California Apparel News

LAS VEGAS—Consumers are playing dress up.

At least that was the consensus at the MAGIC Marketplace, where styles were tweaked to move from day into night. The looks could easily be paired with denim, a fad that has yet to fade into the sunset.

With more than 3,600 exhibitors on hand, a record for MAGIC, buyers had lots of choices as they roamed through the 3-million-square-foot Las Vegas Convention Center, a space so huge it was easy to become disoriented among the 101,000 visitors.

But it was hard to miss the gigantic Hot Kiss booths that stood at the front of the WWDMAGIC section, reserved for juniors and womenswear. Moshe Tsabag, president of the Los Angeles juniors company, took 14 booth spaces to make a statement. The gamble paid off.

“We are going to be ahead of what we did last year,” Tsabag said. “They are leaving orders.”

Having the right items for Holiday and Spring 2006, he said, generated sales. Those items included cropped jackets, gaucho pants, Victorian blouses, tube dresses and narrow-leg jeans.

New York–based licensee Chaus debuted its Kenneth Cole Reaction line. David Panitz, chief executive of Chaus, said the company wanted to position the new line comfortably in the better women’s market. The Spring 2006 line, which featured a travel theme, had retail price points that were $79 to $119 for cardigans, $89 to $129 for denim pants and $129 for dresses.

One step up

In the Streetwear section, the traffic migrated toward urban brands, which have been retooling with more dressy looks.

Orange County, Calif.–based LRG had one of the more crowded booths. Buyer Shahine Vasfi of Remix, a store in Manassas, Va., said favorites such as Baby Phat are still performing as are newer brands such as Azzure Denim. He chose fewer big logos and oversize silhouettes and opted instead for button-up shirts, sweaters and fashion denim. “To get into the clubs these days you have to look good,” he said.

Older urban brands, including New York–based Mecca USA, have also been downplaying the overstated logos and images.

“You have to offer something the guy next door isn’t wearing,” said James Kutscher of Huntington Beach, Calif.–based Fourth World Clothing.

Dressing up denim

In MAGIC’s main men’s area, interest was strong at the new Premium Contemporary section, occupied by upscale denim and lifestyle brands.

“It’s been good here. We’re opening more premium accounts,” said Jason Bleick, creative director for Maywood, Calif.–based Ever, a line of travel-inspired gear that just launched a new denim and pants collection featuring Italian fabrics, curtain waistbands, taped seams and Swiss-made zippers.

“The middle market is slowly going away. The higher-end is going to benefit [in this economy],” he said.

Blazers and embellished dress shirts were popular offerings outside of denim.

Special sections

The Sourcing Zone at MAGIC and Fabric at MAGIC continued to balloon. There were 567 booths in the sourcing section and 162 in the fabric section, with a strong presence by Chinese companies.

The shows had a truly international flavor, with overseas factories from Egypt, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Latin America.

This was the fourth time that Limatex, a Peruvian manufacturer of knit shirts and T-shirts, attended the Sourcing Zone. “We had a good experience our first time,” said Jose Antonio Mariategui, the company’s commercial manager. “We hope to repeat that.”

International Swimwear/Activewear Market (ISAM) Las Vegas Convention Center Aug. 29–Sept. 1

For the first time, the International Swimwear/Activewear Market and MAGIC were housed under the same roof. Last year, ISAM held its show at the Caesars Palace Special Events Center with about 200 swimwear, activewear and accessories lines, about the same number of lines that exhibited this year.

Exhibitors who said they had felt isolated from the MAGIC action in the past welcomed the move.

Sandy Engel, vice president of sales for the Roxanne division of Farmington, N.Y.–based Swimwear Anywhere Inc., said his company saw an increase in traffic. The company manufactures Coco Reef, Calvin Klein, Roxanne, DKNY, Carmen Marc Valvo and Beach House swimwear.

“There are a lot more people walking the floor, and we’ve been busy so far,” Engel said. “When ISAM was on its own, it felt a bit isolated. Buyers had to make the trek out to see us.”

