a changing 

marketplace. 

San Francisco–based Igigi will lower size offerings to 

12 for January deliveries. Santa Ana, Calif.–based Svoboda 

expanded into a size 12 last season, and Anaheim, 

Calif.–based Kiyonna Clothing made the move a few 

years ago. 

These companies have found a gap between what mainstream 

manufacturers and retailers offer and what the 

plus-size market offers. Typically plus sizes are graded 

proportionally larger than misses sizes, according to designer 

Jessica Svoboda, who said there is also a vanity aspect, 

which means a plus size 14 tends to run larger than 

a misses size 14. 

Plus Size page 5 

2007 in Review 

It was a year of both the mega-deal and the quiet merger. 

7 For All Mankind sold for $775 million and American 

Apparel for $774 million, while Chicago menswear 

company Hartmarx quietly swooped in and bought its 

third Los Angeles label, Monarchy. 

Private-equity company Veronis Suhler Stevenson 

picked up MAGIC Marketplace parent Advanstar 

Communications for about $1.14 billion. And Fashion 

Coterie parent ENK International bought WSA Global 

Holdings, the producer of the biannual World Shoe Association 

show, for an undisclosed amount. 

California’s minimum wage increased, as did employers’ 

health-care costs and lawmakers’ attempts to correct 

the state’s health-care system. 

Gap shuttered its Forth & Towne baby-boomer concept 

business, and Pacific Sunwear exited its One Thousand 

Steps shoe concept and began to look for ways to 

get out of the urban market by exploring opportunities for 

its demo stores. 

Christian Audigier and the owners of Ed Hardy artwork 

fought over royalties, and Paul Frank Industries 

and Paul Frank Sunich fought over the Paul Frank name. 

The Year in Review begins on page 8. 

Inside: 

Technology … p. 3 

Surf Report … p. 6 

What’s Checking … p. 7 

www.apparelnews.net 

Where fashion gets down to business SM 

THE VOICE 

OF THE 

INDUSTRY FOR 

63 

years 

$2.95 ($3.50 OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA) VOLUME 63, NUMBER 55 DECEMBER 28, 2007–JANUARY 3, 2008 

California Couture 

Fashion shows and the glamorous madhouse images 

they conjure up are great for building buzz. But some Los 

Angeles–based couture designers are turning the idea of 

the fashion show on its head to showcase their designs 

better and close sales. 

On a sunny afternoon in December, a dozen well-to-do 

women gathered in designer Lloyd Klein’s couture atelier 

in Los Angeles for an intimate fashion show. Guests sipped 

champagne and nibbled fancy cookies while models strutted 

down a small catwalk in couture evening gowns, Klein’s 

LLOYD KLEIN 

L.A. Designers Use Personal Touch to Inspire Sales 

By Erin Barajas 

MANUFACTURING EDITOR 

“best of” and red-carpet favorites, and a new collection of 

sexy knitwear. 

Klein, who greeted his guests after the show and 

discussed the finer points of his gowns, said these tiny 

gatherings have become indispensable to his business. 

“We got the idea to do monthly fashion shows in-house, 

and now they have become part of our protocol. They are 

such a success,” Klein said. 

Launched in October in collaboration with the Costume 

Council of the Los Angeles County Museum 

Couture page 6 

VOLKER CORELL

ENK Announces Acquisition of WSA California 

ENK International, the New York 

trade-show organizer whose shows include 

Fashion Coterie, Intermezzo Collections, 

Sole Commerce, Accessories Circuit, 

Brighte Companies and Blue, announced 

its acquisition of WSA Global Holdings, 

the producer of the biannual World Shoe 

Association show and its luxury showwithin-a-show, 

The Collections at WSA. 

WSA Global Holdings, based in Encino, 

Calif., provides marketing services for the 

footwear and accessories market and produces 

WSAToday, a trade publication, and 

WSAToday.com. 

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

Elyse Kroll, founder and chairman 

of ENK, and Luis Padilla, ENK’s president, 

will remain with the company. Skip Farber, 

WSA’s chief executive, and Diane Stone, 

WSA’s chief operating officer, will also retain 

their posts. 

“We consider the combination of these 

two great companies to be the perfect storm 

of ‘best in class’ leadership and marketing 

in the fashion trade-show industry. We are 

very excited about the growth opportunities 

for this combination,” said Theodore J. 

Forstmann, a senior partner at Forstmann 

Little & Co., which in 2006 purchased a 

majority stake in ENK. Kroll remains a principal 

shareholder with the company. 

In a statement, Kroll said the combined 

ENK-WSA company would focus on accelerating 

its growth. “The strength of the ENK 

and WSA brands and the value we bring to 

our customers provide many avenues for 

growth, and we intend to leverage this remarkable 

platform to significantly grow the 

business while maintaining continuity and 

stability of our valuable customer relationships,” 

she said. 

Forstmann Little owns IMG Worldwide, 

the entertainment and media company that 

produces Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 

in New York and Los Angeles. Kroll said 

the new ENK-WSA company will collaborate 

with IMG’s IMG Fashion division on 

several projects. 

ENK was founded in 1981 by Kroll and 

2 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS DECEMBER 28, 2007–JANUARY 3, 2008 

produces nine fashion and accessories trade 

shows. The 59-year-old WSA Show is one of 

the largest footwear and related accessories 

shows in the world. Its twice-yearly show in 

Las Vegas attracts more than 36,000 attendees 

and nearly 1,600 exhibitors.—Erin Barajas 

Revamped Vuitton Opens 

at Hollywood & Highland 

The influence of French luxurygoods 

company Louis Vuitton 

might loom larger over Hollywood. 

On Nov. 21, it held an exclusive 

cocktail party to celebrate an expansion 

and remodeling of the Louis 

Vuitton store at the Hollywood 

& Highland shopping center. 

Hollywood & Highland’s new 

Louis Vuitton is 4,000 square 

feet—about triple the size of the 

retail center’s first location for the 

iconic brand, according to Shaul 

Kuba, the principal of Los Angeles–based 

CIM Group. The real 

estate company owns Hollywood 

& Highland, and Louis Vuitton 

has been a Hollywood & Highland 

tenant since 2004. There are 

19 Louis Vuitton stores in California. 

The new store is located on the center’s 

first floor, and it took two spaces that were 

formerly occupied by Kelly’s Coffee & 

Fudge and Swarovski stores. 

The new store will include an expanded 

luggage area and offer men’s and women’s 

shoes, jewelry and sunglasses. Kuba said 

that the store is patronized by tourists as 

well as Los Angeles fashionistas. Iconic 

LUXE: Louis Vuitton celebrated the expansion of its 

Hollywood & Highland store on Nov. 21. 

European brands are among the toughest 

to sign as a tenant, Kuba said. However, 

more European retailers will be moving 

into CIM Group properties across the 

street from Hollywood & Highland. 

A two-level, 17,000-square-foot Zara 

store is scheduled to open by fall 2008 

at nearby 6904 Hollywood Blvd. A 

12,000-square-foot H&M will open in 

Spring 2008 at 6914 Hollywood Blvd. 

—Andrew Asch 

Lyon Mode City, 

Interfilière Move to Paris 

The Lyon Mode City and Interfilière 

trade shows are moving to Paris. 

The beachwear, lingerie and fabric trade 

shows, which have been held in Lyon, 

France, for nearly 20 years, will be held 

Sept. 6–8, 2008, at the Paris Expo at Porte 

de Versailles in Paris. Eurovet, organizers 

of the Lyon shows, as well as sister show 

Le Salon International de la Lingerie, 

held in Paris, has chosen the new venue to 

renew, refocus and ensure the future of the 

event. The decision to move the show came 

after several major French lingerie brands 

dropped out of the exhibitor lineup in Lyon 

over the past two years. 

While the Lyon show has always attracted 

half as many brand buyers as its Paris counterpart, 

visitor numbers have decreased over 

the last two editions of the show because of 

the absence of leading industry players, according 

to Florence Mompo, communication 

and visitors marketing director for the 

lingerie division of Eurovet. In response, 

Mompo said, the show is planning a significant 

transformation immediately. The show 

will emphasize its strengths: innovation, 

creation, fabrics, luxury and beachwear, 

Mompo said. 

By relocating the show to Paris, visitors 

will be able to also attend other trade shows 

held concurrently in Paris, including readyto-wear 

trade shows Prêt à Porter and Atmosphere 

D’ete. Organizers will emphasize 

the value of European design in a bid 

to encourage brands to return as exhibitors. 

In addition, the show will launch a new segment 

called “Sportiv,” which will combine 

ladieswear, fashion and sportswear. 

Going forward, show organizers will look 

into shifting the show dates from early September 

to late June or early July, Mompo 

said.—N. Jayne Seward 

Week In Review 

Salary boost. Starting Jan. 1, California’s 

minimum wage hits $8 an hour, a 

6.7 percent increase from the previous 

minimum wage of $7.50. Employees who 

are exempt from overtime pay now have 

their minimum monthly salary pegged 

at $2,733.33 a month, up from $2,600. 

Businesses must update their California 

employer posters to reflect the new 

minimum-wage increase and comply 

with state and federal laws. Beginning 

Jan. 1, San Francisco’s minimum wage 

will be $9.36 an hour, up from $9.14. 

National 

Big blue. Cone Denim, the world’s largest 

denim producer, based in Greensboro, 

N.C., hopes to have its new denim 

plant in Nicaragua up and running some 

time in early 2008. Cone Denim recently 

announced it obtained a seven-year loan 

for $37 million from the Inter-American 

Investment Corp. and four co-financing 

banks doing business in Nicaragua to 

complete the project. Matt Haynes, 

Cone Denim’s vice president of denim 

manufacturing for Latin America, said 

the construction and start-up of the facility 

were underway and that production 

should start in the first quarter of 2008. 

The facility, located outside Managua in 

Ciudad Sandino, will be a vertical operation 

using state-of-the art manufacturing 

equipment to process raw cotton into 

finished fabric. When fully operational, 

the factory will produce 28 million yards 

annually and employ 850 people. Cone 

Denim also has plants in Mexico, Turkey 

and India, with an expansion project 

underway in China. 

Success tips. Retailers with wellstocked 

shelves and a customer-friendly 

return policy tended to fare better 

than other retailers during the holiday 

season, according to accounting firm 

KPMG. In a phone survey, the accounting 

firm noted that 76 percent of customers 

said their spending decisions 

were influenced most by when a store 

had the item they expected while 58 

percent said the store’s return policy 

was a major factor. 

International 

Watchful eye. Vietnamese apparel 

manufacturers have hired a U.S. law 

firm to help them deal with any antidumping 

charges brought by the U.S. 

government in 2008. Sidley Austin LLP, 

a worldwide law firm headquartered in 

Chicago, will help Vietnamese apparel 

makers legally fight any antidumping 

charges surrounding five apparel 

categories: shirts, trousers, sweaters, 

underwear and swimwear. The U.S. Department 

of Commerce has been watching 

apparel imports from Vietnam since 

January 2007 to make sure the country 

isn’t dumping goods at below-market 

prices. Monitoring of goods will take 

place until at least Jan. 19, 2009, when 

President Bush leaves the White House. 

In its first biannual review in July, the 

U.S. government found there was insufficient 

evidence for antidumping action. 

To pay for Sidley Austin’s services, the 

Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association 

will ask all firms to pay a .01 percent 

fee on all its estimated export business 

to the United States. 

Quote of the Week 

The surge at the beginning of the season 

and the surge at the end of the season definitely 

resulted in the modest growth that 

we saw. If we didn’t have those surges, 

it would have been a negative story.— 

Michael McNamara, vice president of 

research and analysis for MasterCard 

Advisors, in a Wall Street Journal story 

about holiday shopping

Technology 

PTC Brings Its PLM Knowledge Westward 



The apparel industry is starting to embrace PLM 

(product lifecycle management) technology, and that has a 

bandwagon of vendors from all parts of the country courting 

West Coast manufacturers, retailers and importers. 

One of the market leaders, Needham, Mass.–based PTC, 

held a “knowledge forum” Dec. 11 at the Viceroy Hotel in 

Santa Monica, Calif., to help potential users understand 

PLM better. While PTC is based near Boston, it does have 

three West Coast offices. 

