California Apparel News

Could the fashion worlds of Los Angeles and Europe be growing closer? If IMG has anything to do with it, they will.

IMG, the parent company of Olympus Fashion Week (formerly called Mercedes- Benz Fashion Week) in New York, announced it is bumping up the dates of Mercedes-Benz Shows L.A.to be closer to the timing of the runway shows in Paris and Milan.

“We wanted to be closer to the international schedule,” said Fern Mallis, executive director of Olympus Fashion Week. “When buyers wait a month to commit to Los Angeles, it is a little bit of an afterthought because their open-to-buys have been done. We are trying to slowly inch up the date.”

With the Mercedes-Benz shows now scheduled for March 24–27, this also means that Los Angeles designers can have their collections on the runway before the ballots go out for the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s annual awards, Mallis said.

For the past two seasons, the Mercedes- Benz shows have been held at the Downtown Standard Hotel in conjunction with Los Angeles Market Week, when buyers are in town to visit the showrooms in the Los Angeles Fashion District. Originally, MBSLA had planned its runway shows for March 29–April 2, slightly overlapping the April 1–6 run of Los Angeles Market Week.

IMG is also planning to move its fashion shows to the Westside. IMG was finalizing plans to hold the four-day event at Hangar 8 at the Santa Monica Municipal Airport, a boxy space where Divine Design has held its fashion sales.

Meanwhile, Smashbox Studios, which holds a competing fashion week at its photo studios in Culver City, Calif., still plans to hold its runway presentations March 27–April 2.

The bumped-up schedule left some people happy. Michael Fink, senior fashion market director for Saks Fifth Avenue, was glad to hear about the changes in the Mercedes- Benz show.

“I like the fact that it has been moved up,” he said from his New York office. “It gives us a two-week break from Europe, but we are still in the mood to see more shows. We really treat the show week as a scouting mission. As the fashion director, I can give information for the buying staff who is out during market week.”

But members of the Los Angeles fashion world said they are feeling conflicted about having two fashion weeks.

“Honestly, I wish it coincided with when buyers are in town. That is whom I am doing it for,” said Cynthia Vincent, who launched her Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent collection a few seasons ago and has shown at MBSLA. “The buyers who came to my shows last time ended up being my best supporters. hellip; If other cities can hold their fashion weeks in one week, why can’t we?”

Swimwear designer Ashley Paige, who has shown at both Smashbox and MBSLA, worried about how the press will be affected by the split weeks. “My major concern is that the editors won’t be able to attend both fashion weeks,” she said.

Lisa Elliot—co-owner of EM Productions, which does publicity for designers Michelle Mason and Alicia Lawhon, among others, and runs a showroom in the Cooper Design Space— thought the different times will hurt more than help. “Having a fashion show is for the press and for buyers,” she noted, wondering if people will stick around for both fashion weeks.

But for other designers, including Richard Tyler and Sue Wong, an earlier date is perfect for their calendars.

“My couture buyer from Neiman Marcus flies out expressly for my show. So it doesn’t affect me,” said Tyler, who has shown twice at MBSLA. “I prefer the earlier dates because it is better to place your fabric orders earlier and book your time in the factories.”

Sue Wong, also a regular at MBSLA, said an earlier date simplifies her life.

“In the past, it has been disruptive for conducting normal business in my showroom, which I have to close down for a half a day when I have my show,” she said. “I would rather get the runway show over with early and then focus on the market and business.” —Deborah Belgum