ISAM Director Barbara Brady said she has gotten a positive response from exhibitors and plans to continue partnering with MAGIC in the future.

ISAM Trends

bull; Mix-and-match prints, dots and stripes bull; Bandeau bikini tops bull; Animal prints

WomensWear in Nevada (WWIN) Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino Aug. 29–Sept. 1

It was standing-room-only at the semiannual WomensWear in Nevada show, which keeps growing every year.

Every booth was taken, and there was a waiting list of 160 vendors, said Roland Timney, a principal with Specialty Trade Shows Inc., the Coconut Grove, Fla.–based company that organizes the event.

This year, there were 750 exhibitors, compared with about 630 exhibitors last year. Buyers from more than 3,000 stores attended, making this the best-attended show the organization has had, Timney said.

While the show was busy, exhibitors and buyers both said they appreciated the more sedate nature of the four-day event. “Buyers at this show like a quieter atmosphere,” said Bob Taylor, chief marketing officer of FDJ French Dressing, a misses line based in Montreal. “They don’t want to be hurried or feel crowded. This is a writing show.”

Ellis Dixon, executive vice president and designer of New York–based Ellis Dixon, said she bowed her collection of silk-netted jackets, linen culottes and vintage-inspired pieces at WWIN because she feared getting lost among the bigwigs at MAGIC. “I thought this was a better venue for me because it is smaller, less daunting. Hopefully, here I’ll stand out,” she said.

WWIN Trends

bull; Embellished jackets, skirts and blazers bull; Ladylike skirt suits bull; Ethnic-inspired prints

Pool Trade Show Mandalay Bay Convention Center Aug. 29–31

Women ruled at this year’s Pool Trade Show.

Executives at the three-day event said 60 percent of the vendors sold women’s clothing lines, compared with last year, when 60 percent sold men’s clothing.

Buyers gave a vote of confidence to the gender shift; more than 10,000 buyers attended, a 100 percent increase from last year, according to Ronda Walker, Pool’s founder.

Retailers such as Lisa Kline, The Closet, Metropark and Up Against the Wall browsed through new fashions from up-and-coming lines and streetwear collections.

Vendors reported that traffic was heavy on the first day of the show but dropped slightly the second day. Most said they were fairly happy with the traffic overall.

“People come here to work,” said Don Juncal, president of Obey Clothing in Santa Ana, Calif. “It’s not about how big your booth is. It’s about clothing.”

Juncal said Obey is shipping more streetwear during the third quarter of 2005 than it did during the first two quarters because its year-old line of women’s streetwear has been finding success. “We did a good show with existing accounts,” he said.

Pool Trends

bull; T-shirts with V-necks bull; Seersucker fabrics bull; Knits

Project Global Trade Show The Venetian Aug. 28–30

Pop star Justin Timberlake made an appearance the first day of the Project Global Trade Show to promote his new contemporary label, William Rast. But the rest of the event was less about star power and more about business, said Sam Ben-Avraham, the show’s founder.

Ben-Avraham said 280 vendors sold their wares, compared with 120 last year. More than 10,000 attendees browsed through the trade show, which was dedicated to premium denim.

Vendors also reported a good show. Chip Foster, co-founder of Los Angeles–based denim line Chip & Pepper, said his company scheduled 50 appointments with retailers before the show and saw more than 200 retailers by the time it was over.

David Kasischke, co-founder of contemporary golfwear line Rosasen, also based in Los Angeles, said his company scheduled more than 20 appointments before the show and more than doubled its meetings. He said 40 percent of the retailers who visited the booth placed orders for immediate goods.

Specialty boutiques such as Lisa Kline, Fred Segal Santa Monica and M.Fredric and department stores such as Macy’s West and Nordstrom browsed through the vendor’s contemporary clothes.

Fraser Ross, owner of Kitson, the trend-setting store on Los Angeles’ Robertson Boulevard, said he wrote orders for William Rast. “I believe in celebrity lines if the celebrity promotes them,” Ross said.

