California Apparel News

With high gasoline prices falling last week, retailers seemed to feel optimistic enough to give a vote of confidence to Spring 2006 fashions and last-minute shopping for the upcoming Holiday season. Brisk business was reported at the Los Angeles Fashion Market held Oct. 21–25.

The California Market Center declined to release attendance figures, but a representative said registration was up 7 percent. International traffic was up 9 percent. Officials from neighboring fashion buildings such as The New Mart estimated record-breaking attendance. The New Mart registered 1,200 buyers for the market, compared with its record turnout of 1,120 buyers in 2003 (the last year for which figures were available), according to Ethan Eller, manager of The New Mart. “We’ve had increasing attendance for every single market in the past five years,” Eller said. “I see Los Angeles as a growth sector for several years to come.”

Retailers from around the world and nearly every U.S. state visited the market to continue their search for California fashions. They included major retailers such as Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom and such powerhouse boutiques as Los Angeles–based Kitson and Lisa Kline. L.A.’s denim market seems to be a constant favorite, but retailers also found a growing market for tops, as well as frilly clothes that have been defined as feminine and romantic.

Jeanette Engel, co-owner of a boutique called Zazu in Laguna Beach, Calif., reported spending 10 percent more than she did at the Spring 2004 Los Angeles Fashion Market. She spent much of her budget on the feminine looks of Los Angeles–based Robert Rodriguez and Tree. She also picked up contemporary label L.A.M.B., by pop singer Gwen Stefani.

Other retailers, such as Hillary Rush, were anticipating feminine looks to continue to be popular for Spring 2006. “Gauze and crochet will be important,” said Rush, whose namesake store is in Los Angeles’ West Third Street boutique district. “But I didn’t see much newness in this market.”

California Market Center hectic

Exhibitors at the CMC reported up-anddown results during the five-day market. But when it was busy, it was hectic. Some showrooms stayed open until 8 p.m. On slower days—mostly during the weekend—it was a different story. But the consensus leaned toward the positive as buyers were looking to fill in immediate goods as well as capitalize on trends for Spring.

Some showroom reps said they were feeling the effects of retail consolidation on the department- store front but said the specialty channel remained strong.

“As Wal-Mart gets bigger and bigger, there’s more room for people to open [boutiques], and we’re seeing a lot of it in California,” said Steve Millman, president of Switch USA, which is carried by the Rep Et Trois showroom. Switch’s item-driven apparel, which includes European-cut gauchos, denim and color-treated and dyed shirts for Spring, has attracted about 700 accounts in less than a year in business, Millman said.

This year’s market also saw a large concentration of out-oftowners and international traffic. In fact, CMC officials said attendance was at the highest level since 1993. “The bottom line is that our tenants had a very profitable market,” said John Kim, general manager of the CMC.

“We saw a lot of buyers from the East Coast and Southeast looking for direction in trends here,” said showroom owner Chris Myers, who reported strong business with XCVI gauchos and palazzo pants as well as embellished jackets and pants from Spy Zone Exchange.

Retailers Rita Rayhill and Connie Hendricks of Sappari, a store in the resort town of Whitefish, Mont., bought immediates, some Holiday and a touch of Spring.

“We bought American Rose [denim] and T-shirts from Skinny Minny and Gypsy Daisy.We also bought into some Western influences and updated bohemian styles,” said Rayhill, who said the store’s business is wrapping up one of its better years.

Selling fashion and better goods appeared to be a key niche, said showroom owner Jaimie Prince, who showcased a new line from France called Moloko, featuring heavily detailed constructions, as well as special-occasion skirts from Lafayette. Most of the prices in the showroom start higher than $100. “I’ve had a great year,” Prince said.

Many showroom reps were making transitions from established trends like denim, embellishments and Boho looks.

Sandy Pesic of Salt & Pepper Sales was highlighting colorful tiered skirts and jackets from Sandy Starkman and willowy stretch dresses from Ella Gonen.

“Skirts are much easier to wear than jeans,” she said. “We’re seeing it go with cowboy boots.”