PTC’s vice president of vertical product strategy, Kathleen 

Mitford, and Kurt Salmon Associates Senior Manager 

Jeremy Rubman presented the daylong presentation, which 

was attended by company representatives from Liz Claiborne 

and Patagonia, among others. 

PLM helps manage pre-production processes from 

design to shipping via the Internet and a central database 

that keeps designers on the same page with factories, agents 

and others within the supply chain. 

The technology is helping companies speed up production 

and save time and money. But finding a vendor at a time 

when companies are lining up to present their pitches is a 

challenge. In most cases, PLM also requires companies to 

change portions of their business methodologies, and that 

has also been a big challenge. 

PTC executives tried to allay some of the fears. First, Mitford 

emphasized that the benefits outweigh any initial hardships but 

warned that companies should use PLM to support objectives, 

including line planning, design or vendor collaboration. 

PLM does work, said Mitford. It’s not another pie-in-the-sky 

technology that companies have come across in the past. The 

latest PLM maxim is that it offers a single version of the truth. 

In line planning, for example, everyone sees the same history of 

sales performance and trend analysis. As a result, redundancies 

are avoided and more time can be spent on new lines. 

The same works for design. There’s one line plan with clear 

direction. When changes are made, the system automatically 

updates line sheets and spec sheets so the designer doesn’t have 

to do it manually. PTC’s system also feeds directly into Adobe 

Illustrator so designers can work with a tool they are familiar 

with. 

“Sophisticated companies open up their systems to the 

supply chain and create and collaborate as a result,” Mitford 

said, adding that more apparel companies have their design 

teams spread across different offices. 

Rubman went on to explain the paradox of the apparel 

industry, using a simple Beijing Olympics 

T-shirt from one of PTC’s clients as an 

example. A T-shirt appears simple to produce, 

but in actuality it could have more than 

1,000 variations of product specs made up 

of multiple colorways, sizes, size categories, 

factories and distribution regions. 

Rubman said PTC has an Excel-based 

user interface to give users familiarity when 

creating the tech packs required for the 

T-shirt example as well as all garments. 

“PLM’s broad configuration can snowball. 

You have to lay a road map and align your 

strategy with what PLM can do,” Rubman www.avenue.com 

said. 

At the same time, he said, PLM can go beyond 

expectations. 

“Look beyond product justification. Leverage what your 

suppliers know,” he said. 

In addition, Rubman emphasized that PLM is a processbased 

system. 

“Everybody cuts an order the same way. You have to 

focus your requirements on how you are different. PLM can 

support your business and become a tool kit to build around 

your organization.” 

Avenue.com Overhauls E-Tail Platform 

Pleasanton, Calif.–based Mercado Software has 

installed a new navigation engine for Rochelle Park, N.J.– 

based Avenue.com, which markets plus-size apparel for 

women through its e-commerce site and about 400 bricksand-mortar 

stores. 

Avenue.com is using Mercado’s On Demand platform, 

a hosted system intended for small- to medium-sized 

companies. It’s the same one that Mercado clients Macy’s 

and Guess? Inc. use, but it’s configured for smaller 

operations and has a lower price tag. 

It features relevant 

and merchandised search 

and navigation results 

and rankings, linguistic 

support (synonyms, spelling 

correction and stemming), 

more than 20 industry 

domain dictionaries, metricsdriven 

merchandising tools, 

a rules engine managed by 

business users, and reports 

with integrated data and 

metrics. 

Julie Daly, president of the 

Avenue’s “Shop at Home” 

division, said the company has experienced an increase in 

sales conversions, which is the ratio of browsers who make 

a purchase. 

“We monitor the search terms used by our customers 

and then generate special promotions to fulfill those needs. 

For example, our Web analytics indicated that a large 

number of customers were searching for bras, so we used 

Mercado to quickly develop and present campaigns to meet 

these customer interests,” Daly said. 

For more information, visit www.mercado.com.■ 

DECEMBER 28, 2007–JANUARY 3, 2008 CALIFORNIA APPAREL NEWS 3


Major Apparel Importers’ 

Association to Meet in Los Angeles 

Key U.S. government officials who influence 

the apparel and textile import market 

will be speaking at a one-day meeting in Los 

Angeles organized by the United States 

Association of Importers of Textiles and 

Apparel (USA-ITA). 

USA-ITA is a non-profit group in New 

York that lobbies Congress on quota and 

tariff matters and keeps its members up-todate 

on import regulations. 

At the Feb. 15 conference, scheduled at 

the Omni Los Angeles Hotel, attendees 

can learn about U.S. Customs and Border 

Protection’s new apparel and textile detention 

policies; antidumping and countervailing 

duty threats on goods from China, Vietnam 

and other countries; new rules on prod- 

Calendar 

*Denotes local events 

Jan. 5 

*“Perfecting Fit,” a series of 

workshops on six Saturdays 

presented by Rosa Hildebrandt 

FBI Resource Center 

Los Angeles 

Cost: $240 for FBI members; 

$330 for nonmembers (for all six 

workshops); $40 for FBI members; 

$55 for nonmembers (for individual 

workshops) 

For information: www.fashionbizinc. 

org or info@fashionbizinc.org 

Jan. 6 

Designers and Agents 

Starrett-Lehigh Building 

New York 

Through Jan. 8 

Cost: free to the trade 

For information: www. 

designersandagents.com 

Accessories The Show 

Jacob K. Javits Convention Center 

New York 




accessoriestheshow.com 

Fame 


New York 



For information: www.fameshows.com 

Moda Manhattan 


New York 




modamanhattan.com 

Jan. 7 

Accessorie Circuit/Intermezzo 

Collections 

Piers 92 and 94 

New York 

Through Jan 9 


For information: www.enkshows.com 

Jan. 8 

*Prepare Your Brand for MAGIC: 

“Are You Ready for Market?” 

presented by Frances Harder, and 

“10 Easy Steps to Maximizing 

Your ROI at MAGIC,” presented by 

Melanie Wood 


Los Angeles 

9–11:30 a.m. and 1:30–4 p.m. 

Cost: free 

For information: areed@magiconline. 

com (RSVP in advance is required) 

uct safety; and how to understand the rules 

of the various preference programs. 

Speakers include Matt Priest, head of the 

Committee for the Implementation of Textile 

Agreements and the deputy assistant 

secretary at the U.S. Department of Commerce; 

Scott Quesenberry, special textile 

negotiator for the U.S. Trade Representative’s 

office; Janet Labuda, director of the 

textile and apparel policy and programs 

division of Customs and Border Protection; 

Julie Hughes, senior vice president of 

USA-ITA; and Mary Jo Muoio, president of 

the National Customs Brokers and Forwarders 

Association of America. 

For more information, contact USA-ITA 

at (212) 463-0089.—Deborah Belgum 

Events 

TALA’s Crowded House 

About 120 children spilled into the California Market 

Center Fashion Theater for the Textile Association 

of Los Angeles’ annual holiday party. 

This was the local association’s 63rd annual party, 

and the guests of honor were children from several local 

after-school programs, including the Los Angeles 

Boys & Girls Club, the Eastside Boys & Girls Club, 

the Chinatown Service Center, the Salvation Army 

Red Shield Community Center and two districts of the 

Salesian Boys and Girls Club. 

Organized by TALA board member Fran Sude, the 

party included food donated by Trimana and gifts 

donated by CMC tenant Mickey Lang, president of 

gift showroom CMA. Once again, Los Angeles Councilmember 

Ed Reyes provided buses to ferry the children 

to and from the party. 

The children sang Christmas carols and enjoyed a visit from Santa (TALA member Michael 

Goldman), who read an original story, “Harry the Horse,” before giving gifts to each child. 

Attorney and amateur photographer Denise Daniels took photos with plans to send 

copies to each after-school organization.—Alison A. Nieder 

*“Growing an Apparel 

Company: How to Build a Strong 

Infrastructure,” presented by 

Dana Fried 


Los Angeles 

6–8:30 p.m. 

Cost: $40 for FBI members; $55 for 

nonmembers 

For information: www.fashionbizinc.org 

Jan. 10 

Surf Expo 

Orange County Convention Center 

Orlando, Fla. 



For information: www.surfexpo.com 

Jan. 11 

*Los Angeles Fashion Market 

California Market Center 

The New Mart 

Cooper Design Space 

Gerry Building 

Los Angeles 




californiamarketcenter.com 

www.newmart.net 

www.cooperdesignspace.com 

www.gerrybuilding.com 

Submissions to the calendar should be faxed to the Calendar Editor at (213) 623-5707. Please include the event’s name, date, time, 

location, admission price and contact information. The deadline for calendar submissions is the Tuesday prior to Friday publication. 

Inclusion in the calendar is subject to available space and the judgment of the editorial staff. 

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Plus Size 

Continued from page 1 

“It’s really been demand fueling this,” 

said Kim Camarella-Khanbeigi, designer 

and owner of Kiyonna Clothing, which last 

month launched a retail store in Anaheim. 

“A customer who can’t fit into a size 12 at 

The Gap is likely going to fit into our size 

12.” 

Most national retailers 

are not addressing the 

plus-size market in a big 

way, even though it has 

grown into a $32 billion industry. 

American Eagle, 

for example, sells XXL and 

sizes 16 and 18 only on its 

e-commerce site (www. 

ae.com), while others such 

as Ann Taylor Loft sell 

up to size 18 but also only 

online (www.anntaylorloft. 

com). Plus-size chain Catherines 

Plus-Sizes, a subsidiary 

of The Charming 

Shoppes Inc., only stocks 

sizes 16W–34W, while sister 

company Lane Bryant 

starts at size 14. Selling 

plus sizes online allows retailers 

to draw stock directly 

from their warehouses 

rather than the limited 

space at a store. 

Igigi, Svoboda and Kiyonna 

are among a group 

of young companies that 

are focused on bringing 

more styling and a contemporary 

edge into the plus-size market. 

“The consumer in this market is really 

style-starved,” noted Camarella-Khanbeigi. 

Added designer Yuliya Zeltser of Igigi: 

“It is hard to shop for a woman who is in 

between straight and plus sizes. Straightsize 

clothes are small, and plus-size clothes 

are too big. We had many size-14 shoppers 

saying that they really wanted to buy Igigi, 

but our size 14 was too big for them. We did 

Kiyonna’s kimono silhouettes 

are prominent in its Holiday 

collection featuring Lenzing’s 

soft Modal fabric and pintuck 

detailing. 

our homework, listened to our customers 

and decided to come out with plus-size 12 

with a goal to fulfill their wishes.” 

Masha Salvado, the company’s marketing 

manager, said Igigi invests much of its 

resources into research on size and fit. 

“This market historically has been 

underestimated and has not been wellserviced,” 

she said. “The fit is really good. 

When you put it on, it complements you. 

We work very hard on it to make women 

feel good.” 

Igigi initially introduced a collection of 

dresses and tops to address the needs of 

the customers who could wear neither a 

straight nor a plus 14. A comprehensive 

work collection made up of separates including 

jackets, pants and skirts in sizes 

12–30 is to follow soon. Igigi sells the bulk 

Igigi’s “Hollywood Diva” gown in 

ruby red from the company’s Fall 

line. Next season, gowns will be 

available in sizes 12 and up. 

Svoboda’s trouser jean 

offered some variations on 

denim for Holiday. 

of its offerings online but is expanding its 

wholesale operations. Price points range 

from $150 to $300 for gowns, $60 to $120 

for dresses and $70 to $90 for pants. Lakisha 

Jones of “American Idol” and Nikki 

Blonsky of “Hairspray” are among the 

brand’s fans. 

New items include a Dupioni 

silk wrap blouse in 

fuchsia, peacock, terracotta 

and gold; a velvet wrap 

dress with silk charmeuse 

ties in purple and green; 

and the “Lucille” cocktail 

dress detailed with lace in 

red and black. 

Svoboda, who specializes 

in denim and more 

casualwear than Igigi, expanded 

her size range to 

include sizes 10–12 last season. 

The segment is still a 

small piece of her business. 

The largest percentage of 

her customer base falls into 

the 16–18 range. “There’s 

been a change in the marketplace. 

The low-rise jeans 

that were popular don’t fit 

a curvier figure well. Plus, 

you are seeing people coming 

off special diets and 

weight-loss surgery [who 

may now fall into this size 

range],” she said. 

