California Apparel News

SAN FRANCISCO—A group of San Francisco–based reps opened permanent showrooms during the San Francisco Fashion Market at a space across from the Concourse Exhibition Center, where the market is held.

The San Francisco Fashion Collective opened on Oct. 23 with eight permanent showrooms and one temporary space. Lines included Westonwear, JW by Johnny Was, Free People, Charlotte Tarantola, Fornarina, Betsey Johnson, Fifi Collection, And Cake, Cake Couture, Plan Group by Falcon, San Francisco City Lights, June, Mannequins and Jack & Jinger.

“We wanted to recast ourselves in San Francisco as a community of sales reps,” said Lori Markman, owner of the Urban Style Showroom Markman and Free People rep Mary Joya formed a limited liability corporation to lease the space in the Sobel Building, located at 680 Eighth St. The two signed a five-year lease with an option to renew and expand as space opens up in the building.

“We’d love to take over as much space as possible,” she said, adding that plans for a central home for permanent showrooms in San Francisco have been in the works for three years.

“Our buyers are really supportive,” she said. “They know I’ve been looking for a long, long time for a location.”

And the buyers turned out. On opening day, the showrooms were busy with regular buyers shopping the lines.

“It’s the first day, and our buyers walked across the street to see us,” said Ann Fehrenbacher, rep for And Cake and Cake Couture, who said she also saw a few buyers who do not typically shop the show at the Concourse.

GGAA showcases California style

Meanwhile across the street, 311 exhibitors set up booths at the San Francisco Fashion Market, organized by the Golden Gate Apparel Association. This was on par with last year’s exhibitor attendance, according to GGAA President Craig Hinds.

Hinds said approximately 1,200 retailers shopped the show, a slight downturn for the event, which typically draws 1,300 to 1,400 buyers. He said he expects many of these buyers will return to the show in January to place last-minute buys.

“Our customers like booth shows because they get a sense of what the marketplace is about before they shop the show,” said Hinds. Organizers are preparing to move the show once the city approves plans to demolish the Concourse. Hinds said the show will move either to one of the piers along the San Francisco waterfront or to an exhibition space in the nearby San Francisco Fashion Center.

“That’s what this show is all about— showcasing California style,” he said. The market included longtime exhibitors Karen Kane, Joseph Ribkoff, French Dressing, Caribbean Joe and Johnny Was.

“We have a very well-developed and specific business on the West Coast. This enables us to see a large portion of our Northern California and northern Nevada stores and get a nice mix of accounts,” said Joyce Christensen, account executive for Vernon, Calif.–based Karen Kane.

“This is generally a well-attended show,” she said. “Because of the booth environment, we are able to open new accounts.”

San Francisco–based retailer Heidi Werner shops the San Francisco show “somewhat regularly,” looking for new items for her two Lava 9 boutiques, which carry accessories, jewelry and leather jackets. “I just cruise around and see some of my vendors so they don’t have to come to me,” she said.

New at the show

There were also several new lines and new exhibitors, including Pink Elf, It Jeans, Ollie Sang, Icon and Saffron Rare Threads.

Designer Kayoko Abe said this was the second time she and design partner Ryan Hill presented their two collections at the show. The San Francisco–based designers showed T-shirts under the Icon label and mixedmedia skirts and pants in denim, plaid and graffiti-inspired prints under the Strawberry- A-Go-Go label.

This was the first time at the show for Saffron Rare Threads, one of the San Francisco– based lines that participated in the debut of San Francisco Fashion Week in August.

“We are trying to bring business back to San Francisco,” said Yugala Priti, creative partner in the 1-year-old line. “A lot of local designers go elsewhere to show.”

Priti and Managing Partner Priya Saraswati showed their collection of fashions for working women. The coordinating career separates come in easy-care, high-tech fabrics that travel well. Many of the suiting pieces are lined in silk and are merchandised with matching silk blouses.

Los Angeles–based contemporary label Mica returned to the show with its new division, Voom by Joy Han. The company recently began wholesaling the Voom label after meeting with designer and retailer Joy Han, who is now also designing the Mica collection, according to Account Executive Amie Durr. The two collections are a good fit, Durr noted. Both lines are feminine and retro-inspired, but Voom has a young contemporary fit and a slightly younger style.

The show offered a good opportunity for returning exhibitors. Palo Alto, Calif.–based Pink Elf returned to the show for the third time. The 9-month-old company manufactures its young contemporary collection in San Francisco and India.

This was the first time at the show for Denver-based Ollie Sang, according to designer Lauren Chlebowski, who said she opened 10 accounts after showing the line in Denver. The small collection includes eight silhouettes featuring vintage-inspired fabrics and retro, feminine details.

Chlebowski said she plans to show the line in Los Angeles next April. “This is my new approach—to get in front of the right people,” she said.