Ilse Metchek

President

California Fashion Association

THE LATEST: In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, Metchek and the nonprofit California Fashion Association have helped local apparel manufacturers navigate the onslaught of information and find the right resources to keep their businesses afloat. The crisis comes at a time when the industry is already scrambling to adjust to the rapid downturn in brick-and-mortar retail and the acceleration of ecommerce.

BACKGROUND: Frankfurt native Metchek created the nonprofit California Fashion Association in 1995 in conjunction with the region&s major apparel manufacturers and representatives of the finance sector and other industries. She previously served as executive director of the California Market Center, a 1.8-million-square-foot complex in the Fashion District that includes showrooms and creative offices. Metchek also worked as president of clothing brand White Stag Inc. while it was a division of garment manufacturer Warnaco Group Inc. She is a board member of the Los Angeles Economic Development Corp. and the Fashion Industries Guild of Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

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