Lane Bryant also reacted 

to the fit issue. 

In August it debuted a new denim 

line called Right Fit, which is based 

on body-scanning technology from 

Intellifit Corp. Consumers measure 

three areas of their body and then choose 

among three color-coded cuts—straight, 

moderately curvy and curvy—to determine 

the best fit and eliminate problems 

such as gaping in the back and tightness 

along the thigh area. The Right Fit line is 

also carried at parent company 

Charming Shoppes. Results 

have been better than anticipated. 

At the company’s third-quarter 

earnings release, Jay Dunn, 

Lane Bryant’s vice president 

of marketing, said the launch 

“blew away” aggressive sales 

projections and expectations. 

Camarella-Khanbeigi saw the 

size concerns back in 1999, when 

she expanded to size 12. 

“We started in 1996 with sizes 

1x–3x [or 14–22]. What happened 

was that we strictly sold 

to specialty boutiques, and they 

told us they wanted bigger sizes. 

But then we saw women who 

weren’t plus size who wanted 

our styles.” 

Opening a bricks-and-mortar 

store has enhanced the company’s 

insight even further. “When 

you sell 80 percent of your product 

online, the customer doesn’t 

seem real at times. With the 

store, we see the faces of our customers,” 

she said. 

Next up for Kiyonna is a loungewear/ 

lingerie collection to debut in January. 

“It’s been amazing for us. We are constantly 

looking at metrics and conversions 

and business intelligence.” 

Svoboda, which has doubled its business 

over the past couple of years, is also 

expanding into Europe. The company 

is sold in most of the majors, including 

Bloomingdale’s, Saks and Nordstrom. 

It will show its line Feb. 10–12 at the CPD 

show in Dusseldorf, Germany. 

“There’s definitely more [plus-size designers] 

coming in, but we don’t necessarily 

see that as a bad thing right now,” she 

said. “You can’t stand alone, and the competition 

has made us step up our game.” ■ 

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Couture 


of Art, the intimate setting was 

well-recieved, and Klein continued 

to produce shows on his 

own in his atelier on Beverly 

Boulevard. 

Inspired by the 1939 Joan 

Crawford high-society film “The 

Women” and the in-store shows 

held in Parisian couture houses, 

Klein’s fashion shows bring a 

welcome dose of glamour and 

decorum, Klein said. “This way, 

we have a whole afternoon. We 

can talk about the clothes; they 

can see them on a body and see 

Designer Lloyd Klein 

the construction. [Traditional] fashion shows are more 

for press and buyers. These shows allow me to focus on 

my customers and listen to what they like. As a couture 

designer, I like to work closely with my customers,” he 

said. And, since his designs are not determined by the 

season but rather by the needs of his customers, the 

monthly shows make more sense for him than seasonal 

catwalk extravaganzas. 

Populating the shows was a no-brainer, Klein said. 

“For the first shows, we invited our regular clients. Then, 

they began to bring their friends and daughters. It makes for a very 

nice atmosphere,” he said. Now, the shows’ popularity has grown so 

much that the designer has added a second show to accommodate 

the demand. “We have a very small afternoon show of about a dozen 

women. Then, in the evening, we have a larger show of about 50 or 

60 women. It is more casual [than the afternoon show], but it is a lot 

of fun,” he said. 

The proof of the show’s allure is in Klein’s rising sales figures. 

“We have been very successful. Many of our customers buy right 

after the show. Some return for a private fitting of their own. It is a 

very nice way to shop. My clients are very high-profile ladies and 

couture lovers. They appreciate the added attention and discretion,” 

he said. Several of his clients left cheat sheets with the designer so 

he could help their husbands shop for them. “The husband of one 

of my clients was just in. He is [a French diplomat], and his wife 

sent him here to buy her a Christmas present,” he laughed. “She 

will be very pleased.” 

Still, couture doesn’t dominate Klein’s in-store catwalk. A new 

knit collection, which he debuted during his December shows, has 

been very well received. “Women can buy it right after the show— 

instant gratification!” Klein said, adding that the new ready-to-wear 

knit collection is helping to drive sales and expand his client base. 

“It is more affordable and very versatile. Very young and hip,” he 

Los Angeles–based couture designer 

Bradley Bayou has shown on the runway 

at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week 

at Smashbox Studios, but the former 

Halston designer recently eschewed 

the large-scale runway show format in 

favor of a more-intimate setting. 

In early December, Bayou hosted a 

party and private showing of his Spring 

2008 couture collection at his home in the 

Hollywood Hills area of Los Angeles. 

The decision to show outside the 

confines of a formal fashion week made 

sense with his business model, Bayou 

said. 

“My core business is celebrities and 

special clients,” he said. “I don’t sell to 

stores.” 

In addition to custom designs for an elite clientele, Bradley 

also produces a more-mainstream collection for QVC. The designer 

also recently published a book, “The Science of Sexy,” 

which is a guide to dressing for a variety of body types. 

“My business has taken off,” he said. “I’m adding new lines, 

[including] interiors. It’s becoming a world brand.” 

Bayou keeps the two sides of his business separate, but the designer’s 

creativity is the common thread that runs through both. 

“The couture is a design lab. It’s where I get my ideas,” he said. 

The show was scheduled to coincide with the Hollywood 

awards season, which kicks off in January with the Golden 

Globes and ends in February with the Academy Awards. 

“What better time to show actresses who might be nominated?” 

Bradley said, adding that the intimate setting and very limited 

guest list was designed with his clientele in mind. 

“Couture is not good for runway because you miss all the details,” 

he said. 

The designer showed a small collection of gowns and cocktail separates. 

Models snaked through the designer’s living room and out 


NEW KNITS: Klein 

debuted a new collection 

of knitwear in December. 

TIMELESS ELEGANCE: Klein said his clients dress for blacktie 

events and red-carpet affairs–not for the season. 

said. Sexy and body-conscious, the knits have become a hit with 

the younger crowd. “It is the sort of thing young women can wear 

to parties or clubs,” Klein said. Retail prices for the knits line fall 

well below the price of Klein’s couture gowns. Sweater dresses, 

miniskirts, jackets and tops retail for $200 to upwards of $600. 

Eveningwear designer Kevan Hall, who is a regular during 

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios in Culver 

City, Calif., will produce similar events when his new couture 

studio is completed next year. The new studio is located 

on Beverly Boulevard in Los Angeles—down the street from his 

current location. “It is a targeted focus, very different from the 

Fashion Week shows. They allow me to cater to my clients, the 

ones buying my gowns,” he said. For his couture shows, Hall 

said he will invite select clients for luncheons or tea. Beyond 

building a personal rapport and inspiring women to buy his creations, 

these gatherings of his most influential clients will give 

him insight into their needs and tastes. “It gives women an opportunity 

to work closely with the designer, and they love that. 

And, as a designer, I am able to focus and listen and see what 

they are responding to,” Hall said. 

Currently in the process of building his studio, Hall is working 

with his designers to create a space that can accommodate the intimate 

gatherings. “It is going to be beautiful.” ■ 

Bayou Hosts Private Show 

to a patio that overlooked the twinkling lights of Los Angeles. 

Guests perched on couches and around Bayou’s dining room table 

admired the details: the row of feathered trim running down 

the spine of a black wool crepe dress, the obi-like corset on a 

hand-pleated gown and the origami-like treatment on the collar 

of a white suit. 

The look was luxe from beginning to end, but the drama escalated 

to the finale, which featured sweeping gowns named in honor 

of Bayou’s Texas roots. The “Gulf Hurricane” featured swirling 

layers of blue and aubergine satin. “Clear Blue Sky” trimmed 

aquamarine Duchesse satin with silver. And “Texas Twister” featured 

hand-pleated layers of yellow taffeta and tulle. 

In February, Bayou will show the collection in a private home 

in Dallas for a group of women who call themselves “The Fashionistas.” 

“I love showing that way,” he said 

The designer said he hopes to continue to show in private settings, 

based on the success of the showing in his home. “It’s a great 

sign when a designer has fun at his own party!”—Alison A. Nieder 

VOLKER CORELL 

PHIL CUENCO AND JIMMY FIKES 

Surf Report 

ASR Goes Digital 



Come January, the Action Sports Retailer 

Trade Expo in San Diego will take 

on a distinctively high-tech flair. As part of 

its move toward a more eco-friendly and 

user-friendly platform, ASR’s directory, the 

ASR LineUp, will be offered in an all-digital 

format. Expanded Show Preview and ASR 

Show Daily publications will be available on 

the show floor. 

“The relevance and speed makes the 

new digital ASR LineUp a win-win for both 

buyers and manufacturers,” said Andy 

Tompkins, ASR’s show director. “We understand 

that as ASR grows, it’s becoming 

more challenging for attendees to follow all 

the events and news on the floor relevant to 

their businesses. These three products are 

being designed explicitly to help buyers, 

media and exhibitors make the most out of 

a trip to ASR.” 

A digital ASR LineUp makes updates 

easier, cuts down on paper waste and creates 

a tool attendees can continue to use 

after the show is over, Tompkins said. The 

ASR LineUp will be accessible to all of the 

industry at the show’s Web site (www. 

asrbiz.com) and at entry points throughout 

the industry starting this month. 

An expanded Show Preview will include a 

schedule of events, seminars and a detailed 

floor plan for the show’s three-day run of 

Jan. 24–26. The new ASR Show Daily magazine 

will include breaking news, brands 

to watch, events and trends for the coming 

season. Each day, the ASR Daily will 

be available in hotel lobbies and throughout 

the San Diego Convention Center. 

Quiksilver Top Hair-Raiser for Charity 

One month of prickly faces added up 

to more than $65,000 raised for charity by 

180 Quiksilver employees. In November, 

Quiksilver Chief Bob McKnight, sponsored 

surfer Kelly Slater, and employees and 

executives from the company’s American, 

Australian and French offices participated 

in “Movember,” a month-long fund-raising 

and awareness event for prostate-cancer 

research, in which participants grew mustaches 

during the month. Quiksilver’s charitable 

arm, Quiksilver Foundation, was 

the largest participating and top-earning 

team. The Foundation matched up to $100 

of each team member’s earnings. 

To commemorate the end of Movember, 

McKnight hosted a wrap party at Quiksilver’s 

Huntington Beach, Calif.–based offices 

complete with awards for “Best Mo.” 

Reef’s Green Effort Gets New Chief 

Reef’s eco-focused Reef Redemption 

division has a new chief. The company 

promoted Mike Gass to the newly created 

position of director of Reef Redemption. 

Gass will direct the brand’s environmental 

initiatives; the Reef Redemption 

eco-friendly product line; and the Reef 

Redemption Fund, the brand’s charitable 

division. 

“We have an amazing team of individuals 

committed to affecting real change in 

how we make product, conduct our business 

and give back,” Gass said in a statement. 

“It is great to be working on this 

project at a time when there seems to be 

a real shift in attitude, not only in our industry 

but in the overall business world, 

as well.” 

Before being named director of Reef 

Redemption, Gass was a senior footwear 

product developer and an associate product 

line manager for men’s footwear at 

the company. He was part of the team 

that created the program two years ago. 

Gass will be responsible for researching 

and sourcing eco-friendly materials to expand 

the Reef Redemption product array 

in 2008. ■

What’s Checking 

Costa Mesa: The Closet Opens 

in Growing Indie Retail Scene 

By Andrew Asch 

RETAIL EDITOR 

With luxury retail centers South 

Coast Plaza and Fashion Island only 

a few minutes’ drive away, people in 

Costa Mesa, Calif., and the adjacent city 

of Newport Beach, Calif., have a dizzying 

array of shopping choices, from 

Versace to Bloomingdale’s to Quiksilver. 

But longtime Southern California retailer 

Billy Stade thought there was room 

for another boutique in the area. 

To get noticed, Stade realized his new 

store had to dazzle. On Dec. 12, he gambled 

that the concept of a mini-department store 

would intrigue the retail-savvy people of the 

area. He opened a 10,000-square-foot space 

on 1800 Newport Blvd. in Costa Mesa. 

The store, called The Closet, will be 

immediately famil The Closet locations in 

Santa Monica, Calif.; Huntington Beach, 

Calif.; and Fashion Island in Newport 

Beach. The store sells premium denim 

and fashion-forward surf and skate brands. 

