Los Angeles Apparel
Company type | Private |
---|---|
Industry | Manufacturing, Fashion |
Founded | 2016 Los Angeles, United States |
Founder | Dov Charney |
Headquarters | Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Dov Charney (CEO) |
Products | Clothing |
Number of employees | 350 (July 2017)[1] |
Website |
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Los Angeles Apparel is a manufacturer, designer and distributor of clothing based in South-Central Los Angeles.[2][3] The company was founded in 2016 by Dov Charney, the founder of American Apparel.[4][5][6] Los Angeles Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer and currently employs over 350 personnel.[1][7]
History
Los Angeles Apparel was founded by Dov Charney in 2016 in Los Angeles, California after being forced out of American Apparel by its board amid allegations of mismanagement and sexual harassment of employees.[3][8] Charney launched Los Angeles Apparel as a wholesale business, similar to American Apparel's origins in 1989.[9] Los Angeles Apparel consists of about 350 employees, including many former American Apparel workers.[1][10] About 90 percent of the factory's machinery once belonged to American Apparel.[11][12] According to Bloomberg, Charney bought fabric, computers, sewing machines, and other equipments from American Apparel in the bankruptcy sale.[8] In late 2016, Cincinnati based TSC Apparel made a multimillion-dollar business deal with Los Angeles Apparel,[13] selling the startup's clothes to concert producer Live Nation Entertainment and screen printers who previously purchased American Apparel.[7][11][14][15]
In July 2020, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health ordered the temporary closure of the Los Angeles Apparel factory after over 300 employees tested positive and 4 died of COVID-19. [16] In response, Charney reportedly told CNN that testing employees would be key to preventing spread of the virus, stating that in hindsight, he "would have fought for more testing earlier." [16] He also suggested that a lack of testing and contact tracing by the county may have contributed to the elevated number of infections within Los Angeles. [16][17]
On July 23rd, the L.A. County Health Department announced that Los Angeles Apparel would reopen and resume operations.[18] The company said that they were working closely with the health department and would be "pursuing the highest safety standards for our workers and will continue to strive to make improvements." [19]
Production
Los Angeles Apparel was started as wholesale business.[20] The company is upfront about the fact that its clothing and business model is similar to that of American Apparel.[11][21] Los Angeles Apparel is a manufacturer and distributor of apparel to screen printers, apparel companies, and boutiques. The company focuses on production of T-shirts, sweatshirts, cotton bodysuits and swimwear.[22] The company is a vertically integrated manufacturer with knitting and dyeing done in Los Angeles.[21] Los Angeles Apparel's factory spreads over the area of 100,000 square foot with current capacity of 140,000 units per week.[21][23] The company is devoted to keeping production domestic and employing garment workers in Los Angeles.[24]
Corporate culture
Fair wage labor practice
Los Angeles Apparel supports and strives for fair wage labor practices.[25] The company's workers earn wage of $15~20 per hour.[25] The workers at Los Angeles Apparel own equity in the company making it employee owned.[24] The company focuses on local manufacturing and attempts to employ workers in the Los Angeles area.[4][26]
Vertical integration
Los Angeles Apparel is a vertically integrated company, expanding its business operations into different steps on the same production path.[27] The company has total control over the supply chain from manufacturing to end sales. Los Angeles Apparel purchases textile and yarn products made in USA, supporting local manufacturing.[28] More than half of yarn utilization is acquired from domestic sources.[29][23]
Environment friendly production
Los Angeles Apparel integrates organic cotton and reclaimed cotton into their supply chain. The company plans to recycle almost 100 percent of their waste by 2018.
References
- ^ a b c Mantor, Cassidy (July 27, 2016). "Dov Charney launches 'Los Angeles Apparel' with striking similarities to former brand". Fashion Network. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Howland, Daphne (June 26, 2016). "Dov Charney's American Dream". Retail Dive. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Quirk, Mary Beth (June 23, 2016). "Ousted American Apparel Founder Dov Charney Tries Again With Los Angeles Apparel". Consumerist. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Asch, Andrew (June 22, 2016). "Charney's Los Angeles Apparel Factory Staffs Up, Looks for Growth". Apparel News. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Abarbanel, Aliza (September 26, 2016). "Dov Charney Is Back With A New Line of Sexualized Basics". Business of Fashion. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Sherman, Lauren (June 27, 2017). "Dov Charney's Next Act". PM Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Sauer, Abe (June 26, 2017). "American Apparel's Dov Charney Is Back With Los Angeles Apparel". Brandchannel. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Townsend, Matthew (July 12, 2017). "Dov Charney Couldn't Keep American Apparel, So He Restarted It". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Tsui, Diana (June 27, 2017). "Can You Distinguish Dov Charney's New Line From His Old One?". The Cut. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Menapace, Brendan (June 27, 2017). "Los Angeles Apparel: Picking Up Where American Apparel Left Off". PM Magazine. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b c Taylor, Kate (July 13, 2017). "American Apparel's founder seems to be resurrecting his 'dead' brand under a new name". Yahoo! Finance. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Kale, Neha (July 12, 2017). "Ex-American Apparel CEO Dov Charney is counting on your amnesia for his fashion comeback". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ Promogram (April 5, 2017). "TSC Apparel Partners With Charney-Run Los Angeles Apparel". Promogram. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Feldman, Ari (July 12, 2017). "Dov Charney Is Remaking American Apparel. Can He Remake Himself?". The Forward. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Anderson, Caroline (April 6, 2017). "Dov Charney's Los Angeles Apparel Inks Deal with American Apparel Distributor". Los Angeles Business Journal. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b c Moon, Sarah. "Los Angeles Apparel factory ordered closed after over 300 coronavirus cases and 4 deaths". CNN.
- ^ Baumgaertner, Emily (July 12, 2020). "The Inside Story of How California Failed Mass Coronavirus Testing". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ CBSLA Staff (July 23, 2020). "Los Angeles Apparel Reopens With Safety Guidelines After 375 Employees Tested Positive For COVID-19". CBS Los Angeles.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Rosenfeld, David (July 23, 2020). "LA Apparel allowed to reopen following deaths of four workers, 300-plus coronavirus infections". Daily News. Retrieved July 27, 2020.
{{cite news}}
: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ Rastello, Sandrine (August 3, 2017). "American Apparel Is Ready to Relaunch Its Website". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b c Belgum, Deborah (February 2, 2017). "Dov Charney: From American Apparel to Los Angeles Apparel". Apparel News. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Rovu, Christopher (June 21, 2017). "American Apparel: End of An Original". ASIcentral. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Lam, Bourree (January 14, 2017). "Goodbye, American Apparel". FashionUnited. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Bernstein, Andrea (June 22, 2017). "Why Dov Charney hasn't given up on making clothes". KPCC. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ a b Scott, Anna (December 6, 2017). "Post American Apparel, Dov Charney says he'll pay a fair wage at his new company". KCRW. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ TFL (July 13, 2017). "Dov Charney's New Company Will Likely Be Rife with Legal Battles, as Well". The Fashion Law. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Taylor, Kate (July 13, 2017). "The brand, called Los Angeles Apparel, launched in late 2016". Business Insider. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Gallot, Clementine (April 5, 2017). "A suivi l'ex-PDG Dov Charney dans le lancement de sa nouvelle entreprise, Los Angeles Apparel". Libération. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
- ^ Ehlers, Sara (August 31, 2016). "Dov Charney starts anew with innovative apparel company". FashionUnited. Retrieved August 11, 2017.