L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

The first episode of THE L.A. FASHION INDUSTRY | PRESENT arrives tomorrow morning.

Before we begin, I want to hear from you.
If you're trying to get your footing in the Los Angeles fashion industry today, what's hardest to figure out?

Your answers may help shape where this series goes next.

15 hours ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

THE L.A. FASHION INDUSTRY | PRESENT

The Los Angeles fashion industry didn’t disappear.

You just have to know where to look.

If you're trying to enter the L.A. fashion industry today, it can be difficult to understand exactly where the industry is—or how all the pieces connect.

The Fashion District.
Manufacturers. Sample rooms. Patternmakers.
Independent brands. Wholesale. E-commerce.
Domestic and overseas production.
Showrooms. Sourcing. Retail. Technology.

It’s all part of a business that has changed dramatically.

That’s why I’m introducing a new L.A. Rag Maker series:

THE L.A. FASHION INDUSTRY | PRESENT

Think of it as a practical field guide to understanding how the Los Angeles fashion and apparel industry actually operates today.

Where is the industry now?
Who does what?
What has changed?
What still exists?
And how do you navigate it?

PAST — How we got here.
PRESENT — Where we are.
NEXT — Where we can go.

If you're trying to get your footing in the Los Angeles fashion industry, PRESENT is for you.

— L.A. Rag Maker
The part they don’t put on the label.

16 hours ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

THE L.A. FASHION INDUSTRY | PAST

I’m beginning a deeper look into a part of Los Angeles fashion history that doesn’t get told nearly enough.

Not just the designers.
Not just the brands.
Not just the clothes.

The industry that made the clothes possible.

We’re going back to the roots of the Los Angeles Rag Trade—the early garment manufacturers, factories, garment workers, contractors, cutting rooms, textile and trim suppliers, jobbers, factors, wholesalers, showrooms, unions and trade organizations that created an entire apparel-manufacturing ecosystem in Los Angeles.

How did the Garment District form? Why Downtown Los Angeles? How was the industry structured? Who actually made the clothes? How did manufacturers finance production and get merchandise into stores across America? And what happened to this enormous manufacturing system over the generations?

That is what The L.A. Fashion Industry | Past is going to document.

Because designers and brands are part of L.A. fashion history.

But factories, workers, contractors, suppliers, capital and infrastructure built the industry.

It’s time we tell that story, too.

Past. Present. Next.
The L.A. Rag Maker Perspective.

4 days ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

L.A. FASHION CONFIDENTIAL
People. Stories. The L.A. Fashion Industry.

Los Angeles fashion has always had another story happening behind the clothes.

The brands that exploded almost overnight.
The personalities behind them.
The celebrity relationships.
The partnerships that worked—and the ones that blew apart.
The lawsuits and trademark battles.
The factories trying to keep up when a brand suddenly got hot.
The retailers, money, ambition, mistakes and decisions that changed companies.

L.A. Fashion Confidential is where we're going to tell those stories.

Not simply for the gossip.

Because buried inside these stories are some of the best lessons about how the fashion business actually works.

We started with Kaia Gerber × RE/DONE—a very current Los Angeles story about what happens when a celebrity relationship moves beyond wearing and endorsing a brand into investment, ownership and creative partnership.

Now we're going back to the wild celebrity-fashion culture of the early 2000s with:

🔥 THE MAN WHO TURNED HOLLYWOOD INTO HIS RUNWAY

Christian Audigier, Von Dutch, Ed Hardy & the Business of Celebrity

And we're only getting started.

We'll explore stories involving GUESS, American Apparel, Juicy Couture, JNCO, No Fear, Cross Colours, the California Market Center and many others.

Some stories will be glamorous.

Some will involve extraordinary success.

Some will get messy.

Most of the really good ones will probably contain a little of everything.

And occasionally I'll bring something else to these stories: firsthand perspective from decades working inside the Los Angeles apparel industry—sometimes inside the companies, and sometimes working onsite with the same Southern California factories and contractors producing the brands we're discussing.

We're not here to throw dirt.

We're here to understand what happened.

Because fashions change.

People change.

Companies come and go.

But when you look closely at the fashion business...

there's really nothing new under the sun.

Welcome to L.A. Fashion Confidential.

The people get your attention.
The story gives you the history.
And the business lesson is why we're telling it.

— L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

4 weeks ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

NEW SERIES: L.A. FASHION STORIES ✂️

How much do you really know about Los Angeles fashion history?

We’re starting a new L.A. Rag Maker series exploring the designers, brands, couturiers, costume designers and apparel companies that helped shape Los Angeles fashion — past and present.

Some became legends.

Some were once everywhere.

Some helped keep an entire garment industry working.

And some younger fashion heads may be discovering for the first time.