Stade closed his 8-year-old location at 

Costa Mesa’s Triangle Square shopping 

center in November to open the new 

store. He moved because he wanted extra 

space to experiment with new retail ideas. 

By March 2008, the Newport Boulevard 

address will offer a full-service hair salon 

and an eatery called Eat Chow. The space 

also will be the location of the executive 

offices of Stade’s retail company. A newsstand 

will be located outside the store. 

So far, the people shopping at the mini- department 

store are typically Costa Mesa 

and Newport locals, said Brendan Thomas, 

The Closet’s director of stores and public 

relations and marketing. 

THE QUEEN BEE: This Mike 

& Chris jacket costs $242 at 

The Queen Bee. 

GOAT: This Morphine 

Generation blazer costs 

$340 at Goat. 

These customers might be the 

support system for a new wave of independent 

boutiques in the area. 

One of this scene’s catalysts opened in August. 

The Trovata fashion label, headquartered 

in Newport Beach, opened its first 

namesake boutiuqe in its hometown, just a 

couple of miles away from The Closet. The 

Trovata boutique has reportedly attracted 

a steady flow of fashion followers to the 

area. 

One-year-old fashion boutique Goat is 

betting that these destination shoppers, as 

well as Costa Mesa and Newport Beach locals, 

will visit its gallery-style store, located 

at 186 E. 16th St. in a stretch of Costa Mesa 

between The Closet and the Trovata store. 

Goat co-owner Matthew Thomas opened 

a men’s section on Nov. 29. He reported 

T-shirts designed by Apolis Activism, 

based in Santa Barbara, Calif., were selling 

well. They retail for $65. Also popular 

was straight-legged denim by Stockholm, 

Sweden–based Acne Jeans. The jeans retail 

for $269. 

THE CLOSET: On Dec. 12, a 10,000- squarefoot 

The Closet boutique opened in Costa 

Mesa, Calif. 

Blazers produced by Los Angeles– 

based Morphine Generation, which 

cost $340, also were popular at the 

store, which is decked out with white 

custom couches and chandeliers. 

In Goat’s women’s section, favorite items 

included the “Los Feliz” leather jacket, designed 

by Los Angeles–based Ever. It retails 

for $715. A tunic dress by French label 

Diabless also sold well. It costs $328. 

There also is an established but growing 

independent-fashion boutique scene in 

Newport Beach’s Newport Heights neighborhood. 

Los Angeles–based Ames LLC 

will open an Ames On Westcliff store at 

2043 Westcliff Drive in 2008. The 10-year-old 

The Queen Bee store, located a few blocks 

away, will undergo an extensive remodel in 

2008, said store manager Jeremy Scruggs. 

The retail mix will remain the same. Currently 

popular are candystriped 

smocks by La Rok, 

which retail for $267. There’s 

a motorcycle-style jacket 

constructed out of fleece, 

which was produced by Los 

Angeles–based label Mike 

& Chris. It costs $242. Highwaisted 

jeans by Los Angeles–based 

Rich & Skinny 

also retail well at The Queen 

Bee. They cost $240. 

A few blocks away from 

The Queen Bee, Lisa Gurney 

and business partner 

Helen Platt sell basics and 

fashion at their boutique, 

Shopgirls by Lisa & Helen, 

located at 369 E. 17th St. 

Popular items include a cashmere 

track suit by New York–based White 

+ Warren. The top costs $297, and the bottom 

costs $330. T-shirts and dresses by the 

Los Angeles–based Michael Stars label 

sell well. Price points for the T- shirts range 

from $37 to $54. Michael Stars’ “Ava” dress 

also is popular. It retails for $154. 

At The Closet, women’s buyer Rachel 

Atacan said that the store will feature local 

designers, including best-selling labels 

RVCA and Volcom, both based in 

Costa Mesa. RVCA T-shirts sell well and 

start retailing at $21, and Volcom’s hooded 

jacket with a high collar, called the 

“Kobain,” costs $76. An up-and-coming 

designer line is the Long Beach, Calif.– 

based Quail. Its high-waisted miniskirt 

retails for $114. Lake Forest, Calif.–based 

LRG produced the magenta-colored 

“Lorax” pullover, which retails for $74. 

Los Angeles–based denim makers sold 

well at The Closet. Women were buying 

True Religion’s “Bobby” jean ($199). Men 

were buying 7 For All Mankind’s boot-cut 

“Flynt” jean ($159). ■ 

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2007 Year in Review 

Year in Review 


JANUARY 

The Dominican Republic 

joined the Central American 

Free Trade Agreement, leaving 

Costa Rica the last country 

to join the free-trade initiative. 

With the addition of the Dominican 

Republic, the agreement, 

known as CAFTA, became 

CAFTA-DR. 

Jan. 1, 2007, brought in a 

slate of new California laws 

that could impact the state’s 

apparel and retail businesses. 

Chief among the new laws was an increase 

in the state minimum wage by 75 cents to 

$7.50, with an additional 50-cent increase 

scheduled for January 2008. 

E-tail spending during the 2006 holiday 

season rose 26 percent from the previous 

year, surpassing the $100 billion mark on 

Dec. 23 for year-to-date, non-travel e-commerce 

spending. 

Immediate goods were the order of the 

day at the Jan. 12–16 run of the Los Angeles 

Fashion Market, where retailers were 

on the hunt for dresses, novelties and new 

lines to entice customers to buy after a lackluster 

holiday season. 

The Jan. 25–27 run of the Action Sports 

Retailer Trade Expo and Agenda trade 

shows in San Diego was relatively quiet, according 

to several exhibitors who credited 

the “retailer fatigue” to the crowded tradeshow 

calendar. 

M.M.P. Inc., a Los Angeles company 

doing business as Fabrics & Fabrics, filed 

suit against Forever 21, claiming the Los 

Angeles fast-fashion retailer knocked off 

one of Fabric & Fabric’s prints for dresses 

and tops sold in Forever 

21 stores. 

FEBRUARY 

The North Rodeo 

Drive building 

that houses Gucci’s 

Beverly Hills store 

sold to Los Angeles– 

based real estate 

group The Festival 

Cos. for more than 

$40 million. 

Ocean Pacific 

shuttered its Irvine, 

Calif., office and 

dismissed about 18 employees after three 

months under new ownership by New 

York–based Iconix. Operations for the 

iconic surf brand moved to Iconix’s New 

York offices. 

Anaheim, Calif.–based Pacific Sunwear 

shuttered 74 of its 225 urban-themed demo 

stores. 

Exhibitors reported brisk business at 

the MAGIC Marketplace, Project Global 

Trade Show and Pooltradeshow, which 

ran Feb. 13–16 in Las Vegas concurrently 

with six satellite shows, including new 

shows CurveNV, the E.C.O. Trade Show 

and the United Trade Show. 

MARCH 

Los Angeles–based contemporary 

brands Libertine and Jovovich-Hawk 

both struck deals with fast-fashion retailers 

for diffusion lines. Libertine’s collection is 

slated for Target, and Jovovich-Hawk’s line 

is set for MNG by Mango stores. 

The owners of the Lady Liberty Building 

in downtown Los Angeles began trans- 

H&M Forever 21 

forming the 60,000-square-foot, five-floor 

building to showroom space. Owner Bellagio 

Management LLC announced it 

intends to convert the building to eight loftlike 

6,000-square-foot showrooms. 

San Francisco–based retail giant Gap 

Inc. shuttered its Forth & Towne concept 

after 18 months in business. Since the 

2006 launch, Gap had opened 19 Forth & 

Towne stores, which carried merchandise 

for women aged 35 and older. 

Lawmakers prepared to reintroduce a 

piece of legislation written to extend copyright 

protection to fashion designs. The 

Design Piracy Protection Act was first introduced 

in 2006 by U.S. Rep. Bob Goodlatte 

(R–Roanoke, Va.). 

Designer Anand Jon Alexander was arrested 

after several women, including a 

15-year-old girl, accused the Beverly Hills 

designer of rape and assault. Alexander designs 

under the name Anand Jon. 

By most accounts, retailers turned out in 

force to shop the showrooms of the California 

Market Center, The New Mart, 

the Cooper Design Space and the Gerry 

Building during the March 23–27 run of 

Los Angeles Fashion Market. Traffic was 

steady at concurrent trade shows Designers 

and Agents and Bright Cos. 

Pasadena, Calif.–based tags-and-labels 

maker Avery Denison Corp. reached an 

agreement with rival Paxar Corp. to acquire 

the White Plains, N.Y.–based company 

for $1.3 billion. 

Advanstar Communications, parent 

company of MAGIC International, was 

being sold to an investor group under the 

direction of private-equity company Veronis 

Suhler Stevenson for about $1.14 billion 

in cash. 

APRIL 

After nearly a year of negotiations, the 

United States and South Korea hammered 

out a free-trade agreement on April 1 that 

could boost trade between the two countries 

by as much as $20 billion a year. 

Santa Ana, Calif.–based software developer 

AIMS and Woodland Hills, Calif.– 

based factor Continental Business Cred- 


it joined forces to streamline 

the purchase-approval process 

for their clients. 

Los Angeles–based retail 

consultancy and buying 

office Directives West 

formed a formal partnership 

with Los Angeles trendforecasting 

agency Trends 

West. 

During the first three 

months of the year, the number 

of cargo ships calling at 

the ports of Los Angeles and 

Long Beach dipped slightly 

compared with 2006, but the 

number of containers was up 

considerably, meaning the ships arriving at 

Southern California’s ports were carrying 

more cargo per trip. 

The California Supreme Court sided with 

employees in an April 16 ruling that allows 

employees who are denied lunch breaks to 

file a complaint against their employers to 

seek up to three year’s worth of back-pay 

compensation. Employers had fought for a 

one-year limit for back-pay liability. 

MAY 

Macy’s Inc. opened a 291,169-squarefoot, 

three-level Bloomingdale’s at the 

South Coast Plaza shopping center in 

Costa Mesa, Calif. 

A new proposal, the Clean Air Action 

Plan, sought to eliminate the pollution from 

older trucks serving the ports of Los Angeles 

and Long Beach by retrofitting or replacing 

16,000 trucks with cleaner models 

that pollute less. The controversial proposal 

was expected to cost $1.8 billion and will be 

funded by increased rates. 

Dutch company Logo International 

S.V. bought the international trademarks 

for clothing and products under the O’Neill 

Los Angeles Fashion Market 

The MAGIC Marketplace Bloomingdales’s at South Coast Plaza 

brand from 55-year-old surf brand O’Neill 

Inc., based in Santa Cruz, Calif. 

RVCA, the Costa Mesa, Calif.–based 

streetwear brand, announced plans to open 

its first retail store. The new store debuted 

in the summer in San Francisco’s Haight- 

Ashbury district. 

Vegas Enterprises, the Australian 

majority-stake owner of surf brand Rusty, 

unexpectedly terminated the 40-year-old 

licensing agreement between Irvine, Calif.– 

based C&C Cos. and San Diego–based 

Rusty, following an ongoing dispute over 

the well-known brand. On May 17, an Orange 

County Superior Court judge granted 

C&C a temporary restraining order against 

Vegas and R…And Everything Else, preventing 

the Australians from continuing 

to claim that C&C’s license with Rusty is 

over. 

Premium-denim brand Chip & Pepper 

opened its first West Coast store at 

Fashion Island in Newport Beach, Calif. 

The 900-square-foot store carries the entire 

collection of denim, sportswear and C&P 

University tees designed by the label’s 

twin owners, Chip and Pepper Foster. 

The Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo’s 

fledgling Holiday show, ASR Holiday, 

held its second edition May 23–24 in Costa 

Mesa, Calif., in a new, larger venue. There 

was a 20 percent increase in attendance and 

a slight uptick in exhibitors. 

California labor officials closed 30 apparel 

factories in Southern California for laborlaw 

violations in one of the largest garmentfactory 

sweeps in the state in two years. 

A report conducted by Cambridge, 

Mass.–based Forrester Research Inc. for 

the National Retail Federation’s Shop. 

org division announced that apparel became 

the No. 1 non-travel online purchase 

in 2006, outpacing computer-product sales. 

