Market Week Lowdown
The Jan. 11–15 run of Los Angeles market will mark the return of the Annex to the New Mart in downtown Los Angeles and of Focus to the California Mart, as well as a patriotic-themed art installation in the Cal Mart lobby.
The New Mart is expecting a 35 percent increase in buyers at this market, thanks in part to the Annex’s return, according to Ethan Eller, director of the New Mart. The New York-based contemporary trade show is a smaller version of the Designers & Agents shows held at the New Mart during the Spring and Fall markets.
Show producers Ed Mandelbaum and Barbara Krammer said that the number of exhibitors at the Annex has increased by 25 percent over the figure from the January 2001 show, when about 500 retailers visited.
“Right now we have more retailers and exhibitors—we’re pretty much on an upward trend,” Mandelbaum said, adding that November market was “the strongest market Designers & Agents has had on the West Coast.”
Designers & Agents and the Annex have been helped by the growing interest in Los Angeles’ fashion scene, according to Mandelbaum.
“Buyers are excited about the designers and the importance of the California market place. And, there’s a buzz going on about it,” he said. “Buyers are talking about the runway shows and people don’t want to miss out on what’s happening so they shop the California market.”
William B., Terese Feltes Showroom (which carries contemporary lines Beautiful People, Malice & Wonderland and Jessie Della Femina), Alvin Valley, Aoyama Itchome, Ann Linn and Lula Maxine are just a few of the new exhibitors at this year’s Annex show.
The Annex will be held in the building’s recently renovated third-floor exhibition space. The New Mart’s Buyers’ Breakfast will be held during market from 8 to 10 a.m. in the space adjacent to the Annex. During the day, organizers at the Annex will host a buyers’ cafeacute; with sandwiches, baked goods and refreshments.
The Summer 2002 market week will also mark the return of Focus, a temporary exhibition in the Cal Mart’s fashion theater that previews contemporary, designer and better bridge collections, along with special occasion, accessories and better shoes.
The show will feature about 20 exhibitors, including Tark 1, Sebastian Couture, Lafayette 148, Allen B. by Allen Schwartz and Gian Marco Lorenzi footwear, among others. It will also feature several designers from Los Angeles-based Fashion Business Incubator (FBI), including Suzi Klick, Magda Knits and Belek by Wes Stengel.
Art and Americana
The Cal Mart will also host three art exhibits, two of which celebrate patriotism in Los Angeles.
The first, “Spirit of Patriotism,” is a series of photographs that explore expressions of patriotism throughout the city.
“We wanted buyers who visit the Cal Mart during market to celebrate with us the American spirit that has been expressed by individuals and businesses around Los Angeles,” said Cal Mart director of public relations and marketing Karen Mamont. “We think that what Los Angelenos have illustrated creatively around our city depicting the American spirit has been very uplifting.”
The exhibit is a collaborative effort between photographer Rachel Hudgins, the Cal Mart and World Wide Print Inc. It features 17 photographs that Hudgins describes as mementos of patriotic sentiment around the city: a patriotic refrigerator on Pacific Coast Highway, a bull dog guarding an American flag, a decorated Malibu garage, and a red, white and blue plaster cow wearing an Uncle Sam hat.
The exhibit will be on display in the Cal Mart lobby atrium for the entire market period.
“I was really moved by Los Angeles’ unique response to Sept. 11 and they seemed so transient,” explained Hudgins. “I felt compelled to capture it before it disappeared.”
The second exhibit showcases patriotic projects by second-grade students at Peach Hill Elementary School in Moorpark, Calif. The students designed American flags from construction paper and decorated them with watercolors and crayons. Their artwork will be displayed during market week on the sixth floor of the Cal Mart’s “A” building.
Also, Erin Capper and Krislyn Meyer of Krislyn Custom Floral Couture will be doing a floral art installation in the lobby atrium at 9:30 a.m. on Jan. 12. The exhibit will consist of 15-foot-tall yucca trees surrounding a monolith of Spanish moss, grass and florals.
The Cal Mart will host a cocktail reception at 6 p.m. in the lobby atrium on Jan. 11 featuring performance artist Sheinina Raj and musical entertainment by DJ Stan.
