California Apparel News

NEW YORK—The atmosphere at the seventh biannual Lingerie Americas trade show seemed even livelier than it had been in early March 2005, the last time the event exhibited in New York’s Altman Building and Metropolitan Pavilion.

“Maybe it’s the sunshine,” said Patrice Argain, chief executive officer of Lingerie Americas. “People look at things differently, collections are more colorful, and, at this time of year, we have the swimwear and the beachwear, which gives the show quite a different view and feel.”

Lingerie Americas has been experiencing more and more success. With more than 2,600 attendees at this year’s summer show, attendance was up 3 percent from August 2004. The July 31–Aug. 2 run included 234 brands from 18 countries. There were returning exhibitors—including international heavyweights Aubade, Chantelle, Elle McPherson Intimates and Huit—as well as boutique-driven companies, including Canada’s Patricia Fieldwater, New York’s Nocturne and the fancifully named Belabumbum from Arizona (the company’s name means “beautiful bottom” in Portuguese). There were 34 newcomers to the show and 10 new booths in the fourth-floor Summer Gallery. Among the new designers were California’s Honeydew Intimates, whose ruffled panties are a hit on the celebrity circuit, and sleepwear company PJ Salvage.

“Women don’t want to sleep in their boyfriend’s old pajamas anymore,” said Peter Burke, president of 9-year-old PJ Salvage. “[They] want to look good all the time, all year round, so we offer strong colors and, most importantly, strong fabrics—luxury fabrics that feel good.”

Burke said it is important to keep an eye on what is happening in the fashion world and invest those ideas into lingerie and sleepwear. That way, he said, the collection can go from the bedroom to the lounge and to the beach—what he called “the 10-mile radius.”

At this year’s event, the big buzz concerned the Aug. 1 fashion show in SoHo’s Puck Building, which showcased a selection of designs from 42 exhibitors. Lingerie Americas had produced one fashion show before, which had taken place in August 2003 on the fourth floor of the Metropolitan Pavilion before there were any booths there.

“Now, we are fully booked,” Argain said. “We had no other choice but to find another location, and the Puck Building is a wonderful building. By having a nice evening, before and after the show, it makes it into a special event, so people really don’t mind moving location.”

Retailer Robin Moglia said she was thrilled with the show.

“I thought the fashion show was awesome,” said Moglia, who runs the Linger boutique in Spring Lake, N.J. “I can usually picture items on people, but it was fun to see the designs presented like that. I was really impressed.”

The fashion show was also well received by designers.“I thought it was very well done,” said Beija Brazil designer Guy Blews, who had two pieces in the show. “Usually, I get so bored at them.”

Beija Brazil, a funky, edgy line based out of Los Angeles, was enjoying its second year in business and its fourth show with Lingerie Americas. Blews said the company received a huge amount of interest this year in some simple but well-cut wraps and soft, hooded tops, as well as in its usual bright, Rio-infused designs.

Carlotta Danti of Italian label Rosamosario said she also experienced a good deal of new interest. Last year, her first time at the show, Saks Fifth Avenue picked up the line. This year, buyers from Neiman Marcus and Barneys New York stopped by to view the luxury collection.

“People are saying it is like the new La Perla, like the La Perla of the ’50s,” said the Italian sales representative, adding with a smile that “it’s all in the genes.” Another company whose items, especially its hand-detailed corsets, were compared to La Perla’s was newcomer Jacalyn Benett. Sales director Ellen Lewis said she had been told that the Newburyport, Mass.–based company’s collection was “La Perla at a price.”

“The value in this merchandise is remarkable,” Lewis noted.

In the past three years, Lingerie Americas has gradually added more exhibitor space, first using one building and then two and then adding the upper floor.

For next year, there is talk of taking over another floor of the Metropolitan Pavilion rather than moving to a larger location, as exhibitors and buyers alike are extremely happy with the current site. But there are logistics involved, Argain said.

“If we had a dream, it would be to have one central location, one floor, but today it doesn’t exist,” he said. “So we have to manage all of these problems—and that’s the fun part of the game.”