Barbara Fields
Patriotic-themed apparel and denim took top billing among the dozens of trends illustrated at the annual Barbara Fields Buying Office Fashion Show presented at the Beverly Hills Country Club in Los Angeles on Oct. 8.
Held in conjunction with the junior and contemporary market at the California Mart, the event attracted juniors buyers from Gadzooks, Goodies, Windsor Fashions, JC Penney and Payless ShoeSource.
“We get a lot of great ideas from this show,” said Kim Reynolds, senior vice president of merchandising at Pittsburgh-based juniors retailer Rue 21, among the 250 attendees at the event.
With patriotic fervor at an all-time high, Barbara Fields encouraged retailers to set up “U.S.A.” kiosks in their stores. In the fashion show, Aqua Blues, Fang, Rage Clothing and JuCunda were a few of the resources integrating the Stars and Stripes theme into apparel, with offerings ranging from one-shoulder T-shirts to foil prints.
Denim is the other trend-leader or “rent-payer,” according to Fields, who touched upon the myriad washes available, including whiskered, glittered, frayed, flocked and sandblasted. Pintucking and lace-up detail are part of the two trims of the season, she said. Key denim looks in the show included a jewel-encrusted denim bandeau top and jeans by Tres Chic, fringed denim jeans by Hot Kiss and Z. Ro’s whiskered denim pants.
Fields noted that the denim category has expanded into accessories. Showcased items included denim bags by Ann’s Trading Co. and Bongo as well as denim dusters by Blanc Noir and denim strapless dresses by Hot Kiss.
Athletic-influenced items with big-screened numbers, striped rugby shirts and hoodie sweatshirts were junior favorites also, Fields said. The most notable examples on display were the knit pants graced by butt screens offered by Self Esteem, Knitworks and Destination. “Brat,” “Hollywood” and “rebel” were the rear-end words of choice.
In contrast, femininity was showcased as well with “Moulin Rouge”-inspired dresses and lace tops. Mesh, ruffles and split sleeves were key details of the trend. Fang’s French-print dress, Trixxi’s lace-layered dress and Main Stage’s black-lace-with-burgundy-underlay top were among the modeled looks.
Biker chic, a return to the 1950s and fruit-inspired tropical looks rounded out the show, which was followed by a chicken dinner at tables festively adorned with balloon-topped party hats, bracelets and trinkets. —Nola Sarkisian-Miller