JUNE 

Premium-denim maker J Brand Inc. 

became embroiled in a legal squabble that 

threatened to place 40 percent of the Los 

Angeles–based company in the hands of its 

original investors. Industry veterans Colin 

Dyne and Todd Kay, who loaned J Brand 

$130,000 two years ago, went to court to 

get a chunk of the blue-jeans venture that 

has become a popular label, selling for $150 

to $255 a pair. Dyne and Kay said J Brand 

founder Jeff Rudes repaid a portion of the 

loan back but has yet to fully pay back the 

money. 

Business was surprisingly good at the 

June 8–12 run of the Los Angeles Fashion 

Market at the California Market Center, 

The New Mart, the Cooper Design 

Space and the Gerry Building, as well as 

concurrent temporary trade shows Designers 

and Agents, Brighte Cos. and Boutique 

Lingerie, according to many sales 

representatives and showroom owners. 

Retail real estate investment in California’s 

Inland Empire outpaced industrial 

sales, indicating that 

retailers were finally 

making a serious 

move into the region, 

located about 

90 miles east of Los 

Angeles, analysts 

said. 

Jordache Enterprises 

and Frankie 

B. owner Daniella 

Clark worked out a 

settlement for the 

Dittos denim brand. 

Earlier this year, 

Clark released a line 

of Dittos-branded denim under a license 

for the Spring/Summer season. Jordache, 

which acquired the Dittos license in 1981, 

when the popular, high-waisted denim 

brand filed for bankruptcy, filed a milliondollar 

name-infringement and false-designation-of-origin 

lawsuit in New York against 

Clark, her company and related parties. 

Los Angeles–based fast-fashion retailer 

Forever 21 released an upscale concept 

line called Twelve by Twelve, with plans 

to open in-store shops for the new concept 

line as well as its own free-standing stores. 

Designer Christian Audigier and his company, 

Nervous Tattoo, filed a cross complaint 

in response to a lawsuit filed in May 

by the owners of the Ed Hardy license, 

under which Audigier has been producing 

a line of tattoo-inspired apparel since 2004. 

The first suit—filed in Los Angeles County 

Superior Court by Ed Hardy licensor and 

owner of Don Ed Hardy intellectual-property 

rights, Hardy Life—alleged that Audigier 

and Nervous Tattoo breached their 

10-year licensing agreement and asked for 

the immediate recision of the agreement.

Nervous Tattoo filed a $5 million cross complaint against 

Hardy Life, alleging breach of contract, fraudulent misrepresentations 

and negligent misrepresentations. 

Caruso Affiliated, the owner of The Grove lifestyle center 

in Los Angeles and developer of Americana at Brand 

in Glendale, Calif., signed a deal to bring Barneys Co-Op 

to the Americana development. Barneys New York operates 

its Co-Op concept store at The Grove, as well. The 

Americana Barneys New York Co-Op is the third Co-Op 

store in Southern California. Costa Mesa, Calif.–based 

South Coast Plaza also is home to a Co-Op store. 

St. Louis–based Kellwood Co. announced plans to shutter 

its Chico, Calif., distribution center, effective 

Aug. 31, and lay off about 160 workers between 

mid-July and the end of August. The closure was 

prompted by changes in the company’s business 

processes, said Kellwood Global President Jeffery 

Streader in a prepared statement. 

Liz Claiborne Inc.’s new chief executive, 

William McComb, announced he is splitting the 

nearly $5 billion company into two divisions. 

One division is for direct brands Juicy Couture, 

Lucky Brand Jeans, Kate Spade, Mexx and 

Sigrid Olsen, as well as the company’s outlet 

and e-commerce business. The other division 

is for wholesale “partnered” brands, such as Liz 

Claiborne, Dana Buchman, Ellen Tracy, Monet, 

Laundry by Design, Prana, C&C California, 

and DKNY jeans and activewear, which will work on 

partnerships with the company’s retail customers to focus 

on highly desired products that will turn faster. 

JULY 

Boardsports brand Globe International announced the 

sale of skate brand World Industry to Newport Beach, Calif.– 

based I.E. Distribution in a deal valued at $8 million. 

Port of Long Beach 

The U.S. Court of Appeals of the Federal Circuit heard 

a case that could decide whether holiday apparel imported 

into the United States in 2006 could retroactively qualify for 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Apparel News 

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duty-free status. The case, Michael Simon Design Inc. v. 

the United States, could affect manufacturers who paid customs 

duties on imported goods such as Christmas sweaters 

and Halloween shirts last year. 

Attendance was up by 15 percent at the Miami Swim- 

Show, according to show organizers who celebrated the 

show’s 25th anniversary during the July 11–15 run at the 

Miami Beach Convention Center. The trade show runs 

concurrently with the runway shows of Mercedes-Benz 

Fashion Week Miami Swim. 

Los Angeles–based Pooltradeshow teamed up with San 

Diego–based independent shopping event Thread, which 

Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Miami Swim 

moved its headquarters to Pool’s in Los Angeles’ Silver 

Lake district. Although Thread will continue to operate its 

consumer-driven shows—which feature indie designers, 

music, art and film—a handful of Thread’s designers will 

show at the August run of Pool in Las Vegas. 

Australian surf brand Cult Industries temporarily 

ceased operations at its Huntington Beach, Calif.–based 

American headquarters. The company laid off its staff and 

halted distribution while executives determined how to proceed. 

The company was in talks with potential American 

licensees who could manage the brand going forward, said 

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Or call 

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7 a.m.–3:30 p.m., Monday–Friday 

Doug Spong, owner and founder of the Australian brand 

and a partial owner of Cult Industries USA. 

The Port of Los Angeles celebrated its 100-year anniversary 

with a July 12 fashion show titled “L.A. By Design,” 

featuring Los Angeles brands and several city officials walking 

the runway. 

Los Angeles–based premium-denim maker 7 For All 

Mankind sold to VF Corp. for $775 million. The Greensboro, 

N.C.–based manufacturing giant also bought Portland, 

Ore.–based retail chain Lucy Activewear for $110 

million. 

Surfwear maker Quiksilver Inc., the $2.3 

billion surf maker based in Huntington Beach, 

Calif., and the Kymsta Corp., a Los Angeles 

company with $4 million in annual revenues, 

were scheduled to head back to U.S. District 

Court in Los Angeles on Nov. 13 for yet another 

trial that would determine how these two 

clothing companies would be allowed to use 

the word “Roxy” in their labels. 

Commerce, Calif.–based Blue Holdings 

named Glenn S. Palmer chief executive officer 

and president, taking over for Paul Guez, 

who took on a more strategic role in the company. 

Palmer has 30 years of experience in 

corporate finance, operations and the apparel 

industry, including experience at Cerberus 

Capital Management, Amerex Group Inc., Best Manufacturing 

Group LLC, Liz Claiborne and Bonaventure 

Textiles USA. 

San Francisco–based Gap Inc. named Glenn Murphy 

chairman and chief executive officer of the company, filling 

a position left vacant by Paul Pressler, who left the company 

in January. 

Port clerks at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach 

2007 Year in Review page 10 



Year in Review 


received a 14 percent salary increase, and multiemployer 

pension trust contract negotiations 

were reached between the clerks and terminal 

operators and 17 shipping lines. 

AUGUST 

New lingerie trade show CurvExpo Inc. announced 

plans to launch a New York edition, 

called CurveNY, in February. 

Irvine, Calif.–based luxury brand St. John 

hired Glenn McMahon, former president of 

Dolce & Gabbana USA, as its new chief executive 

officer. 

The Holiday/ 

Resort market 

has traditionally 

been one of the 

smallest markets 

on the Los 

Angeles market 

calendar, but 

buyer traffic was 

particularly low 

during the Aug. 

10–14 Los Angeles 

Fashion The California Market Center’s Area 4 

Market, according 

to many sales 

representatives who reported turnout from primarily 

local retailers. 

Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Paul Frank Industries, 

which had been battling founder and 

designer Paul Frank Sunich in court since he 

was fired in 2005, announced it had amicably 

settled the dispute over Sunich’s interest in the 

company. Details of the settlement remain private. 

PFI and Sunich are still battling over control 

of the Paul Frank name. 

Los Angeles–based trade show The Exclusive, 

which operates upscale menswear shows 

in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, was acquired 

by Norwalk, Conn.–based Business Journals 

Inc., parent company of MR magazine and MRketplace.com. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

The show was renamed MRket and will 

continue to be held biannually in Las Vegas. 

Brooks College, which offers fashion programs 

at its Long Beach and Sunnydale, Calif., 

campuses, announced it will close both campuses 

in a gradual phaseout, expected to be completed 

in early 2008. The decision came about 

after an effort to sell the Long Beach campus to 

another educator fell through last year. 

The California Market Center began expanding 

its contemporary fifth floor to add a 

42,000-square-foot space on the fourth floor 

called Area 4. The space will be connected to 

the fifth floor by a new staircase and will feature 

an exclusive dedicated elevator from the lobby. 

Showrooms are expected to be open for the Los 

Angeles Fashion Market in March. 

Fashion Business Inc. received a $97,000 

grant by the city of Los Angeles to provide consulting 

services to apparel manufacturers in the 

city. The grant is a “growth industry contract” 

and was created to spur growth in the city’s 

manufacturing core. 

Los Angeles–based Vanounou Clothing Inc., 

maker of Go Jeans and Go Clothing, filed suit 

against Target Corp., accusing Target of trademark 

infringement and other transgressions relating 

to Target’s Go International label. 

Chicago-based menswear manufacturer 

Hartmarx Corp. bought Los Angeles–based 

premium-denim and sportswear label Monarchy 

for $12 million. Monarchy joined Los Angeles 

labels One Girl Who… and Zooey, both 

acquired by Hartmarx last year. 

It was a buyers’ market in Las Vegas at the 

Aug. 27–30 run of the giant MAGIC Marketplace 

and its ever-growing coterie of satellite 

shows. In addition to MAGIC; its men’s, wom- 


en’s, accessories, childrenswear and sourcing 

shows; and its subsidiary and partnered 

shows—Project Global Trade Show, Pooltradeshow, 

ISAM (the International Swimwear 

and Activewear Market) and Printsource at 

MAGIC at the Las Vegas Convention Center, 

Sands Expo & Convention Center and Hilton 

Convention Center—there were several independent 

shows for buyers to shop. The ASAP 

Global Sourcing Show shared space with the 

Global E.C.O. Trade Show at The Venetian, 

where The Exclusive, CurveNV, Lingerie 

Americas, Accessories The Show and Moda 

Las Vegas also showed. The Off-Price Specialist 

Show was nearby at the Sands, WWIN 

(WomensWear in Nevada) was at the Rio Hotel 

& Casino and the United Trade Show was at 

the Alexis Park Resort. 

Two Rodeo Drive 

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce hosted a 

week-long workshop designed to educate the 

trade and consumers about counterfeiting and 

the efforts to stop it. 

A federal judge ruled in favor of Costa 

Mesa, Calif.–based Paul Frank Industries 

in the trademark-infringement lawsuit that PFI 

brought against founder Paul Frank Sunich, 

who was fired in 2005 after negotiations for a 

buyout failed. Judge Cormac Carney decided 

that Sunich may not design under the names 

“Paul Frank” or “Paul Frank Sunich.” 

SEPTEMBER 

X-Rite Inc.—a provider of color-matching, 

measuring and simulations solutions—signed 

an agreement to purchase Pantone Inc. for 

$180 million. Pantone’s products are used by designers 

in several industries—including fashion, 

home décor, architecture and digital technology—to 

identify, match and reproduce colors. 

Buyers, surfers and skaters descended upon 

San Diego for the double whammy of the Action 

Sports Retailer Trade Expo, held Sept. 7–9 at 

the San Diego Convention Center, and the 

Junk Food’s Blaine Halvorson 

and Natalie Grof 

Agenda trade show, held Sept. 7–8 at the San 

Diego Concourse. Counting 20,000 attendees, 

including 7,000 buyers roaming the aisles at ASR 

and an expanded exhibitor list at Agenda, show 

organizers for both events declared the Spring 

2008 shows a success. 

Barneys New York opened its newest store 

in San Francisco’s Union Square. 

Vernon, Calif.–based premium-denim maker 

Citizens of Humanity acquired denim veteran 

Adriano Goldschmied’s premium-denim brand 

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (right) 

with The Stronghold’s Michael 

Paradise (left) and Designers and 

Agents’ Barbara Kramer (center) 

GoldSign as well as Laundry Atelier, Goldschmied’s 

laundry and laboratory. 

