California Apparel News

Menswear buyers tuned into more tailored looks for suits and continued investing in color and retro themes for sportswear at the July 31–Aug. 2 run of the Westcoast Exclusive, held at the W Hotel in Los Angeles’ Westwood neighborhood.

At the show, which caters to those who deal in better and luxury apparel and accessories, two floors of exhibitors representing about 80 lines offered buyers a preview of Spring 2006 fashion.

Exhibitors said buyers remained “cautiously optimistic” about business after what some called a slow spring.

“I think the West Coast is still working its way out of a slump, whereas we’re seeing some nice retail figures out of the South,” noted Heidi Kearns, a sales representative for Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Majestic International, which markets Ted Baker, Club Med and Anonimo shirts.

“It was slower, but things took off when the weather changed,” added Ralph Odenberg, a rep for South Norwalk, Conn.–based Nat Nast.

Bobby Yosten, a buyer for Culver City, Calif.–based retailer Alandales, said he was encouraged by the product offerings. “It was a good pre-Vegas show,” he said, referring to the run of MAGIC International later this month.

Patrick Mon Pere Jr. of Fresno, Calif.–based Patrick James agreed. “The timing is important,” he said.

Mon Pere said he had a solid spring that was supported by custom shirts, tailored suits with art deco details, English influences, and silk and linen sport coats—“basically anything that goes with sportswear,” he said.

Yosten said Alandales has been branching out into more private-label endeavors and partnerships with manufacturers to boost business. Alandales owner Glenn Laiken and Mabro designed an exclusive line of canvas suits made in Italy, which will feature labels reading Glenn Laiken for Mabro, Yosten said.

New products, styles

New product launches were prominent at the WCE. Los Angeles–based leather specialist JC Mac showed a new line of leather harnesses with pockets for cell phones, PDAs and cigarettes. The items complement a new series of bags and accessories featuring leather embossed with old Italian and Cuban newspaper print.

“We had this idea 20 years ago, but we were ahead of our time back then,” said company principal Michael Cohen.

JC Mac also debuted graphic T-shirts featuring mythical images created by Venice, Calif., artists.

Wholesale price points are $30 to $45 for the shirts and $45 to $65 for the holsters.

Paris Blumental of the Coppley Apparel Group in Beverly Hills said he focused on bringing uniqueness to the show. He displayed Z&B Creazione belt buckles made from fiber-optic colored glass and Swarovski crystals, as wells as belts featuring tubular construction and pleated ties by Italo Ferretti.

Blumental, whose business has more than doubled over the past year, said he has seen growing interest in made-to-measure items. He participates in a program with Coppley Apparel that offers 650 swatches to customers. “The way the market is, people are shying away from general department store merchandise and looking to better-quality, specialty items,” he said.

Color and retro themes continue to be strong in menswear, said Hyela Sablosky, a rep for New York–based Jhane Barnes and one of the WCE’s founders. Sablosky showed pleated tie-dyed shirts, heat-transfer prints and color.

“We can’t sell stripes for some reason,” she said. “Texture is important and anything that goes with jeans and white pants.”

Kearns of Majestic said buyers were snapping up colors such as buttercup yellow and baby blue.Nat Nast, which was established in Kansas City, Mo., in the 1940s and resurfaced five years ago, gained attention from retailers searching for bowling shirts and other classic short-sleeved shirts with vintage-pocket treatments. “With the interest in premium denim, so goes the need for more tops,” Odenberg noted.

But Los Angeles–based denim specialist Agave Denimsmith is branching out as the market for jeans becomes saturated. The company unveiled some non-denim and denim styles, including jean-trouser hybrids made with Zimbabwe grown cotton, horizontal cords, and comfort stretch pants made with polyurethane and cotton. Most pieces wholesale for about $75.

“How long can this denim trend go? Probably awhile, but we want to offer alternatives, too,” said Agave owner and designer Jeff Shafer.

Agave imports many of its fabrics from Japan and spins much of its yarn in Switzerland but does construction and finishing in California. The company incorporated techniques ranging from oven baking and hand-sanding to potassium washing with foam blocks to achieve a variety of finishes for Spring 2006. It also rolled out layered T-shirts featuring the flat lock stitching found in wet-suit and rash-guard construction to bring a new look to apparel. Wholesale prices for the shirts start at $32.

Traffic for the mostly appointment-based show was probably on par with last season’s, said Amy Freeman-Cohen, director of special events and marketing for the WCE. Despite some struggling menswear sectors, it is an exciting time for design trends, she said. “We’re seeing a shift in tailored sexy suits—not so much the uptight suit anymore, but more fitted. Even the urban sector is heading in that direction,” she noted.

Much of that direction will be seen at The Exclusive, which WCE produces concurrently with MAGIC International in Las Vegas. The Exclusive will be held Aug. 28–30 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, where 227 booths will highlight approximately 900 lines.