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Los Angeles Apparel Tour

By Rick Roth

I had a great tour of  Los Angeles Apparel in Downtown Los Angeles. With barely any notice they gave me the run of the place and let me talk to anyone. Their claims of making all their shirts and treating their workers with respect are ABSOLUTELY true. Even after many years in a somewhat volatile industry I saw many of the same faces working there. Many cool things going on there as you can see in the following photos.

Los Angeles Apparel is indeed in Los Angeles in the heart of the city. Note the “factory flea market” sign as they do a great job of selling their “seconds” to the public in a nice organized space.
They have been riding a wave that they predicted several years ago fashion turning to larger garments and heavier fabrics like this 14 oz. hoody.
They are offering a new mineral wash on some styles.
If you ever have seen pockets sewn on manually, you would truly appreciate the speed, accuracy and quality of this machine that sews on pockets.

Another automation addition, a machine that sews and hems sleeves.

One of a huge array of knitting machines, nearly all the processes in the making of their garments are done in-house, not subcontracted.
Spools upon spools of recently knit yarn.
Mountains of super soft garment dyed shirts all get individually inspected after dyeing.
Factory floor of just one of their buildings.
They employ over 1000 people, many of them sewing, working so fast it sounds like a beehive.
Besides investing in their people, there are constant upgrades in automation, in this case a new cutting machine.
In the background, one of many laser cutting machines.

 

Long tables with laser cutting machines for fabric.
Massive warehouse full of inventory, they do their own retail and wholesale distribution.

 

 

 

They have started a very cool retails “flea market” space to use their “seconds.”
Much to my surprise, behind one of their buildings they have just started a garden and to raise chickens and ducks as well.

How the magic happens, Pat Honda longtime GM and Joaquin, longtime manager of garment dyeing.

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

  1. That is quit a Close Knit and Focused Group of People creating remarkable Sub-Culture, that clearly works and stays focused.
    It shows loud and clear in the friendly and caring faces of Pat Honda – longtime GM and Joaquin, longtime manager of garment dyeing.

    They have carved out a world of their own.

    Have you printed on their garments to test the smoothness of their surface finish in some of your more sophistic images, where the garment quality will definitely show ?

    Is the freight cost from LA to your factory too high for you to use their garments on a more regular basis ?

    Regards, Don

    Reply

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