Designer Martin Margiela opened a 2,800square-foot 

Maison Martin Margiela boutique 

on Santa Monica Boulevard in Beverly Hills. 

On Sept. 10, the California Legislature passed 

a bill to require that all but the smallest employers 

contribute as much as 7.5 percent of their 

payroll to cover the cost of health-care insurance 

for employees or pay into a state pool that will 

provide coverage. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger 

said he would veto the bill and called for a special 

legislative session to work out an alternative 

to this health-care bill. 

New York–based The Warnaco Group Inc. 

Pooltradeshow 

announced it would severely whittle down its 

$389 million swim business, which it operates 

through the Warnaco Swimwear Group, a 

division based in Commerce, Calif. The plan, 

which is a bid to bolster Calvin Klein’s business 

and enhance the $1.8 billion company’s profitability, 

calls for the sale of some of Warnaco’s 

swimwear brands—including Catalina, Anne 

Cole and Cole of California—and discontinuing 

others, including Warnaco’s license to produce 

Op’s juniors swimwear, which it kept after 

selling the Op brand to New York–based Iconix 

Brand Group last year. 

Luxury shopping venue Two Rodeo Drive 

in Beverly Hills was sold for an estimated $275 

million, according to Cushman & Wakefield 

real estate brokers who represented the buyer, 

Sloan Capital Partners LLC, an investment 

holding company. Sloan acquired the property 

from the Rodeo Owner Corp. 

Los Angeles contractor The Evans Group 

opened a satellite office in San Francisco, where 

services will include fittings and sample sewing. 

OCTOBER 

Blue Holdings, the publicly traded premium-denim 

manufacturer, discontinued 

its Life & Death 

brand and planned to close its 

two retail stores and dismiss 35 

employees, or approximately 

25 percent of its full-time staff. 

New York retailer Intermix 

opened its first Los Angeles 

store on Robertson Boulevard. 

Macy’s celebrated the 25th 

anniversary of its Macy’s Passport 

fashion fund-raiser, which 

has raised more than $27 million 

for HIV and AIDS charities 

since it launched. For the silver 

anniversary, Macy’s enlisted 

the support of Dame Elizabeth 

Taylor, Dita von Teese and a 

veritable who’s who of designer 

brands on the runway. 

Costa Rica became the last signatory country 

to join the Dominican Republic–Central America 

Free Trade Agreement, joining the United 

States, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras 

and the Dominican Republic. 

Juicy Couture opened a boutique on Rodeo 

Drive in Beverly Hills. The new store was the latest 

in an ambitious expansion plan for the Southern 

California label, which is owned by New 

York–based Liz Claiborne. More than 20 Juicy 

Apparel News Group 

63 

 

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stores have opened since last year. 

Designer David Cardona joined premium-denim brand 

Rock & Republic as vice president of design. 

Los Angeles–based retail chain Metropark named Renee 

Bell chief executive officer, replacing Bob Allison, the 

retailer’s interim chief executive officer, who will remain on 

the company’s board. Bell was previously Metropark’s vice 

president and general merchandise manager. 

Pacific Sunwear announced it would shutter its ninestore 

footwear division, One Thousand Steps, and retained 

investment banker Financo Inc. to help it find “strategic 

alternatives” for its 154 urban-themed demo stores. 

Brush fires in Southern California stymied buyer traffic 

at the Oct. 26–30 Los Angeles Fashion Market, but 

showroom representatives said sales were brisk for Spring 

goods and Immediate deliveries. 

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spent 4½ hours 

in the Fashion District, visiting the Designers and Agents 

trade show during the Los Angeles Fashion Market. 

The Cooper Design Space in the Los Angeles Fashion 

District renovated its mezzanine to open up more 

showroom space in the 11-floor building. The building also 

began work on its 10th floor, which is nearly leased and is 

expected to open in early 2008. 

NOVEMBER 

Los Angeles–based Junk Food Clothing debuted a 

collaboration with San Francisco–based retailer GapKids 

under the moniker Junk Food Loves GapKids. The collaboration 

will be tested in 131 GapKids stores across the 

United States and, if successful, will be rolled out to the rest 

of the chain. 

A Los Angeles Superior Court jury ordered the owner 

of Glendale Galleria, a neighbor of the Americana at 

Brand, to pay $15 million in punitive damages to Rick 

Caruso, whose Caruso Affiliated is the developer of the 

Americana at Brand shopping center. Caruso accused 

General Growth Properties Inc. of illegally threatening 

the Cheesecake Factory restaurant chain after it showed 

interest in opening at the Americana. The Galleria was said 

to be courting the restaurant, too. The jury also awarded 

Caruso $74 million in compensatory damages. General 

Growth attorneys denied that the Chicago-based real estate 

development trust lobbied the restaurant against dealing 

with its competition. They plan to appeal the awards and 

the rulings. 

With 330 attendees from 39 countries, the Organic Exchange’s 

annual conference, held this year in Monterey, 

Calif., was a record success for the 5-year-old organization. 

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Construction began on Falcon California Inc.’s 

109-unit open-air Stanford Wholesale Mart, which will 

open in early 2008 with a mostly juniors tenant mix. The 

mart, at the corner of 12th and Stanford streets, could also 

have a new neighbor; Falcon California is planning another 

project across the street. 

Premium-denim brand 7 For All Mankind opened its 

first boutique on Los Angeles’ Robertson Boulevard. The 

Stanford Wholesale Mart 

Organic Exchange conference 

company opened a second store, in Dallas, and has plans to 

open 10 more stores in 2008. 

Despite the lackluster forecasts, the holiday season 

started with big sales on Nov. 23. According to a study released 

by the International Council of Shopping Centers, 

combined U.S. retail sales for Black Friday and the 

next day—called Black Saturday—rose 7.2 percent over 

the same period in the previous year. 

Saks Inc. settled a lawsuit with one of its vendors regarding 

the department store’s charge-back policy, but 

many in the industry questioned whether the settlement— 

for an undisclosed amount—would lead to any substantial 

changes in charge-back practices. On Nov. 23, Saks settled 

a case filed in 2005 by attorney Donald L. Kreindler, a partner 

at New York firm Phillips Nizer. Kreindler alleged 

that Saks’ charge-backs for markdown allowances of more 

than $31 million led to the demise of a manufacturer called 

Apparel Group International (AGI), which produced 

Oscar de la Renta fashions. Kreindler specifically represented 

International Design Concepts LLC, which had 

purchased the assets of AGI. 

A Nov. 29 raid in the Los Angeles Fashion District resulted 

in 26 arrests, the all-day closure of 11th Street between 

Maple and Santee, and the seizure of more than 50,000 pieces 

of suspected counterfeit clothing, jewelry, accessories, 

DVDs and CDs estimated to be worth $8 million. 

DECEMBER 

The U.S. Senate passed the Peru Trade Promotion 

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Agreement Implementation Act, known as the PTPA. President 

Bush signed the measure into law. 

Irvine, Calif.–based young contemporary brand B.B. 

Dakota hired Roth Capital Partners, a Newport Beach, 

Calif.–based investment bank, to look for acquisition possibilities 

or even consider an initial public offering. 

Truckers, longshore workers and thousands of other port 

workers in Long Beach, Calif., and Los Angeles began enrolling 

for Transportation Worker Identification Credential 

(TWIC) cards, the mandatory security cards 

now required by the federal government. 

Robert Hass, a descendant of Levi Strauss 

& Co. founder Levi Strauss, announced he will 

retire as company chairman of the board after 

18 years in that position. He will remain on the 

board as a director with the honorary title of 

chairman emeritus. Board member T. Gary 

Rogers will take over as chairman of the board 

in February. 

After nearly a year of negotiations and paperwork, 

Endeavor Acquisition Corp. in New 

York completed its approximately $774 million 

acquisition of American Apparel Inc., the vertically integrated 

manufacturer of T-shirts and other casual clothing 

made in downtown Los Angeles. Endeavor, a blank-check 

company that traded on the American Stock Exchange 

under the symbol EDA, has changed its name to American 

Apparel and is now traded under the symbol AAP. 

Stephanie Seeley, who joined the Pooltradeshow in October 

as show manager, was named operations manager of 

the trade show, replacing Mindy Weiner, who resigned to 

pursue other opportunities in North Carolina. Seeley most 

recently held the position of head buyer at Los Angeles– 

based specialty retailer American Rag Cie. 

ENK International—the New York trade-show organizer 

whose shows include Fashion Coterie, Intermezzo 

Collections, Sole Commerce, Accessories Circuit, 

Brighte Cos. and Blue—announced its acquisition 

of WSA Global Holdings, the producer of the biannual 

World Shoe Association show and its luxury show-withina-show, 

The Collections at WSA. WSA Global Holdings, 

based in Encino, Calif., provides marketing services for the 

footwear and accessories market and produces WSAToday, 

a trade publication, and WSAToday.com. 

In Memoriam 

Rose Marie Reid’s Nina Kessley, 94 

Jam Warehouse’s Jack Malkin, 77 

Gianfranco Ferre, 62 

Liz Claiborne, 78 

Fashion illustrator Fernando Flores, 66 

Garment contractor Margaret Walter, 83 

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California Apparel News Ph: 213-627-3737 Ext. 237, 278, 280 Fax: 213-623-5707 

CLASSIFIEDS 


Michael Stars is seeking responsible, creative 

& energetic professionals with a sense of 

contemporary style to fill the following 

open positions: 

Retail Operations Manager 

• Manage business to ensure retail stores and 

outlets operate efficiently and achieve 

profitability goals 

• Loss prevention and inventory maintenance 

• Implementing and maintaining policy 

and procedures 

• Overseeing store building maintenance, 

housekeeping and safety standards 

• Bachelor's in business management, 

operation/organizational management 

or a comparable field 

• 3+ years experience in managing professional 

and clerical personnel 

• 2+ years experience in retail store management 

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word and Excel 

• Experience with cash registers, retail 

POS/inventory control computer systems 

• Travel (less than 35%) 

Assistant Designer 

• Develop garment spec & construction 

based on images or samples 

• Create tech packs for new development 

• Create flat sketches on Illustrator 

• Create development line sheets 

•Order sample fabric/trim 

• Coordinate with Tech Design to ensure proper 

procedures & steps are taken to facilitate 

production of all styles 

• Coordinate with Patternmaker on all development 

to ensure proper fit and construction are applied 

• Bachelors degree in 

Apparel Merchandising or Design 

• Extensive knowledge Microsoft office- Illustrator 

Photoshop, Excel, Outlook, Word, Internet 

Assistant Warehouse Manager 

• Apparel Related Experience 

• Speaks and Writes English Fluently 

• Speaks Spanish 

• Inventory or Process Blanks experience 

• Basic Computer Skills- Outlook, Internet, Excel 

• Ability to work weekends if needed 

• Familiar with Dye House Dynamics 

• Experience Managing Warehouse Crews 

• Basic Safety Rules Experience 

• Forklift Compliant and Certified a MUST 

E-Commerce 

Assistant Buyer/Merchandiser 

• Create and receive PO's 

• Track inventory from purchase to launch 

• Create & maintain items in E-Commerce system 

• Monitor/Update website pricing 

• Coordinate web images according to marketing 

plan and inventory 

• Bachelor's degree preferred 

• 2+ years Retail experience 

• Excellent communication skills 

• Strong knowledge of Microsoft applications 

Online Marketing Manager 

• Assist in development of online marketing strategy 

and management of the acquisition budget 

• Responsible for creative development, 

management and optimization of online advertising 

and homepage campaigns 

• Maintain monthly customer reposting, focusing 

on key performance metrics 

• Design testing strategies 

• Bachelor's in Marketing, Communications 

or related field 

• 3+ years of Retail experience 

• Website analytics experience 

• Experience in purchasing online media 

Excellent Benefits Package Included 

Please e-mail your resume to 

jobs@michaelstars.com or fax to 310-263-7387 


ESTABLISHED APPAREL COMPANY SEEKING 

INDIVIDUALS TO FILL THE FOLLOWING 

POSITIONS. EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY 

AND BENEFITS. 

