American Apparel was once a fashion industry trailblazer with its colorful basics, provocative marketing and commitment to U.S. manufacturing. At its peak, American Apparel raked in more than $600 million a year in sales and operated about 230 stores worldwide. That kicked off litigation and a merry-go-round of directors and top executives that distracted American Apparel from turning around the business. “Everything is over,” said Cortes, 48, who has worked seven years at American Apparel. He hopes that other U.S. fashion brands will step up to fill American Apparel’s void and create more American manufacturing jobs.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 16, 2017 22:42 UTC