Project Trends

bull; Cleaner denim, less embroidery and fewer rhinestones bull; Polo shirts made out of thin fabrics and embellished with silk screens bull; T-shirts treated with mineral washes

The Exclusive Mandalay Bay Convention Center Aug. 28–30

The Exclusive showed in Las Vegas for the seventh time. Show producer Larry Hymes estimated attendance was up 10 percent to 15 percent. “We saw 3,000 retailers in the first two days,” he said.

Among the retailers were stores such as Theodore in Beverly Hills, Nordstrom, Scoop and Mr. Guy.

Synergy, a contemporary section in its second run at The Exclusive, was well visited by buyers looking for more casual items, including JC Mac’s art tees featuring the surreal designs of middleweight boxing champ Dan Stanos of Venice, Calif. The Los Angeles company also showed denim laminated with old Cuban and Italian newsprint ($95 wholesale). “We’ve done well, signing 28 new accounts so far,” said principal J.C. Cerrillo.

Leslie Ungar, formerly of Apple Bottoms, used The Exclusive to debut her California Born denim line, aimed at women who have had fit issues with other premium denim brands. The jeans feature a five-way stretch construction to aid fit for women up to size 14. The company showed a five-pocket jean and a trouser priced to retail from $185.

The Exclusive Trends

bull; Sporty blazers bull; Dress shirts with color and graphics bull; Casual knits

Off-Price Specialist Show The Venetian/Sands Expo & Convention CenterAug. 26–30

Rising fuel prices made 2005 a tough year for discount retailers, but vendors at the Off-Price Specialist Show reported good business, according to Bill Jage, the trade show’s chief executive.

“It was good to very good,” Jage said of the show. “Gas prices were a trigger to economic softness this year. But people still need clothes, and they’re buying them.”

More than 10,000 buyers attended the show, an increase of more than 5 percent from last year’s event, Jage said. Vendor registration increased, too. The show hosted 450 vendors, an increase of 25 percent from the August 2004 show.

Jage announced his organization was going to produce up to six smaller regional shows, called Off-Price Specialist Markets, in 2006. One is scheduled for Los Angeles in May, but the location has not been confirmed.

The shows will be composed of 80 booths, or 40 exhibitors, Jage said. The small shows will promote greater exposure for vendors in regional markets and reflect the fast-paced world of the off-price specialist, he added. “Jobbers make deals every week,” he said.

Off-Price Specialist Trends

bull; Jeans made of lighter material bull; Urbanwear bull; Surfwear with retro looks

ASAP Global Sourcing Show The Venetian/Sands Expo & Convention Center Aug. 28–31

Sourcing experts had a warm and fuzzy feeling about the ASAP Global Sourcing Show. The event was housed in a comfortable ballroom with huge chandeliers and all the coffee one could drink.

Sourcing experts said they also liked the caliber of overseas factories, which came from as far away as Pakistan, Ethiopia, Ghana and China.

“I think the quality of the factories is better here,” said Chip Smoler, president of Admar Trading Corp. in Chicago, who said he also visited the Sourcing Zone at MAGIC. “And the factories are more capable of doing work with the U.S.”

But one Los Angeles sourcing expert who wished to remain anonymous said he thought the ASAP show was stagnant compared with the MAGIC sourcing show, which keeps growing. There were 185 exhibitors representing 250 companies at ASAP, about the same number as last year. The Sourcing Zone at MAGIC included 567 companies.

This was the first ASAP show for Ismael Torres Gonzales, general director of the Toal Group, a 17-year-old company based in Leon, Mexico. “We are trying to do more business in the United States,” Torres said, noting that in the past, his company’s 1,000 workers have done mostly cutting and sewing for U.S. companies.

With the factory only working at 60 percent capacity, the executives are trying to branch out and sell directly to U.S. manufacturers and retailers. “There has been a small amount of people passing through, but the people who come for the show are not just passing through,” Torres said.