New Lines and Niche Businesses at Focus
The Focus show, held March 21–23 in the Penthouse on the California Market Center’s 13th floor, featured a mix of established and up-and-coming designers in a space across the hall from the Transit shoe show, which allowed buyers to wander between the two shows.
Focus featured a laid-back atmosphere that included complimentary coffee in the morning and beer and wine at night courtesy of Web marketing and public-relations agency Buzzflikr.
Among the better-known labels exhibiting at Focus was contemporary label Maggie Barry, juniors brand XOXO and streetwear label Cardboard Robot.
The show also included several newcomers, including Song Oh, who showed his New York–based men’s and women’s sweater line Soh.
This was the first West Coast trade show for Oh, who showed the line at Designers and Agents in New York earlier this year. The designer used his Focus booth to create a space to show the concept behind the luxury collection to buyers and potential sales representatives.
“I wanted to set up a booth to have buyers and potential reps see the presentation,” he said. “Is not just about the product, it’s about the style.”
Wholesale priced between $65 and $350, the collection includes men’s and women’s sweaters in sophisticated neutral shades.
“This line is about subtlety; it’s more laid back than traditional luxury,” the designer said, pointing out a sweater with petal sleeves that can be folded up to create a vest silhouette.
“Traffic was a bit slow, but most of the people we called before the show came,” Oh said, adding that he landed orders from stores in Laguna Beach, Calif., and La Jolla, Calif.
“In a tough economy, you have to stick to what you do well, and you have to do it better,” he said.
Focus also included Thread Select, a wholesale version of the popular Thread consumer shows, held in San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Among the exhibitors was Debra Weiss, who was showing her 8-year-old contemporary eco line, Rebe. Weiss has participated in Thread’s consumers shows, but this was the first time she exhibited at one of the wholesale shows. (Thread Select also shows as part of the Pooltradeshow in Las Vegas.)
Weiss said she was anticipating a slow show, noting that several of her buyers told her they were skipping this market. But she picked up three orders—two new customers and one old customer—on opening day. By day three, traffic picked up a bit. “There are more people here today than any of the other days,” she said on the last day of the show. The designer, who shows at D&A in New York, said at Focus she was able to meet with a retailer she had seen at D&A in the past.
About 80 percent of the collection is made from eco-friendly fabrics, including recycled fabrics, vintage textiles, organic cotton, Tencel, linen and bamboo. Best sellers include the “Mary Anne,” a frac34;-length jacket made from recycled-fiber sweatshirt material, and the “Sara” a cropped version in the same fabric. Weiss recently introduced a raincoat version of the “Mary Anne” coat, which was well-received, she said. —Alison A. Nieder
