California Apparel News

The trade show calendar in August is going to be a bit lighter this year after Fashion Market Northern California and Designers and Agents both canceled their scheduled trade events in the first week of the month, each citing different reasons for the cancellation.

Fashion Market Northern California canceled its Aug. 1–3 market due to a scheduling conflict at its venue. Designers and Agents’ organizers cited the dwindling importance of the Cruise season, combined with the current economic situation, as the reason for canceling its New York show, which was set to run Aug. 2–4.

The Los Angeles run of D&A, however, will proceed as scheduled Aug. 7–9 at The New Mart. “It’s canceled in New York but not in L.A.,” said Ed Mandelbaum, co-founder of the bicoastal trade show for contemporary and designer resources. “People in L.A. buy closer to season.”

Also, he added, because D&A’s LosAngeles show is held in a permanent wholesale building during a scheduled market, “people are already coming into L.A.” (D&A’s NewYork shows are held in a loft-like space in the Starret-Lehigh Building, located near Manhattan’s Chelsea gallery district.) Plus, Mandelbaum said, D&A’s September show in New York is typically one of the largest shows for the trade show organizer.

Although feedback to the cancellation was positive, according to Mandalbaum, he held out the possibility that the cancellation was a temporary one.“We’re going to watch it in the future,” Mandelbaum said. “Next year, if our exhibitors ask us to [reinstate the August show in New York], we’ll do it.”

For Fashion Market Northern California, which is now in its second year at the San Mateo Event Center, a scheduling conflict moved the August dates to the first week in the month, which organizers said was too close to its June market.“[The] only available August dates were August 1-3, too early for availability of most new collections and too close to our recent successful June market,” said Don Reichman, owner of the Reichman Associates showroom in the California Market Center and a member of the board of directors of the FMNC (which was previously called the Golden Gate Apparel Association). He said the August dates will be reinstated next year.

Reichman said the Northern California show is doing well in several merchandise categories, in particular, better apparel. The show features contemporary labels such as Kensie, Go Jeans and Rep Et Trois, as well as designer collections and better brands such as Eileen Fisher. He was enthusiastic about the upcoming Spring ’10 market.

“Our next dates are Oct. 24–27 for the Spring ’10 market,” he said. “We will be receiving commitments from additional better contemporary and other classification vendors for this show, expecting a total of 150 to 170 exhibitors. We’re on a roll.” —Alison A. Nieder