Stores go online to find a perfect fit
The New York Times
When Andy Dunn helped start Bonobos five years ago, he wanted to shake up the retail industry with a men'swear brand exclusively sold online. Now Dunn, 33, is embracing the brick-and-mortar model, striking a partnership with Nordstrom, the 111-year-old department store. It is a symbiotic deal. Bonobos will get $16.4 million in cash and more than 100 stores to sell its clothes, while Nordstrom will get gain expertise on e-mail marketing and online branding.More

Clothing business a major player in LA manufacturing
California Apparel News
Apparel and textile manufacturing in Los Angeles contributed $40.3 billion to the economy in 2010, up from $22.8 billion in 1997. The industry accomplished that despite reducing its workforce by nearly half, said Ilse Metchek, president of the California Fashion Association, a trade group that represents hundreds of apparel- and textile-related entities in the state.More

Compliance — the underestimated necessity
Textile World
The term "compliance" is associated with the U.S. financial sector and affected areas of high risk with reference to insider trading and conflicts of interest. In Germany, compliance structures have been developed since the 1990s due to legislative requirements that apply to all the banks and insurance companies.More

Social customer service: Don't compete against machines
Forbes
The recent book Race Against the Machine by MIT's Eric Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee may have given some readers a scare with its descriptions of intelligent machines displacing growing numbers of flesh-and-blood workers. But the authors end on a more reassuring note. In the long haul, they see human skill sets and new technologies settling into a more complementary relationship, and argue that companies who exploit this "beautiful partnership" will have a distinct advantage.More

Retail inspiration
Home Textiles Today (blog)
Sometimes you need to recharge your batteries and look outside your own universe. To that end, check out the National Retail Federation's "This Is Retail" competition at nrf.com. The contest is now down to 10 semifinalists. Sadly, there are no linen stores among them. Nevertheless, the two-minute videos from the contestants provide a nice pick-me-up — and, who knows, maybe a few ideas.More

National recycling approach wise idea for our industry
Furniture Today (blog)
There is a dangerous strain of thinking among some in the bedding industry these days about how to tackle the mattress recycling issue. It holds that the industry should hunker down, stall for time and hope for the best. This minority school of thought maintains that the industry should not unite and work for a national solution to the problems of unsanitary used and renovated mattresses and rapidly filling landfills.More

7 runway looks we're seeing in every fashion magazine
Fashionista
Every season, there are a few garments that rise to the top as most coveted in the magazine world. While we've been keeping track of the most popular cover choices for the past few seasons, it's time to shift our focus to editorials. Unless you've been altogether ignoring print media these past few months, you will have noticed the popularity of bodysuits, bedazzled or otherwise, from both Dolce & Gabbana and Prada. More

Festival fashion! 50 hot snaps from Coachella
Refinery 29
Kicking off on Friday the 13th this year, the Coachella weekend began on a freaky foot. With uncommonly wild weather, it felt way more Glastonbury than the steamy desert show SoCal's grown so accustomed to. The elements definitely had their way with festival-goers, but it actually made for an amazing visual feast (layers, baby!).More