Apparel Magazine to Honor 10 All-Star Award Winners - Winners Are Leaders in Fashion, Sports Apparel, Retail and More
COLUMBIA, SC - Oct. 20, 2004 - Apparel magazine, the leading business and technology publication for the apparel and soft goods industry, will present its 2004 All-Star Awards to 10 outstanding apparel businesses at a ceremony Thursday, Nov. 11 in Los Angeles.
The 10 winners are: American Apparel Inc., Brooks Brothers, Burlington Coat Factory, Elie Tahari Ltd., Hot Kiss, Dr. Ann Fairhurst of the University of Tennessee, L.C. King Manufacturing Co., Pacific Sunwear of California, Patagonia and Vital Apparel Group. (An overview of each winner and the names of the nominators follow this release.)
One of the 10 winners will be named the 2004 Grand All-Star Award winner at the dinner. The Grand All-Star Award winner is the firm the Apparel editorial staff determines to be the strongest in meeting the All-Star Award criteria, which are: (1) Innovation; (2) Excellence in Management; (3) A Strong Track Record of Growth; and (4) Corporate Goodwill that Reflects Positively on the Industry.
"We are looking forward to recognizing this diverse group of successful, innovative companies," said Kathleen DesMarteau, editor in chief of Apparel. "Each of these firms has a unique success story that we cannot wait to share and celebrate."
In addition to welcoming nominations from individuals and companies throughout the industry, Apparel partners with the following industry associations in its annual All-Star Award program, and each of these organizations presents a nomination: the California Fashion Association (CFA); the International Textile & Apparel Association (ITAA); the National Association of the Sewn Products Industry (SEAMS); the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA); SGMA International (SGMA-I), the global business trade association of manufacturers, retailers and marketers in the sports products industry; and [TC]2, the Textile/Clothing Technology Corp.
The Apparel All-Star Awards Reception and Dinner will follow Apparel's Tech Conference 2004, an all-day event featuring presentations and demonstrations of the latest in apparel solutions. The conference is co-produced by Apparel along with [TC]2 and the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising (FIDM), where it will be held.
Tickets for the All-Star Reception and Dinner are $150 each or $1,000 for a table of eight. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to FIDM for a scholarship program.
For ticket reservations and information, contact Kathleen Horton at 800-241-9034, ext. 5590, or e-mail: [email protected]. For hotel reservations, contact the Millennium Biltmore Hotel Los Angeles at tel.: 800-245-8673/213-624-1011; fax: 213-612-1545. Other hotel options and more information about the Tech Conference, including the event's full agenda, also are available at www.apparelmag.com.
About Apparel Apparel magazine is the leading b-to-b publication for apparel industry executives, with a focus on technology, new products, business strategy, retail and more. It also produces the apparelmag.com web site, the Apparel Executive Forum, Apparel's Tech Conference & All-Star Awards and Apparel's Executive Roundtables.
About VNU Business Publications USA VNU Business Publications USA, which publishes Apparel magazine, is a part of VNU Business Media. VNU Business Publications USA publishes 66 b-to-b titles in the entertainment, media, marketing, fast-moving consumer goods, retail, merchandising, performance, travel and design industries Its portfolio includes Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek, National Jeweler, Progressive Grocer, and Successful Meetings.
About VNU Business Media VNU Business Media maintains a leading position in the business to business arena by providing clients with innovative and actionable business intelligence, products, and tools via a wide range of delivery channels and methodologies including business-to-business publications, trade shows, electronic applications, database marketing tools, and media intelligence.
About [TC]2 [TC]2 is a non-profit entity, and is recognized worldwide for thought leadership, including 3D body measurement, mass customization business models, supply chain strategy, sourcing analysis, training and value added coaching.
About FIDM The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising is a WASC accredited, co-educational, specialized, private college with campuses in Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego and Orange County, California. FIDM offers Associate of Arts, Professional Designation and Advanced Study Degree programs in Fashion Design, Interior Design, Fashion Merchandise Marketing, Product Development, Textile Design, Visual Communications, Graphic Design, Beauty Industry Merchandising & Marketing, Theatre Costume, International Manufacturing & Product Development, Garden Design, Film & TV Costume Design, Interactive Multimedia, Footwear Design, and Apparel Manufacturing Management. FIDM has an enrollment of 4,500 full-time students. Over the last 30 years, FIDM has built an alumni network in excess of 25,000 graduates around the world. The college's alumni base and industry-wide reputation for excellence both give its students an exceptional network of contacts and resources when they enter into the marketplace.
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The 2004 Apparel All-Star Award Winners
American Apparel Nominated by: National Association of the Sewn Products Industry (SEAMS) American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of T-shirts and related products. All of its garments are cut and sewn at its 800,000-square-foot facility in downtown Los Angeles, now considered the largest sewn-products facility in the United States. The company has been among the 10 winners of the ASI Fastest Growing Supplier award for three consecutive years, has ranked among the fastest-growing companies in America's inner cities (Inner City 100) for the past two years and has received the 2004 California Fit Business Award.
