Topson Downs
Topson Downs is a Culver City-headquartered apparel manufacturer and brand owner founded in 1971, producing 40M+ units/year across 8 countries and serving major retailers and 8 owned brands including Kittenish, AFRM, Elwood, and Motherhood Maternity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1971
- HeadquartersCulver City, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Topson Downs does
Topson Downs (legal entity Ms Tops of California Inc.) is a privately held, vertically integrated apparel manufacturer and multi-brand owner founded in 1971 in Los Angeles and now headquartered in Culver City, CA. The company operates two interlocking business lines: private-label and contract manufacturing for major retailers, and a portfolio of eight owned brands (AFRM, Elwood, Jaywalker, Kittenish, Love Fire, Motherhood Maternity, Rachel Rachel Roy, and Tinseltown). It produces over 40 million units per year across eight countries with 300+ associates in the US and Asia, and an in-house design operation augmented by a Shanghai design room.
The technology stack centers on apparel design and execution rather than software. The proprietary TOPSON Art Studio maintains a library of over 15,000 in-house custom prints, eliminating third-party print vendors. Distribution runs through an 80-door, 442,000 square foot LEED-certified facility in Chino, CA managed via Manhattan Associates SCALE WMS, with capacity to receive and ship one million units per week. Category coverage spans women's contemporary, maternity, extended sizing, men's, kids, and accessories across denim, novelty knits, sweaters, wovens, constructed wovens, full-fashion knits, and active.
Revenue is generated through wholesale manufacturing partnerships with mass-market, mid-market, specialty, off-price, and pure-play digital retailers (Walmart, Nordstrom, Macy's, Amazon, Kohl's, Revolve, Bloomingdale's, Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, Dillard's, ASOS, Shopbop, Pacsun, Ross, Marshall's, Burlington, JCPenney, AAFES, Winners, The Bay, Bealls, Tillys, Nuuly) plus direct-to-consumer e-commerce through owned brand storefronts and selective brand partnerships (notably Kittenish, relaunched under Topson's design, production, and omnichannel control). Compliance is anchored by an ELEVATE Limited partnership, Better Cotton membership, and 60-day social audit cycles across vendor factories.
Topson Downs firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Topson Downs
- Legal name
- Ms Tops of California Inc.
- Website
- https://topsondowns.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1971
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Topson Downs is a Culver City-headquartered apparel manufacturer and brand owner founded in 1971, producing 40M+ units/year across 8 countries and serving major retailers and 8 owned brands including Kittenish, AFRM, Elwood, and Motherhood Maternity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Topson Downs industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Apparel Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Apparel Manufacturing (315), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (31525), Cut and Sew Apparel Manufacturing (except Contractors) (315250), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)
- SIC
- Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330), Men's & Boys' Furnishgs, Work Clothg, & Allied Garments (2320), Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tops & Shirts Cut & Sew (T-Shirts/Shirts/Blouses) (IMAOAEAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Denim & Bottoms Cut & Sew (Jeans/Trousers/Shorts) (IMAOAEAD), Apparel Sourcing, Buying Houses & Trading Companies (CRAAAAAN)
Keywords
Where Topson Downs is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Culver City
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Topson Downs business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Wholesale Manufacturing: B2B apparel manufacturing and private label production for major retail partners including Walmart, Nordstrom, Revolve, Macy's, and others. Topson Downs serves as a reliable supplier for quick response manufacturing across women's, men's, and kids apparel categories.
- In-House Brand Sales: Revenue from proprietary brands including AFRM, Elwood, Jaywalker, Kittenish, Love Fire, Motherhood Maternity, Rachel Rachel Roy, and Tinseltown sold through wholesale distribution and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
- Design and Production Services: Topson Downs provides design, production, and omnichannel sales and distribution services for partner brands, as demonstrated in the Kittenish partnership where Topson oversees complete brand operations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Topson Downs product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Topson Downs is a vertically integrated apparel manufacturer and brand owner producing over 40 million units per year across eight countries. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes a portfolio of eight in-house fashion brands covering women's contemporary, maternity, men's, kids, and streetwear categories, while also providing private label and full-service design-to-distribution solutions for major retailers and brand partners. Operations are supported by an in-house art studio with 15,000+ proprietary prints and a LEED-certified 442,000 sq ft distribution facility.