DESIGNER/MERCHANDISER 

DESIGNER/MERCHANDISER - 5 years experience 

and an in-depth knowledge of the Junior/ 

Missy Denim & Related market. Must be familiar 

with overseas and domestic manufacturing, garment 

construction, sample room, pre-production 

and costing. Good sketching ability with excellent 

design/color/fabric/trims/wash & fit sense. Be Proficient 

in Illustrator. Have a working knowledge of 

Photoshop. Must be able to oversee all phases of 

line development. Retail experience a plus. 

Needs to be detail oriented and be able to work 

well under pressure. Some travel required. 

ASSOCIATE DESIGNER 

Must have an in-depth knowledge of the Junior/ 

Missy Denim & Related market. Responsible for 

research in order to identify new trends, fabrics 

and techniques. Must have Illustrator and 

Photoshop exp. and be able to perform basic flat 

sketches. Needs to have a solid understanding 

of design and product construction. 

DESIGN ASSISTANT 

Must be a detailed oriented assistant with strong 

computer skills (Outlook, Illustrator & Photoshop). 

Minimum 2 yrs exp. Must be extremely organized, 

familiar with garment construction & have 

excellent communication & follow-up ability. 

Pre-production exp. Preferred. 

TECHNICAL DESIGNER 

Technical designer with 2-3 years experience in 

the junior denim bottoms market needed. Must 

have well rounded knowledge of garment construction 

and the production process. Will be responsible 

for ensuring the accuracy, consistency and 

quality of the fit, construction and specs of the garments. 

Must have good fit skills & ability to lead a 

fitting, either on a live model or a form. Knowledge 

of patternmaking a plus. Strong computer and 

communication skills. 

IMPORT PRODUCTION COORDINATOR 

Highly motivated person with 2-3 years exp. in the 

junior denim bottoms market needed to assist in 

import production. Must have well rounded knowledge 

of overseas garment production & construction. 

Exp. with measuring garments as well as 

approving finished garments, lab-dips, fabrics, etc. 

Must be a self starter, detail oriented individual and 

have strong written and verbal comm. skills. 

PRODUCTION PATTERNMAKER 

FIRST THROUGH PRODUCTION patternmaker 

with 3 to 5 years experience in the junior denim 

market. Must have a good understanding of garment 

wash and shrinkages. Candidate must be a 

self-starter, well organized and have experience 

with Patternmaking software. 

Email to hrdept6@verizon.net or fax resume 

with salary history to (323) 657-5344 

Established L.A. based Manufacturer has 

immediate opening for the following position. 

Production Patternmaker 

FOR JRS & KIDS KNITS-WOVENS 

Great opportunity for a highly organized, selfmotivated 

individual to work in a fast paced 

Jr. Company. Must have 5 years experience in 

knits & wovens and, knowledge of Tukatech 

system preferably. 

Excellent employee benefit package. 

Please fax resume to 

Attn: H.R. (323) 859-2499 

To place your classified call 

213-627-3737 x278 or 280 

e-mail jeffery@apparelnews.net or 

zenny@apparelnews.net 

Larry Hansel Clothing, LLC 

Larry Hansel Clothing a Family of Fashion forward 

brands is currently recruiting for the 

following positions. 

DESIGN ASSISTANT 

Design Assistant with at least 2-3 years experience 

in the Junior and Dress market. The position 

requires strong organizational skills with exp. in 

general design room operations (line sheets, 

clerical, trims, etc.). Garment construction and 

technical knowledge is a must. You must be able 

to take direction, challenges, meet deadlines and 

have ability to work in a fast paced environment. 

Working computer experience with Illustrator, 

Photo shop excel and word. Must have great 

communication (verbal & written) skills. 

PATTERN MAKER 

Minimum 4 years experience as a First through 

Production Patternmaker working with Denim 

bottoms and Junior Sportswear & Dresses. Solid 

working GERBER knowledge required. Must be a 

team player and able to work within a fast paced 

environment. Will create patterns, attend fittings 

and issue corrections. You will work with the 

design and production teams. 

FIT MODEL 

Are you our perfect size 7? Bust 35 ?, Waist 28, 

Hip 38 1/2? Then send us your photo and resume. 

If you are ready to be part of this amazing 

design team, forward your resume to 

fax (323)727-9790 or via email at 

HR@RAMPAGE.COM. We offer a competitive 

compensation package that includes Medical, 

Dental, Vision, 401K and Vacation. 

We are an EOE. 

KANDY KISS OF CALIFORNIA, INC. 

Fabric Buyer/Coordinator 

Immediate opening for a bright, organized, detail oriented 

person to negotiate costs, order fabrics and issue p.o.’s. 

This individual will follow-up on orders, lab dips and 

strikeoffs and communicate with overseas staff and 

factories. Knowledge of MTL process is needed. 

Mandarin speaking preferred with working 

knowledge of AS400 vantage point. 

Email resume to: Tad@kandykiss.com 

or fax: 818-833-6371 

Production Fabric Sourcing / 

Development Manager 

Position will work with our design teams, our china office 

and current supply base in development of new product. 

Must have strong technical knowledge of knits and wovens. 

Must have positive relationship with overseas trading 

companies/mills.Mandarin speaking a must. Organized, 

team player and great communicator essential. 

Fax resume to: 818-833-6371 or 

email to Michaelo@kandykiss.com 

Sweater Designer 

Must have seven years top brand experience 

designing with quality yarns and overseas 

factories.You must possess excellent sketching, 

presentation, and managerial skills. 

Positions are based in our beautiful 

Century City location. 

Email resumes and jpegs to 

sdaliege@bebe.com 

Fleurish, a fashion forward Junior Company 

seeks talented first patternmaker. 

Candidates must have experience with all 

categories of sportswear. Salary 

commensurate with experience. 

Please fax resume to 213-746-4688 


POSITION AVAILABLE POSITION AVAILABLE POSITION AVAILABLE 

Recognized as a global leader of women’s contemporary fashion, BCBG Max Azria Group continues to 

grow and diversify. With an international vision of Bon Chic, Bon Genre (French for Good Style, Good Attitude), 

BCBG Max Azria Group maintains the highest standards in creativity, quality and innovation – in its 

product offering, operations and staff. The Group’s vast portfolio of over 15 brands encompasses a retail & 

wholesale network of more than 9,000 points of sale in over 45 countries on 5 continents. With more than 

10 offices around the globe, our worldwide team is integral to the company's successful expansion. We are 

currently seeking creative, talented & dynamic individuals to join our growing workforce of over 10,000 

employees. The following exciting opportunity is at our Globalin Los Angeles, CA. 

Sr. Manager - Fabric R & D 

Fabric Research team is responsible to “source” fabrics globally based on fabric trends & directions 

from the design team. This position will work closely with Designers on new fabrics & be able to counter 

source fabrics according to price & aesthetics needs of design. Travel & visit fabric vendors & fabric trade 

shows to enhance company resources; coordinate with VP of Fabric R&D on price negotiations, long 

lead-times, minimums, & payment terms; receive & coordinate all fabric headers with designer team to fabricate 

each delivery/season; organize & maintain fabric library together with library coordinator. Ideal candidate 

will have a min. of 5 yrs of exp. in the Fashion industry in a fabric related area or production. Fashion 

related college education is necessary. Textile engineering or textile related field is a plus. Must have 

fabric technical knowledge, understanding of constructions/yarns/finishes on fabrics. Job code: 07-838 

To Apply: Qualified candidates, please submit your resume to human.resources@bcbg.com. 

BCBG Max Azria Group is an equal opportunity employer. To view all of our current career opportunities, 

please visit our company’s career section at www.bcbg.com. 

PRODUCT DEVELOPER/ 

ASSISTANT DESIGNER 

Great opportunity to work at a golf sportswear company. 

Seeking a team player, strong background in knits, 

organized, w/min. 3 yrs exp. in Illustrator, garment 

construction, specs and excellent communication skills 

with garment factory’s and internal staff. 

Responsibilities are not limited to, but include strong Illustrator 

skills, 2 seasonal product releases, sourcing fabrics 

and trims, negotiating cost, creating "Bill of Material, 

Specs and Margin reviews. Meeting timeline dates and 

coordinating all sales samples garments from factory 

through shipping to sales team. 

* Must be self motivated, and able to handle 

multi-tasking. 

• Casual environment, great staff and strong 

leadership. 

• Full Time with benefits 

• Position In-House mandatory 

Email: jkellner@straightdown.com 

FIRST THROUGH PRODUCTION 

PATTERNMAKER 

Min. 5 years exp. Knowledge of Gerber 

Silhouette 2000, junior mkt., sewing 

construction and spec sheets. 

We offer a competitive benefits package. 

E-mail resume w/ salary history to: 

Helens@KNLclothing.com or fax to 

310-515-8699 

DESIGN ASSISTANT to work in fast-paced 

design room. Must be detail oriented with 

strong communication and organizational 

skills. Must have the ability to handle multiple 

projects and follow through with a sense of 

urgency. Must take direction well. Minimum 

one year experience required. 

Please forward resumes to 

ccartagena@aquablues.com 

Denim Patternmaker 

1st thru Production 

A seasoned patternmaker with a eye for line 

and proportion. A person of integrity who accepts 

responsibility & assumes control of the company’s 

supremely important fits. Experience in 

current premium denim market. Computer 

patternmaking experience necessary. 

Fax resume to Drew 323-260-7820 


CUSTOMER SERVICE/DATA ENTRY 

Major Apparel Brand located in LA area requires a 

person experienced in all areas of customer service/data 

entry. Such as, allocation of orders for 

major/specialty stores, customer support, EDI, inventory 

control, shipping coordination. Motivated, 

detail oriented, with ability to work well under pressure, 

multi-task, strong follow-up skills, and willingness 

to learn new job functions. A minimum of 

2 years apparel mfg. exp. required. Must be well 

organized and possess good communication skills. 

Computer exp: IBM AS 400 skills a must, IBM 

Navigator, Excel and Word a plus. Full time 

w/benefits. 

Please e-mail resume w/salary history to: 

jobs3@bpjeans.com or 

fax to Attn: HR 562-576-0181 

PATTERNMAKER 

Jr Missy cloghing mfr seeks exp’d 1st thru production 

pattern maker. Detailed, able to interpret new styles. 

Min. of 7 yrs. exp. in fittings, technical specs, manual 

patterns needed. 

Must be able to work in a fast paced team environment. 

Fax resume: 323-584-5902 

E-mail resume:designermichellek@hotmail.com 

Pattern Maker 

Fast paced manufacturer is looking for first 

pattern makers for junior/missy/plus sizes. 

Minimum 2 years experience. PAD system 

experience preferred but would train the right 

candidate. Must be self-motivated and able to 

function in a busy environment. SFV location. 

Fax resumes to: 818-833-6370 or 

Email: monicar@kandykiss.com 

1st Pattern Maker 

A experienced patternmaker capable of knits & 

wovens in tops, dresses, jackets, skirts and pants. 

A detail oriented person who is accurate, organized 

and efficient. Work closely with creative designers 

to make unique styles. Must have computer 

patternmaking experience. 

Fax resume to: 

Drew 323-260-7820 


To place your classified call 

213-627-3737 x278 or 280 

e-mail jeffery@apparelnews.net or 

zenny@apparelnews.net 

St. John Knits 

St. John Knits, a leading designer and manufacturer 

of luxury women's apparel, has immediate 

need for highly skilled PATTERNMAKERS 

in their headquarters located in Irvine, CA. 

Individuals will be responsible for First Design 

prototype patterns as well as finalizing patterns 

for production. Must be adept at draping and 

extremely detail oriented. Must also work well 

with others in a fast pace environment. Must have 

proven experience in working directly with Designers. 

Must be able to instruct sewers in the making 

of the first sample. Candidates must have a minimum 

of seven years previous experience in high 

quality products. Basic knowledge of computerized 

pattern making a plus, but not required. 

Our benefit package is competitive in the industry, 

including Vacation, 401(k) Plan, Employee 

Discount, Medical, Dental, Life Insurance and 

Relocation Allowance. Visit our website at 

www.stjohnknits.com for more information. 

Salary commensurate with experience. Submit 

resume, salary history and requirements to 

Garey Chambliss 2722 Michelson Dr., 

Irvine, CA 92612: FAX 949-266-0343 

or E-mail corporate@sjk.com. 

