California Apparel News

There’s a certain optimistic feeling among several of the textile representatives preparing for the April 28–30 run of the Los Angeles International Textile Show at the California Market Center.

Certainly, there are reasons to be positive. Organizers tout the show, which will mark its 10th anniversary this year, as the largest textile show in the country. The event will feature more than 350 exhibitors representing more than 600 lines. There will be several international exhibitors, including 12 representatives from French mills who will show in a central location on the 13th floor and TexItalia, a group of 13 representatives from Italian mills that will show in the CMC’s fashion theater. Five presentations covering textile, apparel and lifestyle trends for 2004 are planned for the week. Typically the show draws some of California’s largest and bestknown apparel firms, retailers and designers, including Laundry by Shelli Segal, Juicy Couture, Cornell Collins, Alicia Lawhon, City Girl by Nancy Bolen, Petro Zillia, Estevan Ramos, Richard Tyler, ABS, Bebe, LEI, Guess, Pacific Sunwear, XOXO, St. John Knits and Jessica McClintock.

To be sure, the lingering recession and its resultant lagging retail sales have slowed business for apparel manufacturers and the companies that supply them with fabric, trims and other related services. Still, textile mills have learned to operate leanly, target niche businesses and anticipate the needs of their target customers.

Several global factors could contribute to a strong textile show. The economy and the uncertainty in the months leading up to the U.S. war with Iraq put a dent in travel and, more recently, the health crisis in Asia regarding SARS (severe acute respiratory illness) kept many piece-goods buyers from traveling to other textile shows, said Hal Kaltman, owner of Hal Kaltman Textiles and president of the Textile Association of Los Angeles, one of the associations supporting the show. He also noted that many opted to skip Paris’ Premiegrave;re Vision in October.

“They need to shop for fabrics, and this is the place to shop,” said Kaltman.

Kaltman said he is optimistic about the show and predicted attendance will be as good or better than that of past years.

In recent years, the show has drawn national buyers from as far as Florida, New York and Illinois, as well as international buyers from Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Australia, France, Germany, China, Japan and South Korea.

“After 10 years of doing shows, we found a niche that works, and that has been the key to our survival and our success,” Kaltman said.

Mary Wortman, owner of Santa Monica, Calif.–based Caldelle Leather, was similarly upbeat and said she anticipates a turn-around in the economy. The Los Angeles show allows Caldelle Leather to reach its core customer base of contemporary and designer labels and is, for now, the only show that the company participates in, said Wortman.

Exhibitor Gera Gallico, the New York–based representative of French textile firm Billon Freres, was equally optimistic.

“My expectations are extremely positive,” said Gallico, adding that sales for the company are up from last year. “We are now at about 30 percent increase, which, given the climate, I’m super thrilled about.”

Gallico noted the company’s yarn-dyed stripes, crochet looks and “happy, easygoing” prints have been selling particularly well.

“We do very well in L.A. because there is a contemporary market there,” said Gallico, who said reps from the company travel to the West Coast on a monthly basis to meet with customers. “I speak to some of our competitors— we’re all on a friendly basis—and anyone that is of our caliber that does come out to California and services the market, they do get a great response.”

Local draw

Los Angeles–based designer Cynthia Vincent said she typically stops by the show to find new contacts.

“I look at the book, make sure I see the ones I want to see [and I] attempt to walk the whole show—if time permits—to check out new resources I am not familiar with,” she said, adding that she wished one day of the show would have later hours.

Vincent is currently working on her newly launched Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent label, which debuted at Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A. during Los Angeles Fashion Week. The designer said she plans to seek out fill-in fabrics for the new line at the show.

Petro Zillia designer Nony Tochterman has also stopped by the textile show every season since she launched her line six years ago.v

“I go there to see vendors that I’m already working with and also to discover new vendors, new suppliers and new ideas,” she said.

Tochterman said as a business owner and mother, she appreciates being able to source locally.

“There are plenty of Europeans that come and show in L.A.,” she said. “Sometimes I see all these amazing lines there that I can’t afford, but I love seeing them, and I find them inspiring. I keep it in the back of my mind, and if I think I can use one of those really amazing expensive mills, then I definitely use them. But there are also plenty of mills that show there from Europe that are definitely affordable. I try also to work with as many domestic mills as I can, so it’s great to be able to see everybody under one roof and fill your brain with everything that’s out there.”

Tochterman said she tries to browse the whole show, collecting cards and catalogues and writing notes to refer back to later in the season.

“I have collected a big chunk of my Rolodex from contacts I made at the show,” she said.

Trend Watchers

Several trend seminars are sched- Continued from page 1 uled for the Los Angeles International Textile Show at the California Market Center:

April 28 Design Options’ Fran Sude and BGA’s Bill Glazer will present a Spring/Summer 2004 color forecast for the adult, juniors and tween markets.

The duo will discuss retail and street trends from Europe and Tokyo, lifestyle trends and the merging of the apparel and home-fashion markets. 8:30 a.m., CMC Suite A1375

April 28 Promostyl will present an international view of Spring/Summer 2004 trends, including socio-cultural influences, colors, fabrics and shapes for the women’s, juniors, men’s, children’s and home-furnishings markets. 10:30 a.m., CMC Suite A1375

April 29 International Colour Authority and International Textiles’ Cinzia Black will forecast textile and leather colors, patterns and styling details for Spring/Summer 2004. She will also preview Autumn/Winter 2004–2005 trends and forecast textile trends and colors for furnishings in the avant-garde and contract markets. 8:30 a.m., CMC Suite A1375

April 29 Carlin International’s Trudy Adler will present an overview of colors, fabrics, trends and stylings for Spring/Summer 2004. 4:30 p.m., CMC Suite A1375

April 30 Pecler’s Sarah Brady will present “Spring/Summer 2004 Color and Fabric Influences,” a seminar for the textile and non-textile industries. 8:30 a.m., CMC Suite A1375

French Pavilion

Representatives from 12 French textile mills will exhibit in the French Pavilion, located on the 13th floor of the California Market Center. Lyon, France– based Espace Textile has organized the pavilion. (Additional suppliers of French fabrics will show independently.)

The French Pavilion will include: Atelier Scarabee Carreman Michel Thierry Chaine & Trame Deveaux Emilie Metre Textiles Goutarel Henitex International J.B. Bernard Milag Sofileta Sprintex Tissus Marey

TexItalia

Representatives from 13 Italian textile firms will participate in TexItalia, organized by the Italian Trade Commission, in the California Market Center fashion theater. (Additional suppliers of Italian fabrics will show independently.)

TexItalia will include:

Cotonificio VenetoCuomo Fedora GroupFinset JerseyGallusLanificio RitmotexLanificio Ugo Pacini & CoLuigi Boggio CaseroMarco LagattollaPontetortoSeterie ArgentiTeseoTessitura Taiana Virgilio