Product overview
Topson Downs is a global apparel manufacturing company established in 1971, operating as both a multi-brand fashion company and a full-service private label manufacturer. The company manages a portfolio of eight in-house brands—AFRM (affirmation-focused women's wear), ELWOOD (vintage-inspired clothing), JAYWALKER (young men's streetwear), KITTENISH (modern feminine wear by Jessie James Decker), LOVE, FIRE (young contemporary/tween), MOTHERHOOD MATERNITY (maternity wear), RACHEL RACHEL ROY (women's empowerment fashion), and TINSELTOWN (bold feminine fashion)—alongside private label production services. The brands collectively cover young adult, women's contemporary, maternity, extended sizing, men's, and kids categories. The company operates manufacturing across eight countries with design teams in Los Angeles and global support from Shanghai, and maintains its own distribution facilities in California.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AFRM: Affirmation-themed fashion brand celebrating self-love and empowerment, where true beauty radiates from within.
- ELWOOD
- JAYWALKER
- KITTENISH
- LOVE, FIRE
- MOTHERHOOD MATERNITY
- RACHEL RACHEL ROY
- TINSELTOWN
Products and services
- AFRM An in-house affirmation-themed women's fashion brand focused on self-love and empowerment, with clothing celebrating the transformative power of affirmations. Sold through wholesale retail partners and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
- Elwood An in-house vintage-inspired clothing brand originally established as a skate brand in the mid-1990s, recreating iconic fabrics, washes, and silhouettes with modern tweaks. Sold across men's and kids categories through wholesale and DTC.
- Jaywalker An in-house young men's streetwear and gender-neutral brand capitalizing on trend-right silhouettes, eye-catching prints, and colorful wash techniques for trend-conscious and TikTok-savvy customers.
- Kittenish An in-house playful modern femininity fashion brand founded by Jessie James Decker, featuring flirty, trend-forward pieces celebrating confidence and effortlessly feminine style. Distributed through wholesale including Nordstrom.com.
- Love, Fire An in-house young contemporary and tween line featuring monthly deliveries of novelty knit and woven fabrications in tops, bottoms, and dresses with exclusive in-house prints. Sold at Macy's, Nordstrom, Kohl's, and Tilly's.
- Motherhood Maternity An in-house maternity lifestyle brand offering versatile, modern, inclusive, and solution-based essentials for women throughout their pregnancy journey. Distributed through wholesale and DTC e-commerce.
- Rachel Rachel Roy An in-house women's fashion brand focused on empowering women to develop their own voice, take risks, and design the life they wish to live through a language of style. Distributed through wholesale partners.
- Tinseltown An in-house bold, forward, feminine fashion brand for trend-embracing women, offering head-to-toe outfit solutions including bottoms, jackets, and dresses for casual and classic looks.
- Private Label Apparel Manufacturing Full-service apparel manufacturing including design, production, and omnichannel sales and distribution for branded and private label segments. Producing over 40 million units per year across denim, fashion tops, dresses, maternity wear, kids, and men's categories for major retailers globally.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40 million units produced annually across 8 countries
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Topson Downs
Customer profileNamed customers23 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Topson Downs technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Topson Downs partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- KittenishcoreTopson Downs entered a strategic partnership with Kittenish (founded by Jessie James Decker) to relaunch the brand from direct-to-consumer to a scalable contemporary fashion brand. Topson oversees design, production, and omnichannel sales and distribution. Brand debuted on Kittenish.com and Nordstrom.com with broader retail expansion planned for Fall 2026.
- ELEVATE LimitedmajorPartnership with ELEVATE Limited, the industry leader in responsible sourcing and supply chain validation. Achievements include consolidated audits, systematized reporting, enhanced CAP management processes, revamped Code of Conduct, and updated Responsible Sourcing and Compliance Manual for suppliers and factories.
- Manhattan AssociatescorePartnership with Manhattan Associates, one of the premier Tier 1 Warehouse Management System developers, to implement its SCALE WMS application in February 2018. The system enables industry-leading distribution facility efficiency and accuracy at the 80-door, 442,000 sq ft Chino facility.
- Better CottonmajorTopson Downs is a proud member of Better Cotton, sourced via mass balance system. Company committed to sourcing 50% of cotton as Better Cotton by 2027. Better Cotton helps support more sustainable cotton production globally.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Topson Downs competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Hanesbrands: Hanesbrands is a large-scale apparel manufacturer owning iconic innerwear and activewear brands (Hanes, Champion, Maidenform) with global manufacturing. Overlaps with Topson in vertically integrated apparel manufacturing and multi-brand ownership but at far greater scale.
