Capsule Launches Las Vegas Trade Show
Capsule, the indie menswear trade show that has organized exhibits in New York and Paris, is now setting its sights on Las Vegas.
Capsule’s producer, Brand Pimps & Media Whores, a New York–based fashion marketing and public-relations company, recently announced that the first Capsule Las Vegas show will be held Feb. 17–18 at the Luxor Hotel and Casino.
The independent show will take place the same weekend as the sprawling MAGIC Marketplace, which attracts more than 100,000 attendees to the Las Vegas Convention Center. With so many people, MAGIC recently announced changes to make the show more buyer-friendly and more aesthetically pleasing. It will also add new shows.
BPMW co-owner Minya Quirk said her tightly edited show, with an expected 100 vendors, will be the antidote to the giant MAGIC trade show.
“Vegas has gotten unwieldy for buyers,” Quirk said. “By presenting a tight mix of brands, we make it easier for them.”
The first Capsule show debuted in New York in 2007. Retailers such as Opening Ceremony, Bloomingdale’s and Saks Fifth Avenue shopped the event.
Capsule vendors already confirmed to show in Las Vegas include Cavern, Red Wing, No Mas and Penfield. They will find a basic, yet tasteful, milieu. Racks will be made out of industrial pipe fittings. Vendors will exhibit out of standard 10-by-10 booths, and a DJ will play music, which Quirk promised would not overwhelm business.
The show’s tone, as well as who exhibits, is influenced by a board of advisors. Board members include Kevin Harter, men’s fashion director for Bloomingdale’s, Lam Nguyen, a buyer for Men’s Co-op Sportswear at Barneys New York, and Steven Alan, owner of the Steven Alan fashion brand.
Last July, BPMW launched the Compass footwear trade show at the Alexis Park Las Vegas Resort Hotel in Las Vegas. —Andrew Asch