Bernadette Mopera, owner of the Bernadette Mopera showroom, said embellishments are moving away from stones to natural materials like wood. She was relying on staples like princess coats and long sweaters from Q&M and novelty Tshirts from Green Tees with prints of ’70s rock-band emblems as well as images of Glinda the Good Witch from “The Wizard of Oz.” Garment-dyed gauchos and embellished tops from David Park were also checking, said Mopera.

D&A breaks attendance record

While reports of traffic varied from vendor to vendor, organizers of the Designers & Agents show held Oct. 21–24 in the Cooper Design Space and The New Mart said attendance surpassed that of the same show last October. “We had a 20 percent increase in attendance over last year—and that was our biggest show ever,” said Ed Mandelbaum, New York–based co-producer of the five annual Designers & Agents and D&A Annex shows in Los Angeles.

Mandelbaum said 2,462 attendees visited the D&A show, which featured 253 booths and 309 lines. “The numbers are very encouraging and the comments I heard ran the gamut but are, in general, positive,” he said. “Some people said it seemed a bit slow, others said they did an amazing amount of business, others said it seemed like buyers were spent out.”

The high number of attendees included many international buyers, Mandelbaum said. “There was lots of international traffic. Buyers from all over the world came, including Japan, Germany, England and France.”

Held on the third floor of The New Mart and on the eighth and 11th floors of the Cooper Design Space, the show spotlighted young designer and contemporary lines.

Attendees, whether reporting sluggish traffic or brisk business, called the show’s intimacy and well-edited exhibitors a plus.

“This show is so pleasant and intimate,” said Elizabeth Gay, sales director for New York–based contemporary line Fal. “Traffic has been good. We have a bigger clientele out West, but we also picked up new clients,” she said. Getting lots of attention for the line was a silk dress in deep emerald green that wholesales for $100.

Sharon Wright, co-owner of the London-based designer line The Wrights, reported slow traffic but said that might be due in part to her line’s price points. “Our price points are quite a bit higher than the average exhibitor here; leather pieces start at $410 wholesale. Most buyers don’t come prepared for that sort of expenditure,” said Wright, who shares ownership of the line with her twin, Angela. “But it’s a good, upbeat show, and we meet potential new clients this way.”

Interested buyers were looking to mix Wright’s laser-cut leather blazers and leather lace jackets with more moderately priced items, like premium denim, Wright said. Popular colors at her booth were sand, taupe, cream and white.

Some exhibitors at D&A took the opportunity to shop for their own stores. Such was the case with Rachel Mara, a Portland, Ore.–based young contemporary line designed by Rachel Gorenstein. In between showing the line to potential buyers, Gorenstein and co-owner Michael Gorenstein shopped D&A for their three Canadian boutiques, called Mouleacute;.

Steve Mukai, general manager of the Fountain Valley, Calif.–based Avenue boutique, stopped by D&A every day of the show but didn’t pick up any new lines. Tops on his list were Western and cowboy looks and military-inspired fashions but, surprisingly, no denim. “I don’t want any more denim. None,” Mukai said.

Brighte debuts new format

The Brighte Companies contemporary show based in the CMC’s Fashion Theater featured a new format with an across-the-hall annex, previously occupied by floral retailer Krislyn Custom Floral Couture. Buyers found the annex more convenient than the downstairs exhibit hall, which in the past supported overflow from the Fashion Theater.

Show producer Elyse Kroll of ENK International Trade Shows, based in New York, said general feedback was strong. “Most of my exhibitors were very happy,” she said.

Many exhibitors concurred.

“Friday and Sunday were especially amazing,” said Zenith Arreglado, director of sales for New York line Andrea Jovine, which has been resurrected by Hartmarx Corp.

“We opened lots of new accounts, especially from people opening new stores,” said Fray rep Lissa Batson, who was highlighting cotton crochet triangle halters for $64 along with floral prints on silk from India and China.