- Carter's Inc. Carter's is the largest branded marketer of children's apparel in the US, with global sourcing and wholesale into major retailers. Comparable to Topson's kids apparel category and large-scale contract manufacturing with major retailers.
- PVH Corp: PVH owns Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, with global wholesale and DTC distribution across department stores and specialty retail. Comparable to Topson in multi-brand wholesale distribution and category breadth, though at much larger scale.
- Kontoor Brands: Kontoor Brands owns Wrangler, Lee, and Helly Hansen, with global manufacturing and wholesale distribution into mass and specialty channels. Comparable in the apparel manufacturer-plus-brand-owner model, especially relevant given Topson's significant denim capability (Elwood, Tinseltown).
- Tapestry Inc. Tapestry owns Coach, Kate Spade, and Stuart Weitzman, operating a global multi-brand accessories and ready-to-wear platform with wholesale and DTC. Comparable to Topson's multi-brand portfolio approach and department-store distribution, though at much larger scale and with stronger brand IP.
Direct peers
- Delta Galil Industries: Delta Galil is a global apparel manufacturer that designs, produces, and markets branded and private-label intimate and activewear, owning brands like 7 For All Mankind, Splendid, and Schiesser. Closely matches Topson's combination of vertical manufacturing, multiple owned brands, and global production footprint.
- G-III Apparel Group: G-III Apparel Group operates a hybrid apparel model combining licensed and proprietary brands (DKNY, Donna Karan, Karl Lagerfeld, Vilebrequin) with global manufacturing and wholesale distribution. Highly comparable to Topson Downs in combining brand ownership with manufacturing scale and major retail relationships.
- Centric Brands: Centric Brands is an apparel brand-management company that designs, produces, and distributes licensed and owned brands (Joe's Jeans, Buffalo, Roberto Cavalli) through major retailers globally. Mirrors Topson's brand-portfolio-plus-distribution-platform model.
- Vince Holding Corp: Vince Holding owns contemporary apparel brands including Vince, Rebecca Taylor, and Parker, sold through department stores, specialty retail, and DTC. Comparable to Topson's contemporary women's brand portfolio (AFRM, Kittenish, Tinseltown) and department-store distribution strategy.
Regional players
- Destination XL Group: Destination XL operates apparel retail and brand businesses focused on big-and-tall men's clothing, a category-adjacent peer to Topson's extended-sizing women's offering. Less directly comparable in core women's contemporary but shares US-based apparel brand/wholesale model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Topson Downs social profiles
Digital presenceTopson Downs compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Topson Downs financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Topson Downs leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Topson Downs subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries8 records
Topson Downs funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Topson Downs M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Topson Downs
What does Topson Downs do?
Topson Downs is a vertically integrated apparel manufacturer and brand owner producing over 40 million units per year across eight countries. The company designs, manufactures, and distributes a portfolio of eight in-house fashion brands covering women's contemporary, maternity, men's, kids, and streetwear categories, while also providing private label and full-service design-to-distribution solutions for major retailers and brand partners. Operations are supported by an in-house art studio with 15,000+ proprietary prints and a LEED-certified 442,000 sq ft distribution facility.
Is Topson Downs a public or private company?
Topson Downs is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Topson Downs founded?
Topson Downs was founded in 1971. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Topson Downs based?
Topson Downs is headquartered in Culver City, United States, in the North America region.
How does Topson Downs make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Wholesale Manufacturing is the primary driver. The others are in-House Brand Sales and design and Production Services.
Who are Topson Downs's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Hanesbrands, Carter's Inc., PVH Corp, Kontoor Brands and Tapestry Inc.. Direct peers are Delta Galil Industries, G-III Apparel Group, Centric Brands and Vince Holding Corp. Destination XL Group is listed as a regional player.
Does Topson Downs have an API?
No public API is recorded for Topson Downs.
What industry is Topson Downs in?
Topson Downs's product category is Apparel Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAEAE, Tops & Shirts Cut & Sew (T-Shirts/Shirts/Blouses), with a secondary code of IMAOAEAD, Denim & Bottoms Cut & Sew (Jeans/Trousers/Shorts). Its NAICS code is 315 and its SIC code is 2300.