California Apparel News

The recent brush fires may have stymied buyer traffic at Los Angeles Fashion Market, held Oct. 26–30, but showroom representatives felt sales were fairly brisk for Spring ’08 apparel.

At the California Market Center, showroom personnel said many buyers were holding back and opting for Immediate goods.

“They’re definitely taking more notes and seem to be more interested in lines that have retailed well, said Bernadette Mopera of Bernadette Mopera & Co., a showroom in the California Market Center. She, like many, reported “steady” business, especially over the weekend.

Her showroom carries contemporary apparel and did well with Fashion Spy frocks and dresses detailed with embroidery and Jamie Kreitman flip-flops embellished with Swarovski crystals.

Fifth-floor CMC showroom owner Chris Myers said he sensed an “air of caution” on the part of buyers yet described business as brisk. His showroom sells XCVI women’s sportswear, dresses and wide-leg bottoms in long and cropped cuts as well as “pretty T-shirts,” which were top performers.

“Business is soft for retailers right now,” noted Cindy Clark of CC Sales L.A., which relocated to a new showroom on the fifth floor of the CMC. “They’re hoping for a good holiday season.”

Most showroom reps pointed to the January market as the key indicator for Spring ’08 sales. “It should be an amazing market,” Myers said.

Other reps were already booking well for Spring ’08.

“This market exceeded my expectations. Buyers were very eager to see what was in store for Spring. The trends felt like a breath of fresh air with lighter fabrics and brighter colors. It really gave buyers a reason to buy a new delivery,” said Stacey Keyes of the Stacy Keyes Showroom.

“Any manufacturer that was prepared for Spring, we booked it,” said Rebecca Bacon of Rebecca Bacon Sales.

Others noted that pricing sensitivity is coming into play for the first time in a while.

“The buyers want value or perceived value,” Mopera said.

At the Moda Style showroom in the CMC, Bentzi Gershon said he just completed a long tour of trade shows from New York to San Francisco and the common denominator was price.

“They want the lowest prices but still expect quality product,” said Gershon, who showed new lines such as Lace Jeans, a domestic denim line featuring lace detailing, with wholesale prices around $45. He was doing better with novelty shirts and dresses with iridescent finishes from Revelation, wholesaling from $65 to $90.

Going high and wide Product is trending in different directions. Wide-leg trousers, higher waistlines and bottoms of varied lengths and a return to Boho tops are coming into favor with buyers, noted Bacon, whose CMC showroom did well with labels such as Yana K., Nylon by Dex and Jules Madison.

“With the higher waistlines you’re seeing, you’re going to see more of a need for shorter woven shirts,” she added.

“We’re selling casual, soft, dressy yet funky,” said Emmalena Bland of Salt & Pepper Sales on the CMC’s third floor.

The CMC’s management teamed with labels such as Yana K., Plastic Island and Maria Bianca Nero to stage several runway shows for buyers during the market. The effort appeared to pay dividends.

Liza Stewart, rep for Maria Bianca Nero, said buyers immediately confronted her following the designer’s Oct. 26 show, wanting exclusives for their territories. Jun Choi, owner of Plastic Island, responded similarly. “We’re very pleased with the way the show turned out. This is our best season yet in so many ways.”

CMC executives surmised that the shows were part of the factor in attendance being up 5 percent along with an increase of 15 percent in new-buyer attendance.

Brighte bookings Buyers flocked to more established labels at ENK’s Brighte Companies show, held Oct. 26–29 in the CMC’s Fashion Theater and annex. “Many of the collections did so well, they said they could have packed up and gone home happy just based on Friday alone,” said Coleman McCartan, a spokesperson for ENK.

Among the busy lines was Ed Hardy Knits, known for its tattoo and icon prints featuring hearts, tiger faces and Oriental symbols. “We have been going nonstop. People have been complaining because the buyers coming here are blocking the aisles,” said Ed Hardy rep Valerie Hammond, who noted that the line is selling out at many retail outlets across the country. “They’re fighting for it in New York,” she said.

Exhibitors at Brighte also reflected the in-season buying trend but noted that it’s not always easy to accommodate for higher-end goods.

’”We expect it around the holidays, but for companies like us that cut to order, it’s more of a challenge,” said Carrie Cummings of Beverly Hills–based Devotion Takes a Trip, which makes novelty jewelry and rock-inspired sportswear. The company was highlighting handcrafted hoodies with rock art featuring The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, AC/DC, The Clash, Frank Sinatra and others. The pieces, wholesale priced between $85 and $110, are embellished with floral and 1960s-style peace-sign appliqueacute;s.

Marissa Hankin of 525 America also reported a solid show, selling square-neck knit tops, jackets and other separates in primary colors. “This show has been busy, so we plan to show at all four shows next year,” Hankin said.

Mark Keller of Elm Design USA said, “Business was better than last October, but that may be because we’ve been here a few times and have been growing our brand,” he said. The company, which is based in Reykjavik, Iceland, showed draped pieces in rayon, taffeta, cotton/Lycra and microfiber. Dresses are priced from $115, and most of the items are in neutral grays, black and white. Keller calls it an “intellectual line.”

Los Angeles–based Agave Nector debuted its new women’s denim line at Brighte. The company has been successful in the men’s market and brought the best characteristics over to women’s, featuring 7frac12;-inch rises, yarn-dyed plaids, four-way stretch, Japanese fabrics and contoured waistbands.