We’ll talk about everyone from Carole Little, Rudi Gernreich and James Galanos to Rampage, Bugle Boy, L.A. Gear, Cross Colours and B.U.M. Equipment — along with Hollywood costume designers, contemporary L.A. designers and some names that deserve to be remembered again.

Sometimes we’ll profile one designer.

Sometimes we’ll put several together and tell the story of an entire L.A. fashion era.

Our first story is CAROLE LITTLE: When L.A. Sportswear Went Big.

And I want your help building the archive:

What Los Angeles designer or brand — past OR present — should every fashion head know about?

Drop the names below. 👇

You might help choose an upcoming episode.

L.A. FASHION STORIES
Designers. Brands. History. Los Angeles.

L.A. Rag Maker — Past. Present. Next.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

A new L.A. Rag Maker series is coming:

THE INDEPENDENT FASHION DESIGNER’S SURVIVAL GUIDE

Independent designers need more than inspiration. They need practical knowledge about costing, product development, manufacturing, inventory, sales, cash flow—and surviving politically and economically challenging times.

This series will explain what it actually takes to build and sustain an independent fashion brand without the startup mythology, unrealistic promises or expensive guesswork.

We’ll begin by answering a question the industry rarely explains clearly:

What is the difference between an independent fashion designer, a corporate staff designer, a mass-market designer and a ready-to-wear designer?

From there, we’ll move into the decisions, systems and survival strategies that protect both the creative vision and the business behind it.

What is the biggest challenge facing independent fashion designers right now?

#LARagMaker #IndependentFashionDesigner #FashionBusiness #FashionIndustry #FashionBrand #ApparelManufacturing

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

🚧 Something Big Is Coming to L.A. Rag Maker...

For years, people have asked me:

"Where do I start in the Los Angeles Fashion District?"

"How do I find fabric?"

"What's a showroom?"

"How do I find a sewing contractor?"

"Who do I talk to first?"

After decades working throughout the Los Angeles apparel industry, I'm creating what I hope becomes one of the most complete educational resources on YouTube.

L.A. Fashion District 101
A Complete Insider's Guide to Navigating the Los Angeles Fashion Industry

We'll explore:

✅ Wholesale showroom buildings

✅ Market Week

✅ Fabric jobbers & suppliers

✅ Product development

✅ Manufacturing, production & quality control

✅ Trim suppliers

✅ Industry services

✅ Building professional relationships

...and much more.

Whether you're a fashion student, new designer, boutique owner, content creator, or simply fascinated by how the apparel industry works, this series is being made for you.

What's the one question you've always wanted answered about the Los Angeles Fashion District? Let me know below.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

L.A. Fashion Profiles

Karla Welch

One of the most influential celebrity stylists working today.

Based in Los Angeles, Karla Welch has styled artists and actors including Justin Bieber, Sarah Paulson, Olivia Wilde, Tracee Ellis Ross, and many others.

But styling is only part of the story.

Great stylists help shape public perception, influence trends, support designers, and connect fashion to culture.

They're an important part of the Los Angeles fashion ecosystem.

Fashion isn't built by designers alone.

It takes manufacturers...

Patternmakers...

Technical designers...

Photographers...

Retailers...

Stylists...

...and many others working together.

Who is your favorite fashion stylist?

👇 I'd love to hear your thoughts.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

📈 NEW SERIES: Fashion Business Success Stories

Every successful fashion brand started somewhere.

Some launched during recessions.

Some began with one product.

Some succeeded because they understood what customers wanted before everyone else did.

In this new series, I'll explore the business decisions behind some of fashion's most recognizable brands—from Christian Siriano and Spanx to Reformation and many more.

The goal isn't just to tell their stories.

It's to understand what entrepreneurs, designers, and apparel professionals can learn from them.

Which fashion brand would you like me to cover next?

👇 Leave your suggestion in the comments.

1 month ago | [YT] | 0

L.A. Rag Maker Perspective

QUALITY CONTROL EXPLAINED — SERIES COMPLETE!

Quality isn't something that happens by accident.

It's built into the manufacturing process.

Over the past four videos, we've followed the complete apparel quality control journey—from the first production meeting to the final shipment.

Here's what we covered:

✅ What Is Apparel Quality Control?

✅ Pre-Production Inspection

✅ Inline Inspection (During Production)

✅ Pre-Shipment Inspection

Whether you're a fashion student, brand owner, designer, apparel professional, or simply curious about how clothing is made, I hope this series gave you a new appreciation for the people and processes that protect product quality before garments ever reach the customer.

Which inspection stage surprised you the most?

And...

What manufacturing topic should we explore next?

🧵 Fabric Testing

📏 Garment Measurements

🏭 Factory Audits

👕 Common Garment Defects

📦 Packaging & Carton Requirements

👇 I'd love to hear your suggestions.

— George "L.A. Rag Maker" Arrington

2 months ago | [YT] | 0