Carrie Cummings, of Beverly Hills–based Devotion Takes a Trip, said she saw about 50 percent more buyers than at the August show. The company was focused on its new ready-towear collection after creating custom designs for 12 years. Cotton hoodies, sweat pants and skirts embellished with wool yarn stitching and emblems featuring peace signs, hearts and messages were the key products being sold.

“It’s edgy but not too far out,” Cummings said. “It’s clothing with a positive message meant to uplift the spirit. That’s what the market needs right now.”

Los Angeles–based Streets Ahead was also highlighting novelty items with a new line of T-shirts, called Paparazzi Chic, featuring anti-paparazzi slogans designed by ex-New York Post photographer Brad Elterman.

“L.A.’s the perfect playground for these shirts,” said sales director Linda Shaich. It also serves as a replacement for bling, which is softening, she noted. “We see retail generally going well, but there is some pulling back. You see people driving SUVs having to put $80 in the gas tank now instead of $40.”

If there’s something to bet on, Western may be it, said Joy Saba, junior account executive for Polo Jeans Co., New York. Denim ball gowns and Western woven shirts and American folklore influences were prevalent in the company’s booth.

New showrooms draw buyers to Cooper

Mona Sangkala, the director of leasing for the Cooper Design Space, said attendance was up about 50 percent over the same market last year but declined to give exact figures.

“We have an almost 40 percent increase in showrooms this year,” Sangkala said. She attributed the spike in attendance to the fuller tenant roster. “There are more things to see, more showrooms to visit and more people to shop.”

Virginia Pereira, partner of the Satine showroom, reported an excellent market. “The market went really well for us,” she said. Pereira noted that traffic seemed a bit slow but that the quality of stores represented was better than in past markets.

Buyers seemed to know what they want for Spring, Pereira noted. “They are finding what’s already working for them and are keeping it in their stores. For Spring, they’re just building on top of that,” she said.

“They’re going a little cleaner, not so embellished. Simpler on the clothes and bolder on the accessories,” she continued, adding that ditsy florals, batik prints and anything eyelet were doing well.

“Traffic was either feast or famine,” said Diana Buckroyd, owner of the Aire showroom. “We were really slammed or just sitting around.” But she declared the market an overall success.

In her showroom, Krisa, a Los Angeles–based sophisticated T-shirt line, sold well in earthy tones for Spring. Buyers snatched up fudge-, pistachio-, melon- and cream-colored items, from shrugs to tunics.

San Francisco–based knitwear line Lilja also did well at the market. Buyers were drawn to its Missoni-inspired color palette of rust, moss and orange. Lilja dresses wholesale for $150, with wraps and tanks starting at $50.

New Mart caters to Holiday and Spring

While New Mart manager Eller estimated 300 of the about 1,200 buyers visiting the building were there for the first time, vendors found that these buyers were purchasing for different seasons. Retailers visiting the Jackie B showroom in Suite 806 of The New Mart were purchasing specifically for Spring, said showroom owner Jackie Bartolo. “It was our strongest market in a while,” Bartolo said. “Ninety percent of people left paper, and they were buying for 1/30 to 3/30 deliveries.”

Other showroom employees reported a healthy market for Christmas immediates. Amanda Ezra, who sells denim lines such as Serenity out of her Studio 908 showroom at The New Mart, estimated that nine out of 10 of her customers were shopping for 12/15 deliveries along with their Spring shopping.

“They’re buying way closer to seasons,” Ezra said. “Buyers are saying, ’I don’t have to play a guessing game. I can order clothes a week beforehand.’ ”

Gerry reports 85 percent occupancy

Officials of the Gerry Building reported greater traffic and a higher occupancy rate during the market. General Manager Larry Hudson said the building would reach 85 percent occupancy by the Holiday. It’s the highest occupancy rate in the building’s history, Hudson said. In the past, the Gerry Building has been troubled by low buyer traffic.

During previous markets, Gerry showrooms had to rely on appointments for business, yet Hudson reported light walk-through traffic during this market. Roman Valdez, an account manager for Gerry tenant Blue Marlin Corp., said Gerry showroom workers were cheered by the new traffic. “It was the building that no one knew about,” Valdez said. “But now you see people are wandering around.”