California Apparel News

As reported in California Apparel News on Oct. 23, the 2010 Los Angeles Fashion Market dates are a moving target. And they have moved yet again.

In October, the California Market Center released a 2010 Los Angeles Fashion Market schedule that shifted two key markets—the June and August fashion markets—up into May and July. Reaction at the time from showroom-building owners, showroom owners, buyers and trade show producers was mixed. Now a CMC release announces a new set of dates that pushes those markets back into their original months.

The Fall II/Holiday market dates, which just last month were moved from June 11–15 to May 18–21 to coincide more closely with the New York market, have been pushed back to June 14–17. The holiday/resort market, which previously had been shifted from Aug. 6–10 to July 27–30 to avoid running too close to the late-August and early-September dates of the MAGIC Marketplace and other trade shows in Las Vegas, has been repositioned to Aug. 9–12.

The other markets dates set for January, March and October remain the same.

“Today the CMC officially released the 2010 Los Angeles Fashion Market dates, after much continued discussion and research between tenants, retailers, industry members and the other buildings. We feel these dates best accommodate the desires of the majority. The previous dates reported were never formally released to the press but were merely the first round of 2010 dates (with the new date pattern) that were being considered by the deciding parties,” said Joanne Lee, the CMC’s senior vice president.

Ed Mandelbaum, co-founder of Designers and Agents, the boutique contemporary trade show held five times a year in Los Angeles, said his show would be shifting its dates to coincide with the new June market. Whether or not he will move the show from the previously announced July 27–30 dates to coincide with the now-August market is still to be determined, he said.

Los Angeles Fashion Market dates have been the source of much debate, with some building owners, trade show organizers, showroom owners and buyers angling for mid-week schedules and dates that fall closer to some New York markets and further away from the big Las Vegas trade shows. Some brands also supported the earlier market dates because it gave them a head start on production and related issues. Other brands said they would have been unable to produce samples in time for the proposed earlier dates. —Erin Barajas