“It’s for the super-hot soccer moms but translates well to all ages,” said Agave Nector rep Natalie Miller.

Other lines that had success at Brighte included Flavio Castellani and Pink Tartan, according to Coleman.

Cooper Design Space Showrooms at the Cooper Design Space reported steady but not stellar traffic. With the presence of Designers and Agents, a boutique trade show for contemporary items, on the Cooper’s eighth and 11th floors, the building benefited from extra bodies.

Mona Sangkala, the building’s director of leasing, reported traffic was on par with the same market last year but noted that buyers began shopping the building on the Tuesday before the market officially started.

Buyers shopped for added value and sure things for Spring ’08. At the A Priori showroom, that meant simple dresses in brilliant gem tones, and tunic dresses that could do double duty as tops or dresses were a big hit. “They had to warrant the price,” said Venay Gordon, the showroom’s owner. Budgets were at the top of buyers’ minds, so impulse buys were minimal. “They had to love it to write it,” Gordon said.

Movement, which greeted buyers with an almost entirely new lineup of contemporary lines, also had success with dresses.

Buyers responded to tops and dresses with unique silhouettes and colors from Boulee and Kite and Butterfly. “Buyers are bored with what is out there, so they’re looking for new and special,” said Movement’s Genessee Eggers.

Eco-friendly lines also garnered interest. Blue Life, a line of green basics that recently partnered with Rich & Skinny’s Joie Rucker and Michael Glasser, appealed to buyers looking for clean staples.

Denise Williams, which opened its new, larger showroom in September, showed an expanded line of collections, including Adam, Erica Davies and Development by Erica Davies. Buyers shopped for dresses and cherry-picked lines to fill in various categories, sales reps reported.

Ombreacute;, prints and brights captured orders, but denim took a dive for Spring ’08. “Denim is done,” said Jennifer Elder. “It got interest, but buyers chose dresses instead because they know they will sell.”

Jason Bates of the Derelicte showroom sold both men’s and women’s collections and estimated nearly 50 percent of every order was dedicated to denim. WeSC, Bread and Orthodox proved to be his best sellers, but Bates said he felt the Spring market was a soft one. “It wasn’t a strong market. There weren’t enough buyers,” Bates said.

Designers and Agents Designers and Agents, held Oct. 26–28 in temporary spaces at The New Mart and Cooper building, had plenty of newness.

As part of a new partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the boutique show gifted booth space to two CFDA members. This season, New York–based designer brand Gemma Kahng and Twinkle Jewels made their West Coast D&A debut under the new partnership. David Victor Rose, Gemma Kahng’s artistic director, said Los Angeles’ current fashion direction falls in line very well with his brand’s aesthetic. Young, chic and flirty, Gemma Kahng features crisp silhouettes and dramatic details. “We think the line is pretty good for L.A.,” Rose said.

Barbara Kramer, co-owner of Designers and Agents, said reports from the show floor were mixed and added that sluggish traffic could be due in part to the Southern California wildfires in Malibu, Irvine and San Diego the week before the show. “The fires did cause retailers, especially international and out-of-town buyers, to be concerned about the situation in L.A. It did keep some buyers away, and it seemed that buyers from the affected areas also didn’t make it up here for the show. The fires did impinge on traffic,” Kramer said.

Still, important buyers did shop the show, and exhibitors were ready to show them good product, she said. “Spring is always a fun show in L.A. It is very colorful, very print driven.”

Exhibitors and attendees got a surprise on Oct. 27 when Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa visited D&A to meet and greet designers and shop with his daughter Natalia. Designers and sales reps took the opportunity to address concerns with the mayor, including problems with demonstrations during fashion markets. “I don’t think we’ll be having that problem again in the future,” Kramer said.

The New Mart Next door at The New Mart, buyer attendance was flat, said Ethan Eller, the building’s general manager.

He said 1,195 buyers visited the building this market, only slightly greater than last year, when 1,184 retailers walked through the doors. Several felt the spate of brush fires around Southern California warded off many people.

For showroom owners such as Marilyn Rodriguez, business was good at the October market, but traffic seemed to be down. Regular clients showed up for appointments at her showroom, called Room. But unscheduled walk-in business declined an estimated 20 percent, said Rodriguez, who represents contemporary lines such as Los Angeles–based Rhys Dwfen and Italian label Nolita.

Traffic was down for veteran showroom owner Jillian Kirk, who opened Core Showroom at The New Mart in June. But she felt confident enough in the strength of the October market to debut a new Spring line called Dolan.

Looking for more exposure at Gerry For more than two years, Nikki Young and Lucy Thompson have run the Nikki & Lucy showroom in the Gerry Building, but they also made it a point during each market to represent some of their brands at satellite trade shows Brighte Companies and Designers and Agents.

Thompson said that they do the shows for greater exposure; however, it has also been tough to get buyers to visit the Gerry. “It was pretty slow,” Thompson said of buyer traffic for the most recent market. While traffic seemed to be lethargic, Thompson said the buyers made good purchases. Boutiques such as Atmosphere, based in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, visited the Gerry Building.

Despite the lower attendance, Young and Thompson felt bullish enough to debut a new line at their showroom. Los Angeles– based Strutt is a contemporary label offering skirts, shorts and dresses. Wholesale price points range from $44 to $79.