Exhibitors Encouraged by Project Sales
Despite a weak economy, vendors reported a booming business at the Project Global Trade Show, heldAug. 26–28 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas.
The good business might give retail a needed shot in the arm, forecasted Jeff Shafer, founder of denim line Agave.
Paul Wignall, designer of Long Beach, Calif.–based men’s line Matte Black, estimated his most recent Project sales would increase 15 percent compared with the February show.
Los Angeles–based showroom owner Liza Stewart estimated sales for her client’s label Yana K increased 70 percent compared with the February Project.
Retailers such as Los Angeles–based Lisa Kline, American Rag, Ron Herman and New York–based Bloomingdale’s shopped at Project, which featured 1,300 booths spread over 500,000 square feet. Project founder Sam Ben Avraham said he changed little in his show’s fashion categories of men’s, women’s and various accessories since its February 2008 run. “We just tweaked it a little,” he said.
Vendors might have exhaled a sigh of relief at the show, according to Lisa Kline, owner of the high-profile Lisa Kline boutiques in Los Angeles. Many vendors said the light retail traffic at earlier trade shows was a sign of a weak retail market. “A lot of people were worried about Vegas this year, but traffic was normal,” Kline said.
“If this show is a leading indicator of the economy, there will be a noticeable improvement by Fall 2009,” Shafer said.
Kline shopped Project for her men’s stores. Because ofthe weak economy, Kline tightened her stores’ inventories and cut back her buying budget by an estimated 10 percent, she said. For her men’s stores, she focused on embellished looks featuring leather and metal studs.
Fraser Ross curtailed his Project spending by an estimated 60 percent compared with February, despite his shopping for inventory for his three upcoming Kitson fashion emporiums, which will open in the Southern California cities of Glendale, West Hollywood and Malibu later this year. He left the most recent Project early because he didn’t see many new lines. “It’s a great show,” Ross said of Project. “But I don’t think there was anything there that was not already at [Fashion] Coterie or the Los Angeles [Fashion] Market [held Aug. 8–12].” —Andrew Asch
