California Apparel News

Buyers had a lot of ground to cover during the April 2–8 run of Los Angeles Market Week.

They shopped among the showrooms of the California Market Center, the New Mart and the Gerry Building, as well as at independent trade shows such as Designers & Agents at the New Mart and the Cooper Building, ENK’s Pacific Champions in the CMC fashion theater, Pacific Coast Travelers on the CMC’s third floor and Urban Suburban on the CMC’s fourth floor (see Urban Suburban story, here).

There were temporary exhibitors on the CMC’s eighth floor—part of a new category of young men’s and youngcontemporary resources called 8Ball—and in CMC suite B- 271, dubbed the “Writing Room.”

The CMC also hosted the Los Angeles Shoe Show from April 6–7.

And then there were the fashion shows held at the Downtown Standard Hotel, Smashbox Studios in Culver City and various other independent locations around town including the Orpheum Theatre and the Palace nightclub (see Los Angeles Fashion Week coverage, beginning on page here). The fashion shows did not draw many retailers from the Marts and trade shows, but they were a popular topic of conversation during the week.

Attendance up at CMC

At the CMC, it was the best of times and it was the worst of times.

Buyer attendance at the CMC was up 10 percent over last year’s Fall market week. About 30 percent of those buyers had never shopped at the apparel mart before, according to Cecil Strickland, the CMC’s executive director of retail relations.

But orders were all over the place: up, down and flat.

Some showroom managers gloated that they experienced one of their best Fall business weeks in years. Others moaned that business was down from last year’s.

“We had the best market ever,” said Susan Iddings, a sales representative for BCBGMaxAzria, the Vernon, Calif.–based women’s contemporary line owned by Max Azria. “Orders were up 50 percent over one year ago. We were amazed.”

But at the showroom next door, it was a different story.

“Buyer visits were terribly, terribly down,” complained Jenna Withrow, a sales representative for Los Angeles–based Tag Rag, an urban-contemporary line.

At Karen Kane—whose contemporary line is sold in stores such as Nordstrom and Macy’s—buyer visits were about the same as they were last year.

“I would say we are trending even to what we normally do,” said Joyce Christensen, an account executive with the Vernon, Calif.–based company.

The Fall market week this year had an extra bonus. It was two days longer than normal, and it coincided with the beefed-up Los Angeles Fashion Week.

Even though market week started on a Wednesday instead of the traditional Friday, most buyers did not start showing up until at least Thursday or Friday. Saturday was busy, and Sunday was slow.

“Thursday and Friday were our busiest days,” Iddings noted.

“Sunday was very quiet,” said Michele Thornton, who represents five contemporary lines, including And Cake, a line of T-shirts. “In January, I had about 20 stores come in on a Sunday, but I had about half of that. However, I am seeing good stores, and they don’t seem to be affected by the economy.”

Buyers were both optimistic and cautious about Fall, depending on their geographic location and customer niche.

Those store owners located in high-end resort areas had a particularly bright outlook because many of their customers are trimming their overseas travel plans this year and staying in the United States.

“I am buying more than ever,” said Joan Teige, who for the past 20 years has owned a 345-square-foot store called PE 101 in Aspen, Colo. “I don’t believe in buying conservatively. We stock fun and sexy pastels all year round.”

Teige eyed a number of Frankie B. pants in a pink stretch satin and navy-blue stretch satin, as well as Frankie B. denim pants. She also planned to look at merchandise from Bella Dahl, Michael Stars and Allen B. Her retail prices run from $24 to $300.

Jenefee Bruce, owner of a small specialty store called eacute;lan at the Lodge in Pebble Beach, Calif., caters to an affluent crowd that she expects will be traveling more to Northern California than they have in previous years.

“My business last year was the best year I’ve ever had,” she said.

However, Bruce said she has had to be more creative in her marketing in the past few years. She offers trunk shows and special promotions to draw local customers.

Looking for something with sophisticated-but-different styling, Bruce visited the Vonderheide Showroom, which carries several European lines including Gliv, an Italian knitwear line, and Castelbajac.

While Bruce’s store is doing well, Michelle Diep, who owns a small specialty store located at the Commerce Casino in the City of Commerce, Calif., has had a hard time matching last year’s sales. She said she is ordering 30 percent less than she did last Fall.

“Our customers aren’t buying like they were before,” she noted.

Selective buying for misses, updated

Misses buyers were playing it safe and sticking with proven sellers and novelty items during the Fall market on the second and third floors of the California Market Center.

Immediate goods and May 30 deliveries received the bulk of the order writing, said sales representatives. Fall goods were more preview items, though there was some business written for Aug. 30 deliveries, said Melody Fast, who did well with dresses and embellished sweaters by Liz & Jane, T. Rose and Radzoli.

“There was more traffic than I expected,” said Fast. “The better stores are still doing some good business, and the moderate and casual ones appear to be struggling more.”

“The people that are here are buying,” added Steve Glueck of Steve Glueck Associates. “Traffic was way down, due partially I think to economic woes and war woes. A lot of people were just in Vegas only a month and a half ago, so it’s a mixed bag.”

