LA denim companies turn to Mexico to outsource

Los Angeles - Earlier this year, California announced that it would be raising its minimum wage. As a result of this, many denim manufacturers in the state have turned to outsourcing for their apparel. Three major denim brands including True Religion, 7 For All Mankind, and Hudson have confirmed that most of their denim is now coming from out of the country.

As reported by Apparel News, these premium denim brands have moved their production sources to Mexico. As a result, approximately 70 percent of their denim is no produced outside of the U.S. These denim brands have built a reputation in Los Angeles for having prestigious denim with high-quality materials. Because of the minimum wage hike, it’s been harder for companies to continue to source from garment manufacturers in the U.S. Paige denim, Jean Mart Inc., and Frame are also said to have started to outsource their denim.

This proposes a problem for the Los Angeles fashion industry, as the city is known for its denim manufacturing. Because garment workers cannot afford these higher wages, it leaves fashion brands with no other choice but to outsource their denim. While this trend is still emerging, it remains to be seen what will come of LA’s denim industry.