California Apparel News

While most large retailers have completed their Holiday season purchases, exhibitors at the inaugural Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo’s ASR Holiday show said there were enough smaller retailers at the show to make the event worthwhile.

Held in a tent on the grounds of the Newport Dunes Resort in Newport Beach, Calif., the May 31–June 1 show drew approximately 500 buyers from a variety of local, national and international retailers. Buyers from Pacific Sunwear, Active, Tilly’s, Jack’s Surf Shop, Surfside Sports, Sun Diego and Beach Bums made the rounds to visit the show’s 100 exhibiting brands.

Unlike ASR’s defunct Back-To-School show, which was held at the swanky Hyatt Regency Resort and Spa in Huntington Beach, Calif., this Holiday show was a decidedly low-key affair.

Rack-and-rail booths in a large white tent made for a sub-dued mood that was conducive to writing orders and doing business, exhibitors said.

Industry giants, including Ocean Pacific, Billabong, Hurley International, Quiksilver, Rip Curl and O’Neill, showed their lines but kept the hype to a minimum. Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Paul Frank Industries, which no longer shows at ASR’s Spring and Summer editions, brought its Holiday apparel for men, women and children to the show.

Notably absent from the exhibitors was industry darling Volcom, which can usually be counted on to turn any show up a notch.

“This show has been fantastic for me, I have zero complaints,” said Scott Viscomi, national sales manager for Huntington Beach–based surfwear manufacturer Cult Industries. “The relaxed atmosphere is conducive to doing business and helps create relationships.”

Not all exhibitors were thrilled with the casual new venue. “It’s in a tent, it’s hot and there are Port-a-Potties, not real bathrooms,” said one exhibitor, who declined to be named and said he likely would not return. “It reminds me of a rep show instead of a good regional show.”

New brands Atwater and Factor 54 took the opportunity to launch at the more intimate show. Atwater, a tightly edited men’s “city surf” line from Hurley veterans Dean Bradley and Scott Madison, wrote its very first order at the show with Jack’s Surf Shop. “It’s a great way to start,” Bradley said.

Fountain Valley, Calif.–based T-shirt maker Orisue Clothing came to the show for the opportunity to impress buyers who normally wouldn’t notice the fledgling line in bigger shows. “We didn’t really expect to write a lot of orders, but it is good exposure,” said Wally Zu, Orisue’s West Coast sales rep. “If you don’t put yourself out there, people will never see you.”

Timing, timing, timing

Falling later in the season, the timing of the show was ideal for some manufacturers but too late for others.

“We’ll be done writing for Holiday in two to three weeks, so the timing of this show is perfect,” said Mike Power, a sales rep for Rip Curl, which welcomed walk-ins and appointments to the booth.

Sales rep Linsay Henkels, of Irvine, Calif.–based Ezekiel, said the show came at the tail end of her selling period. “Our big accounts have already placed their orders— they’re not going to wait for this show,” she said. “This is a finish-up show for us—good for stragglers. We’ve written some orders and opened a couple new accounts.”

Michelle Devine, O’Neill’s vice president of sales for juniors, said the company would close Holiday at the end of June. “The timing is pretty good. We’re pleased with the amount of retailers buying at the show,” Devine said.

Jen McVey of San Francisco– and Reykjavik, Iceland–based girls active brand Nikita said the show fell too late in her Holiday selling schedule. “We finished booking in March,” she said, but added that the face time and orders on available-to-sell goods made the show a must. “A ton of important shops came to the show,” she said.

The bulk of exhibitors showed Fall/Holiday offerings supplemented with Immediate goods.

Cool-weather clothes

Cool-weather staples for guys and girls such as hoodies, jeans and classic toggle jackets were updated for the Holiday season.

Ezekiel offered men skinny over-dyed red denim, vintage-inspired suits and prom-perfect tuxedos. “It’s surprising, but some of our smaller retailers are really buying into this trend,” said Josh Johnson, the brand’s marketing rep.

Rock ’n’ roll fashions popped up at Cult, where men’s T-shirts had tattoo-inspired graphics.

Stripes, whether on thermals, sweaters, Tshirts or boardshorts, were an important trend in surfwear. Lost Enterprises did well with a stripe-and-argyle-pattern sweater in several colorways.

Women’s buyers said they found a wide range of styles on the ASR show floor.

Fox Racing offered tomboy styles for racing fans, including matching sweat suits, T-shirts and knits.

O’Neill, which hosted a fashion show for its girls’ offerings (see fashion slideshow here), highlighted knickers, voluminous cotton skirts and embellished hoodies.

Ezekiel offered its most fashion-forward women’s collection yet, complete with a tweed trapeze coat, faux-fur jacket with bracelet sleeves and a satin party frock.

“Girls want what they see on the runways and in magazines,” Ezekiel’s Henkels said.