Glueck and associate Kris Turner said buyers were lured to separates, including washable knits, and novelty sweaters with embellishments such as cat and dog patches. Glueck did say one bright spot was accessories, especially a new Italian sterling-silver jewelry line called Pandora.

Showroom owner Margaret Cox said misses trends continue to steer styling toward the updated or contemporary categories.

“Not everyone is comfortable with calling this category ’updated,’ and they don’t even want to hear ’missy’ by itself, so we’re calling it ’missy contemporary,’” she said.

Indeed, younger-skewed products performed well for Cox. Items such as Timmy Wood carved-wood handbags shaped like dogs, lips and other figures; Malibu Apparel velour sweat suits; Meacute;chant sherpa jackets; and Mycra Pac water-repellent travel coats were moving paper, she said.

Cox said buyers mostly filled in their current inventories and discussed later deliveries.

One thing that surprised road rep Autumn Sneed of the Helen Costello showroom was how buyers went for color.

“I’d show them collections of mostly black and dark colors, and they weren’t going for it,” Sneed said. “They wanted lighter colors that come with separates.”

This is an “item-driven market,” said Lynne Andresevic of Crayola Sisters, who did well with iridescent skirts by Torrance, Calif.–based brand Hanna and with novelty tops boasting string, rosettes and beading by Los Angeles brand Cordelia.

Showroom owner Bentzi Gershon said local labels were also in demand as buyers looked for companies that could offer in-stock capabilities and quick deliveries. He added local products, including a collection of stretch-fabric tops and bottoms from Black Cat, to his line.

While there was not too much resistance to price, showroom owners such as Fred Postal said it paid to offer value items. He showed alpaca-blended sweaters that started at $42, as well as angora-blend sweaters by Venesha for $41–$110. The blended fabrics, Postal said, kept prices down without sacrificing quality.

“There’s some cautious optimism in the market right now,” he said. “The buyer has to take a position and control their open-to-buys. You have to know when to turn on and off the spigot, or else you’ll get in trouble.”

New Mart buyers remain cautious

Caution was the byword for buyers at the New Mart, where traffic appeared slow for early-bird exhibitors during the April 2–8 run of Los Angeles Market Week.

“This year’s market week turnout was kind of a mixed bag,” said New Mart manager Ethan Eller, who reported that approximately 1,075 registered buyers came to the New Mart during market week, a 17 percent increase over the 920 buyers who registered during the same time last year.

The number of international buyers at the show was considerably lower for this market, said Eller, who chalked up the lull in traffic to weary travelers who opted to stay close to home while the conflict in the Middle East continued.

Anticipation for this year’s market was high thanks to the buzz around Los Angeles Fashion Week and the collective efforts of the New Mart, the Cooper Building, the Gerry Building and the California Market Center to boost awareness of the Los Angeles Fashion District. Executives at the four buildings are spearheading a campaign to brand the area as “Intersection.”

Prior to market week, many sales reps at the New Mart said they hoped to get an overflow of buyers who came to see the fashion shows. But several showrooms reported dry spells in buyer traffic throughout the week.

“The extra days that were added to this year’s market were not as dynamic as the usual market season,” explained Eller. “It was difficult to gauge how many of those who attended the show were really hardcore buyers.”

However, the weekend brought a huge spurt of traffic, said showroom owners.

Terry Sahagan of TSS Showroom on the New Mart’s 10th floor said more than 150 buyers came to look at her lines during market week, with many placing immediate orders for Spring and early Fall. However, many buyers said they were tightening their inventories and keeping them at low levels until the economy begins to show some life again, Sahagan said.

This year’s market also marked the debut of Fashion Business Incubator’s “Emerging Designers” co-op showroom on the New Mart’s second floor. It featured 11 contemporary lines by Los Angeles designers, including Darcie Emmerson, Belik, Magda Knits, Suzi Click, Moss Mills Design, Snax, Laurie Schafer, Anne Richardson, S. Hopper, Barbara B. and [UN] Designed.

Artwear designer Laurie Schafer debuted a 12-piece, ready-to-wear collection made with silk that got plenty of attention from buyers who visited FBI’s intimate enclave of up-and-coming designers. The collection featured women’s contemporary looks— such as an olive Asian wrap jacket with autumn- swirl design and matching flare pants with asymmetrical-swirl appliqueacute;—priced from $120 to $240.

Buyers from Hariri in West Los Angeles picked through the racks at women’s contemporary line Anne Richardson Collection. Richardson debuted a juniors separates collection called ARC, made with multicolored cotton/rayon blends. The eightpiece collection is priced from $67 to $92, Richardson said.

Specialty retailer Moss Mills debuted an ultra-hip collection of still-life, sterling-silver jewelry. The intricate collection features necklaces, wristbands, rings, belts earrings and bracelets with price points ranging from $20 to $112. Each silver piece is cast into the shape of an animal or insect and then polished, oxidized or matte-finished.

Designer & Agents

Some 273 exhibitors occupied roughly 161 booths at Designers & Agents’ two venues on the third floor of the New Mart and the 11th floor of the Cooper Building, according to the show’s producers, Ed Mandelbaum and Barbara Kramer. The number of registered buyers at this year’s show increased from 500 buyers to 732 buyers, they said. However, less than half of the 1,700 registered buyers who turned out for November’s Spring Market turned out for this year’s show, according to Mandelbaum.

