Mac & Jac
California Market Center B388(213) 488-3371
Canadian resource Mac & Jac has been gaining a steady client base in the United States for several years now. With its staple updated misses product, a new men’s line and a burgeoning young contemporary collection, the company has been poised for growth. Opening a new West Coast corporate showroom was the next step.
In October, the first corporate Mac & Jac showroom in Los Angeles opened in the California Market Center. Tara Riddle, formerly of Riddle & Associates, had been handling the collection in her multi-line showroom, based in the same building. She recently decided to work exclusively with Mac & Jac’s misses and menswear lines, as well as its contemporary collection, Kenzie.
“Mac & Jac’s product has improved so much,” she said. “The shipping is great, and the design team has done an amazing job.”
Mac & Jac has been around for almost 20 years and has grown quietly yet steadily in the United States for the past 10 years. Three years ago, the company launched Kenzie, a contemporary collection, and last year, it launched Mac & Jac men’s. It has been getting more aggressive with marketing, placing ads in Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire.
With plans for three retail stores in the United States this year, along with a new footwear and eyewear licensing deal, the company wanted a bigger presence. A separate showroom was a start.
Riddle is working with former Sanctuary Clothing rep Doug Plamondon to manage sales. Lehua Sutterfield, of Dickies Girl (Apparel Ltd.), is an associate.
“Buyers will find a very professional atmosphere,” said Plamondon. “It’s an easy market experience, and we edit toward their needs.”
The Mac & Jac showroom is part of the CMC’s redesigned third floor, which will include an atrium featuring piano players and wine bars during market weeks. The showroom itself is 5,000 square feet. Designer Phil Messana included concrete floors, glass walls and wide aisles to create an open buying space. The space features Mac & Jac, Kenzie, Mac & Jac men’s and Energee, the active division of Mac & Jac. The lines are wholesale priced from $12 to $49 and feature knits, denim, sportswear, dresses and shirts. The lines are sold at Nordstrom and other specialty accounts.
Riddle said fit and variety have been the brand’s hallmarks. “A lot of people can wear it. It’s a contemporary look with an easier fit,” she said. —Robert McAllister