Jr. and Kids manufacturer has immed openings for 

the following positions: 

FABRIC BUYER 

Detailed oriented person to order and source 

fabric, trims and issue PO's. 

IMPORT COORDINATOR 

Highly organized individual to follow up on orders, 

tech packs, lab dips, strike offs and communicate 

with overseas staff. 

PRODUCTION TRIM COORDINATOR 

Must be organized & follow up. Only detailed 

person need to apply. 

Must have minimum 5 years experience and 

working knowledge of AS400. 

Please fax resumes to 213-742-9678 

Koral Industries 

1st Thru Production Patternmaker 

Needed 

Exp'd patternmaker needed for established 

Clothing Manufacturer. Must be fully skilled & 

Fluent in the use of the Gerber System / PDS2000 

and up to date upgrades Min. 5 yrs experience 

with knits and wovens. Must have xlnt. comm. 

skills & be able to work in fast-paced team 

environment. Need not apply if you do 

not meet the requirements. 

Fax resume to 323 582-3650 

GRAPHIC ARTIST 

Leading clothing manufacturer is looking for 

A graphic artist with min. 4yr experience in the 

Junior and Girls market. Must be fluent in 

photoshop & illustrator. 

Experience in Junior and Girls market for 

silkscreen T-shirts REQUIRED. Fluent in English 

a MUST.Need not apply if you do not meet 

these requirements. 

Fax resume to (323)-584-3650 

PATTERNMAKER 

Must be organized, detailed, computer literate 

team player. Must be great communicator who 

understands deadlines and accuracy. 

Min. 5 yr. experience only. 

Fax: 213-745-8161 email: donna@kos-usa.com 

GIRL FRIDAY 

ASSISTANT 

SELF STARTER 

FABRIC 

BACKGROUND 

FAX 

213-489-7690 

ragfinder@aol.com 

ADVERTISE 

YOUR 

POSITIONS 

HERE

POSITION WANTED 

DESIGNER, PATTERNMAKER, SAMPLEMAKER 

35 Yrs. Exp. 

1st thru prod. patterns, 

samples, fitting, grading, 

sportswear, menswear, 

lingerie, Kids, Jr, Missy & 

all area. Sketches & 

pictures available. 

Christin 213-627-9191 

ORANGE COUNTY'S 

BEST 

Designs/Patterns. 1st thru 

Prod., Samples, Fittings 

Designs, etc., all areas 

contemporary Junior & 

Missy. Lynn 

FREELANCE 

Patternmaker 1st thru 

Production - Patterns 

marking/grading service 

10 yrs of exp. swimwear, 

lingerie, sportswear, 

Jr, missy 

Call Ana 562-413-4673 

DIANE DESPAS 

THE BEST FREELANCE 

DESIGNS/ PATTERNS/ 

SAMPLES 

(213) 765-0722 

1031 S. Broadway 

Suite #1150 

ddespas2000@yahoo.com 

FREELANCE 

Exp'd 1st/Prod. Computerized 

Patterns/Marking/ 

grading service on PAD 

SYSTEM. Import specs & 

sample making available. 

25 yrs. exp. Fast/reliable 

Ph. 626-792-4022 

FreelancePatternmaker 

15 years experience 

In-House Or Out 


Samples, Fittings 

Call Margaret 

818-679-2007 

To place your classified call 213-627-3737 

E-MAIL: jeffery@apparelnews.netor zenny@apparelnews.net 


DESIGNER, PATTERNMAKER, SAMPLEMAKER 

Freelance 

Patternmaker 


Patterns Women’s, 

Men’s & Kids Sportswear, 

contemporary, 

Missy & Jr. 

Call Mirna: 

626-482-4144 

714-292-0381 CASH PAID 

NEWSPAPER 2ND CLASS 

ApparelNews 

For spacereservations 

call 213-627-3737 

January 4 

Waterwear 

Finance Advertorial 

THE VOICE 

OF THE 

INDUSTRY FOR 

63 

years 

Where fashion gets down to business $2.95 ($3.50 OUTSIDE CALIFORNIA) VOLUME 63, NUMBER 55 DECEMBER 28, 2007–JANUARY 3, 2008 

SM 

Plus-Size Designers 

Fill the Sizing Gap 



Some of California’s plus-size designers are finding 

new opportunities beyond their target customers—and 

they are adjusting their sizing below traditional plus-size 

boundaries. 

The plus-size segment traditionally has addressed sizes 

14 and up, but a group of young California companies is 

bringing those sizes down a notch to address a changing 

marketplace. 

San Francisco–based Igigi will lower size offerings to 

12 for January deliveries. Santa Ana, Calif.–based Svoboda 

expanded into a size 12 last season, and Anaheim, 

Calif.–based Kiyonna Clothing made the move a few 

years ago. 

These companies have found a gap between what mainstream 

manufacturers and retailers offer and what the 

plus-size market offers. Typically plus sizes are graded 

proportionally larger than misses sizes, according to designer 

Jessica Svoboda, who said there is also a vanity aspect, 

which means a plus size 14 tends to run larger than 

a misses size 14. 

Plus Size page 5 

2007 in Review 

It was a year of both the mega-deal and the quiet merger. 

7 For All Mankind sold for $775 million and American 

Apparel for $774 million, while Chicago menswear 

company Hartmarx quietly swooped in and bought its 

third Los Angeles label, Monarchy. 

Private-equity company Veronis Suhler Stevenson 

picked up MAGIC Marketplace parent Advanstar 

Communications for about $1.14 billion. And Fashion 

Coterie parent ENK International bought WSA Global 

Holdings, the producer of the biannual World Shoe Association 

show, for an undisclosed amount. 

California’s minimum wage increased, as did employers’ 

health-care costs and lawmakers’ attempts to correct 

the state’s health-care system. 

Gap shuttered its Forth & Towne baby-boomer concept 

business, and Pacific Sunwear exited its One Thousand 

Steps shoe concept and began to look for ways to 

get out of the urban market by exploring opportunities for 

its demo stores. 

Christian Audigier and the owners of Ed Hardy artwork 

fought over royalties, and Paul Frank Industries 

and Paul Frank Sunich fought over the Paul Frank name. 

The Year in Review begins on page 8. California Couture 

Inside: 

LLOYD KLEIN 

Technology … p. 3 

Surf Report …p.6 L.A. Designers Use Personal Touch to Inspire Sales 



What’s Checking …p.7 Fashion shows and the glamorous madhouse images “best of” and red-carpet favorites, and a new collection of 


they conjure up are great for building buzz. But some Los sexy knitwear. 

Angeles–based couture designers are turning the idea of Klein, who greeted his guests after the show and 

the fashion show on its head to showcase their designs discussed the finer points of his gowns, said these tiny 

better and close sales. 

gatherings have become indispensable to his business. 

On a sunny afternoon in December, a dozen well-to-do “We got the idea to do monthly fashion shows in-house, 

women gathered in designer Lloyd Klein’s couture atelier and now they have become part of our protocol. They are 

in Los Angeles for an intimate fashion show. Guests sipped such a success,” Klein said. 

champagne and nibbled fancy cookies while models strut- Launched in October in collaboration with the Costed 

down a small catwalk in couture evening gowns, Klein’s tume Council of the Los Angeles County Museum 

Couture page 6 

VOLKER CORELL 

January 4 


New Resources 

Spot Check 

Waterwear 

Finance Advertorial 

PATTERN 

MAKERS 

ADVERTISE 

HERE 

FABRICS WANTED 

For linen, wool, silk, 

& cotton fabrics. 

Call Alex 

213-622-0774 

APPAREL 

CLOSEOUTS 

WANTED 

We buy it all!! 

Call Alex or Peter 

213-749-7629 

mgwebuy@jps.net 

COMING SOON IN 


January 


AccessoriesTheShow/Moda 

Manhattan/FAME 1/6–8 

Designers & Agents NY 1/6–8 

Surf Expo 1/10–13 




Brighte Cos. TBA 

January 11 

T-shirt Advertorial 

Accessories Slick 

Trend Watch: Basics 

HELP!! 

WE NEED FABRIC 

RAGFINDERS OF CA 

213-489-1732 

784 S. San Pedro St. 

Los Angeles, CA 90014 

ADVERTISE 

YOUR 

FABRICS 

HERE 

January 11 


Surf Report 

What’s Checking 

Webwatch 

T-shirt Advertorial 

Accessories Slick^ 

Trend Watch: Basics 




Direction NY 1/15–17 


Imprinted Sportswear Show Long Beach 

1/18–20 

California Gift Show 1/18–21 

Outdoor Retailer 1/23–26 


Experienced 

Plus Size Fit Model 

Size 18. 

Well Proportioned & Curvy 

HT 5’6”, 

B 47”, W 39” LH 49” 

Bridget 714-309-9881 

MODELS, FIT MODELS 

MODELS 

ADVERTISE 

HERE 

SPACE FOR LEASE 

Be A Member of the Famous Anjac Fashion Buildings 

SPACE FOR LEASE 

(LA Fashion District) 

Vintage Offices• Design Studios• 

Showrooms • Manufacturing • Contracting • 

Cutting Service • Retail • Self-Storage Unit 

200 s.f. up to 12,000 s.f. 

Convenient Parking and Walking Distance to 

California Mart 

213-626-5321 

January 18 

Cover: ASR Must Buys 

Market Wrap 

2007 Financial Review/2008 Financial 

Forecast 

Eco Special Section^ 

Denim Special Section 

ASR Resource Guide 

January 18 

Eco Special Section 

Denim Special Section 

ASR Resource Guide 


Imprinted Sportswear Show Long 

Beach 1/18–20 

California Gift Show 1/18–21 

San Francisco Market Week 1/19–22 

Outdoor Retailer 1/23–26 

Agenda 1/24–26 

ASR San Diego 1/24–26 

Dallas Market Week 1/24–27 

Atlanta Market Week 1/26–29 

ADVERTISE 

YOUR SPACE 

HERE 

January 25 


Fashion Slick 

Technology 

Special Section+* 


Agenda 1/24–26 

ASR San Diego 1/24–26 

Chicago StyleMax 2/3–5 

Trafik Miami 2/3–5 

MRket 2/11–13 

ASAP Global Sourcing Show 2/11–14 

WWIN 2/11–14 

AccessoriesTheShow/Las Vegas 

2/12–14 

POOL 2/12–14 

Project LV 2/12–14 

United Trade Show 2/12–14 

ISAM 2/12–15 

CurveNV 2/14–16 

MAGIC, WWDMAGIC 2/12–15 

Sourcing@MAGIC 2/12–15 

Boutique Lingerie 2/14–16 

Westcoast Exclusive TBA 

January 25 

Fashion Slick 

Technology Special Section 


Brenda Monterrosso, 24 years old 

American Apparel Production Employee 

“America’s immigration system is outdated, unsuited to the needs of our economy and to the values of our country. 

We should not be content with laws that punish hardworking people who want only to provide for their families, and 

deny businesses willing workers, and invite chaos at our border.” – President George Bush, State of the Union 

Address, February 5, 2005 

At American Apparel, we agreed with the President’s call for immigration reform, so why has nothing been done for 

the last three years? 

It’s time to give a voice to the voiceless. Businesses are afraid to speak to the media about immigration, frightened of 

reprisals by government agencies. But we cannot just sit in the shadows and watch the government and politicians 

exploit and misrepresent this matter to advance their own careers. 

Over 12 million human beings have become integral to our society, economy and culture here in the USA, yet they 

do so in legal purgatory. While no serious political voice calls to send them back to their previous home countries, 

very few have the courage to admit that the only realistic option is some form of legal integration, coupled with a 

legitimate, forward-thinking immigration policy. 

Migration and economic experts generally agree that the productivity and hard work of immigrants improves 

the economy, makes goods more affordable and available to US citizens, and creates more jobs for US workers. 

Immigrants not only increase the wealth of the nation, they have contributed significantly to major scientific, 

medical and industrial advancements, as well as to the arts. Many of them have become great entrepreneurs too. 

At what point are we going to recognize that the status quo amounts to an apartheid system? At what point will 

America stop living in a state of denial? 

At American Apparel we support our workers. We support our community. We support Los Angeles. We support the 

pride of America and the American Dream. 

Enough is enough. 

It’s time to Legalize LA, and Legalize the USA.

22_CAN122807lettersi.. - California Apparel News

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