“It’s exciting that we’ve had a substantial increase over a year ago, but comparing Fall to the previous Spring market—I think it’s reflective of the number of buyers who come to Los Angeles just for Spring market buys and those buyers who don’t want to travel right now,” Mandelbaum explained.

Last year, the New York–based company more than doubled the number of trade shows it hosts—from five shows per year in one city (Los Angeles) to 11 shows per year in three cities (Los Angeles, New York and Tokyo).

“We’re definitely heading in an upward direction,” Mandelbaum said.

New designers and agents at the show in Los Angeles included New York–based women’s accessories line Lulu Guinness; Glendale, Calif.–based women’s contemporary denim label Saddle Lites; C. Ronson, a New York–based women’s contemporary sportswear line; and Override 9999, a women’s and men’s headwear line based in Torrance, Calif.

Los Angeles designer Richard Tyler showed his secondary line, Tyler, at the show. New York agents Air 3&4, Luna Rosa Showroom, Mao Sales Showroom and Unisource were also new to this year’s show.

Buyers from Fred Segal Santa Monica, Ethel in Los Angeles and Planet Blue in Malibu, Calif., came to the show to view the latest offerings by Beth Frank, Sage, Mhope, Viv & Ingrid, Blue Cult, Jill Stuart, Oliver Twist, Micco and Paper Denim & Cloth.

Many exhibitors at the show reported buyers were placing immediate orders for late Spring and early Fall.

“I have a good feeling about business for Fall,” said retail storeowner Chris Embrel.

Embrel, who operates a small, contemporary boutique called House of Talula in Bakersfield, Calif., said sales were flat for the month of March. She said she plans to order more selectively—although at higher price points—for Fall than she did for Spring.

“Business is good when I offer quality pieces at reasonable price points,” she said.

Key looks at Designers & Agents were floral, stretch-poplin tube dresses, brightly colored, striped cashmere sweaters with matching scar ves, tweed and wool miniskirts with novelty stylings, off-theshoulder, long-sleeved jersey tops with belts, and pin-striped wool trousers.

This was the first trade show for Kim White, who showed her line of handbags made from vintage 1970s and 1980s automotive fabrics. White, who plans to go with D&A when the group takes the show to New York, said she opened at least 10 new accounts at D&A this market.

This season marked the second time out for Designers & Agents’ split-venue format, and this time, buyers seemed more comfortable with the concept of moving between the New Mart and the Cooper Building to see the lines. Show organizers once again stenciled footprints on the sidewalk between the two buildings to direct buyers.

D&A hosted its first runway show on April 5 at the Cooper Building exhibition space. A packed crowd of buyers, designers, reps and industry insiders cheered on the models—who were also buyers, designers, reps and industry insiders. (Coverage of the D&A fashion show will run in the April 18 issue of the California Apparel News.)

Gerry Building builds recognition

At the Gerry Building, reps worked on building awareness for the building among their core retailers. The building, which opened last summer, now has 14 showrooms (including the not-yet-opened Enyce showroom) carrying streetwear, clubwear, contemporary apparel, lingerie and accessories from labels such as Baby Phat, Madsoul, Freedom Eleven, Talking to Angels, Evisu, Crislu, Akademiks, Yana K, Les Amis, Curves and Jonquil.

Buyers spent the first part of the show buying triedand- true resources and then looked to round out their orders with new lines, said Jeff Murell, owner of the Mocha Showroom, which carries labels Madsoul, American Pig Brand and Gamma Go., as well as new lines Block Headwear, Five Four menswear and Hussy Jr. young men’s and young-contemporary apparel. Murell said buyers from retail stores such as Black Blue, Yellow and Dungarees turned out to shop the building.

A new trade show bowed at the Gerry Building during this market. Organized by BCN Showroom owner Mark Encinias, Blueprint debuted with 10 lines: KU USA, Some Products, Second, Live Mechanics, Nisa, Wordlife, Filter, Outdoor Terrier, Momentum Jewelry and Root Troop.

Traffic was slow for the show’s launch, according to attendees— some of whom encouraged the entire Los Angeles market to bring buyers to the show.

Bradley Angel, a rep for Los Angeles–based Live Mechanics, said he would like to see the four buildings in the fashion district—the CMC, the New Mart, the Gerry Building and the Cooper Building—market the area as a design resource.

“If all four buildings work together, then it shows cohesiveness,” he said. “I’d like to see people say, ’There’s enough newness in California—I want to see it first.’”

Encinias said he plans to hold Blueprint again in November, with more marketing and more lead time. For this show, he began organizing in earnest after MAGIC International in February.

Still, Encinias said he was pleased with the start. He had encouraged all the Blueprint exhibitors to call retailers to remind them to drop by the show. One who turned out was from Sharon Segal/Fred Segal Santa Monica, he said.

“The potential is definitely there—Los Angeles needs a show for the more cutting-edge, forward lines that are out there,” he said. “I just want to give people a venue to be able to show during market in a place that has a good vibe.”