Burlington Coat Factory Nominated by: Compliance Networks The name Burlington Coat Factory belies this department store retailer's wide selection of outerwear, apparel, shoes and accessories - and coats - for the entire family, as well as home fashions and baby clothes, furniture and toys. With its "no frills" approach to merchandising, Burlington Coat Factory, whose sales reached $2.7 billion in 2003, offers designer and private label merchandise at discount prices. The company has won numerous awards for its family friendly workplace and compassionate support of causes including AIDS/HIV and Leukemia. In addition to its 307-plus Burlington Coat Factory Stores, the company operates another 28 stores under the names Cohoes Fashions, Decelle, Luxury Linens, Totally 4 Kids, Baby Depot and MJM Designer Shoes.
Brooks Brothers Nominated by: [TC]2, the Textile/Clothing Technology Corp. Founded in 1818, Brooks Brothers is the oldest clothing retailer in the United States, specializing in men's suits and outerwear. While regarded as an American icon of classic good taste and quality, Brooks Brothers also has a time-honored tradition of leading fashion, whether through the introduction of its button-down polo collar shirt in 1896 or through the implementation of digital body scanning technology in its Fifth Avenue store in 2001. Brooks Brothers operates approximately 250 retail stores and outlets throughout the United States and about 80 stores throughout Japan, Hong Kong, Italy and Taiwan. Based in New York City, the company is owned by privately held Retail Brand Alliance.
Elie Tahari Ltd. Nominated by: Business Management Systems (BMS) and the Sewn Products Equipment & Suppliers of the Americas (SPESA) Elie Tahari Ltd. was founded in 1974 by designer Elie Tahari, who today remains the fashion visionary leading this entrepreneurial company. Based in Manhattan, the company was a pioneer in developing the shop-in-shop concept with its retail customers in the 1970s, and also has been an innovator of such major fashion trends as women's tailored career apparel and the widespread use of stretch fabrics. Today the company is leveraging technology as it rides another growth wave in the expansion of its business.
Dr. Ann Fairhurst Nominated by: International Textile and Apparel Association (ITAA) Dr. Ann Fairhurst is a professor of retail and consumer science at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She teaches courses in retail management, international retailing, retail buying and professional development at the graduate and undergraduate levels. Her strong suit is conducting real-world learning experiences for her students, such as a recent New York Market Trip and an International Fashion Study Tour. Dr. Fairhurst adds an Apparel All-Star to other recent accolades, including recognition as a winner in this year's International Council of Shopping Centers' Academic Research Competition. She won for a project entitled, "Mixed Use Retail Development: Creating a Model of Success Factors."
Hot Kiss Nominated by: California Fashion Association (CFA) Hot Kiss, a leading young women's lifestyle fashion brand, distributes its apparel through mall stores across the United States, and is expanding into department stores and even into China. Founder and CEO Moshe Tsabag, who also founded YES Clothing Co., started Los Angeles-based Hot Kiss in 1996. He attributes the firm's success to its focus on a target customer who is an independent-minded young woman of between 15 and 25. Hot Kiss has expanded its brand through licensing agreements in categories ranging from cell phone cases to home fashions and outerwear.
L.C. King Manufacturing Co. Nominated by: Jack King, L.C. King Manufacturing Around the turn of the century, Landon Clayton King was raising championship birddogs. Seeing a need for tough and durable work clothing, in 1913 he founded The L.C. King Manufacturing Co. Today the firm's Pointer Brand is recognized worldwide for its bib overalls, coveralls, carpenter jeans, hunting apparel and denim chore coats, all "Made in the USA." The company has provided continued employment with no layoffs or plant shut downs since inception. Having survived two floods and a fire, it still operates out of the original location in downtown Bristol, TN.
Pacific Sunwear of California Nominated by: Shapely Shadow Founded in 1980 as a small surf shop in Newport Beach, CA, Pacific Sunwear (PacSun) is a rapidly expanding company. A publicly traded company since 1993, the firm is a leading specialty retailer of surf and urban apparel, accessories and footwear, designed to meet the needs of active teens and young adults. The company operates more than 900 stores in 50 states and Puerto Rico under the names PacSun, PacSun Outlet and d.e.m.o. Stores feature clothing by JNCO, Billabong, Paul Frank, Dickies and Fox Racing, as well as footwear by Vans, among others. PacSun also sells its own private label merchandise under such brands as Bullhead, Breakdown, Good Vibes and Tilt.
Patagonia Nominated by: TukaWeb From its manufacturing practices to its political activism, Patagonia lives up to its "Committed to the Core" philosophy, which is founded on a four-pronged commitment to: the soul of the sport, enviro action, an uncommon culture and innovative design. The Ventura, CA-based firm was founded 25 years ago by a group of climbers and surfers who wanted to climb in the summer and surf in the winter. Sport led them to business. Today Patagonia's products serve not only climbers and surfers but also paddlers, mountain bikers, backcountry skiers, sailors, snowboarders and fly fishermen.
Vital Apparel Group Nominated by: SGMA International Vital Apparel Group, based in Huntington Station, NY, will celebrate 10 years in business next March. The privately held firm is the company behind the Vital brand of women's and girls' sports apparel, and the Essential Gear brand of men's and youth sports apparel. Its products encompass categories ranging from soccer to running to tennis. Vital also produces private label sports apparel for many major sporting goods retailers.