California Apparel News

Exhibitors focused on the positives at the inaugural Class trade show, which debuted March 1–3 at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium with a premium-denim and contemporary focus. Organized by showroom owner and boutique trade show producer Jason Bates, Class earned good reviews for its intimate vibe, brand offerings and services, which included a complimentary breakfast and lunch, buyer accommodations at the posh Viceroy Santa Monica Hotel, spa services, and yoga classes. More than 100 brands—including WESC, Diesel, Quiksilver, Apolis Activision, Ever, Cassette, Matte Black, Atwater, Linda Loudermilk, Nudie Jeans and Orthodox—were represented.

“Overall, the Class team did a great job,” said Don Zuidema, co-owner of LASC in Los Angeles. “The venue itself was good; the vibe and energy of the show was great. It was a relaxing atmosphere and a comfortable show where you could get work done. And the buyers and brands that they were able to get there and to support the show spoke well of [Class],” he said.

Brands were arranged under tents outside the auditorium, in a small sun-filled room and in a larger hall. Booths and signage were minimal, and two outdoor patio areas encouraged smoke breaks and socializing. A bevy of dogs kept the atmosphere friendly and casual. “This is Los Angeles. We should be outdoors,” Bates said. “You can’t do this anywhere else.” While most exhibitors said the buyers they saw were strong, their main critique was that they wished there had been more of them.

Class flew buyers from out-of-state and international stores, including Seattle’s Ian and Blackbird; Japan’s Time Concepts; Portland, Ore.–based Blake; Chrome and M2M Jeans from Texas; NEXT from Cleveland; and Scottsdale, Ariz.–based 42 Saint and The Hub. California-based stores represented at the show included The Vault, Villains, The Closet, Lisa Kline, Macy’s West, M.Fredric, Kitson Men, Secret Service, Fred Segal, American Rag, Blue Bee and LASC. In total, Bates reported approximately 200 buyers shopped the show. Before the show, buyer attendance was expected to reach 600.

“The timing is challenging,” said Steve Ellingson, vice president of sales for Quiksilver’s women’s line. “If it is going to be an alternative to MAGIC [Marketplace], this show should be much closer [to MAGIC’s mid-February dates].” Still, he said, the venue, which straddles the beach and the city, proved an ideal backdrop for Quiksilver’s new contemporary line. Ellingson, who stopped short of saying Class will become a mainstay for Southern California brands or buyers, said, “The show had positive vibrations and an interesting dynamic that is good for our industry.”

Several exhibitors echoed his sentiments—good and bad—adding that with Class falling at the tail end of menswear’s Fall 2008 selling period, most buyers have already promised their dollars elsewhere.

“The retailers’ budget is gone,” said Ian Gant, national sales manager for Subscript, a Triple Five Soul brand. If they have any open dollars, he said, they are writing notes but not leaving paper. “They are going home to crunch some numbers,” he said.

Antonio Barragan, a buyer for London-based Poison Angel, said, “A new show like Class, in order to be a success, should piggyback the established shows capitalizing on all the buyers already in town for [Designers and Agents] and the others. If I didn’t live in Los Angeles, I would have been hard-pressed to attend because of the bizarre timing.”

Bates acknowledged the timing of the debut show was less than ideal but said it laid the groundwork for a stronger show come Aug. 18–20.

“Timing was hard this first time around, but we executed a lot of things well,” he said. “The lighting was good; the food and layout were excellent. The buyer mix was impeccable. There weren’t a ton of them, but the ones that came were the right ones. This show was about getting the word out, getting publicity and building awareness to grow Class.”

The Class show in August will fall six days before the deluge of Las Vegas shows, which include the Project Global Trade Show, Pooltradeshow and the MAGIC Marketplace. “The August show will be a lot more active,” Bates said. “We’ll get some of that early energy.”

Several brands made their debut at Class. Among them was Rockabilly, a new premium-denim line out of Los Angeles that focuses on selvage denim and high-end touches. Woven, a new line of knits and wovens for men and women from designer Richard Yu, also bowed at Class. The line, which manufactures versatile fashion T-shirts and basics in Los Angeles, will introduce new styles every month. Key pieces include slim, screen-printed T-shirts, screen-printed wool-blend scarves, military-inspired outerwear and layering pieces for men and women. Woven sells at better boutiques, including The Closet and Parasuco.