Mostly Locals at L.A. Textile Show
A predominantly local crowd turned out for the April 14–16 run of the Los Angeles International Textile Show at the California Market Center, where exhibitors included domestic and international suppliers of fabric, trim, graphics, and trend-forecasting materials.
Among the companies spotted walking the show were representatives from Guess? Inc., Karen Kane, Forever 21, Katy Rodriguez, Poleci, bgreen by NatureUSA, Claire Pettibone, Notice, Bruno Duluc and MartinMartin.
The show featured a mix of seminars including trend reports from forecasters such as Design Options, Peclers Paris, Promostyl, WGSN, Woolworks and Cotton Inc.; business seminars by Fashion Business Inc.; and a knitwear demo sponsored by Lenzing Fibers Inc. and Murata Machinery USA Inc.
Designers Eric Martin and Diane Moss-Martin, owners of MartinMartin, were at the show, looking for new resources.
“We’re looking primarily for Italian and Japanese fabrics from vendors who aren’t represented in Los Angeles,” Eric Martin said.
The two met with reps at Japanese shirting company Maruwa Shoji Co., which was exhibiting at the show for the first time.
“The first day, we had 58 clients,” said Toshifumi Sasakura, senior vice president of Maruwa’s planning and sales departments, speaking through an interpreter at the frequently busy booth. By the second day, designers and piece-goods buyers were referring their friends to the line, Sasakura said.
The 41-year-old company manufactures yarn-dyed shirting fabrics but only recently began working with the U.S. market because of its participation at Premiegrave;re Vision in Paris.
“We wanted to open the West Coast market,” Sasakura said. “We have some West Coast companies—people who come to Paris. We are going to keep expanding the West Coast market.”
The company is also in the process of launching eight branded lines, which are sold in a retail store in Maruwa’s Tokyo showroom. In the booth at the textile show, the company displayed pieces from the apparel collections to show how the fabric performs after washing, Sasakura explained.
Although many of the attendees were local, the show drew a fair number of regional buyers. Los Angeles–based designer Zackariah Bryant was shopping the show with Lauren Griffin, president of Dallas-based Level Red.
The 2frac12;-year-old company recently launched a contemporary division.
“Everything is day to night, work to play, and the price point is amazing [wholesale $42 to $102],” Bryant said.
The two were looking for eco-friendly fabrics, including silk and bamboo. “We’re trying to be as eco as we can,” Bryant said. Griffin said she was on the hunt for silk prints, shirtings and silk jerseys.
Many exhibitors and attendees noted fewer booths at the show, which was held on the 13th floor of the CMC, as well as the Fashion Theater in the lobby, where 11 Korean mills showed in the Korean Pavilion, organized by the Korea Textile Trade Association. In addition, show organizers directed attendees to the permanent textile showrooms on the CMC’s seventh floor.
Designer Bruno Duluc said the smaller show made for a quick shopping trip.
“The show was done in three hours,” he said. “Before, in three days, you’d wonder if you saw everything.” Still, Duluc found what he was looking for: “all-season fabrics, laces and some novelty holiday items that grabbed my attention.”
In addition, he noted that many mills were offering lower minimums.
“Three years ago—even last year—you’d find 2,000- or 3,000-yard minimums,” he said. “Now they’re saying, ’Okay, you can get 300 yards.’”
Much of the talk at the show concerned the new GlobalTex textile show, which debuts at the Los Angeles Convention Center later this month. Several Los Angeles International Textile Show exhibitors, including French lace manufacturer Solstiss and Van Nuys, Calif.–based European Textile Group LLC, will also show at GlobalTex.
Yulian Bardales, president of European Textile Group, said he decided to exhibit his collection at both textile shows “to see what the reaction is and decide whether to do both shows or just one of them.”
ETC sells high-end European suiting fabrics in silk, linen, cotton and cashmere.
On the final day of the Los Angeles International Textile Show, Bardales said, “I can’t complain” about the business done at the show, adding that nearly 80 percent of the people he met at the show were new to his company.
Other Los Angeles International Textile Show exhibitors said they would walk GlobalTex before committing to exhibit in the fall. And most attendees said they planned to drop by GlobalTex, as well.
This season, the Los Angeles International Textile Show also shifted its dates to a Tuesday-Thursday run, rather than the traditional Monday-Wednesday schedule. Although the dates were shifted to avoid the Easter holiday, some exhibitors were pleased with the change.
“I really like the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday schedule,” said SAS Textiles rep Robert Luna. “On Monday, people are just getting back from the weekend.”
Luna said the company showed at the Los Angeles International Textile Show in October, had a great response and was hoping to fare similarly this season.
Based in Vernon, Calif., SAS Textiles produces contemporary and novelty knits.
“We’re hoping domestic comes back in a big way,” Luna said.
Overall, Los Angeles International Textile Show organizers were pleased with the show’s run. “We were very happy with this Los Angeles International Textile Show,” said Joanne Lee, senior vice president of CMC services. “We had an especially great turnout from local and regional designers placing orders. Many of our exhibitors were pleased with the business they wrote and also mentioned they are looking forward to returning for the September/October 2009 show, when we co-locate with Material World and Technology Solutions.”
