California Apparel News

GlobalTex, the new textile trade show organized by the owners of the Dallas Market Center, returned for its second season at the Los Angeles Convention Center with an expanded roster of international exhibitors that helped draw more traffic to the show than last season.

Most exhibitors agreed that turnout remained light overall, but traffic was clearly up from last season. Many said the last day of the show was the busiest of the three.

Among the companies and designers shopping the show were Tadashi, Mon Atelier, Bebe, Black Halo, Izod and 7 For All Mankind. Representatives of Menomonee, Wis.–based department store Kohl’s came to the show through GlobalTex’s incentive program in answer to requests from exhibitors to see the retailer. Show organizers said the first day drew attendees from 19 states.

This season’s show had to contend with unusually stormy weather for the first two days and a packed trade show and event schedule that had GlobalTex sandwiched between several other trade events, including the Los Angeles International Textile Show and the Los Angeles Fashion Market. In addition, the show fell during the opening days of Los Angeles Fashion Week, which kept a handful of key designers away from the show. Organizers have moved the dates for GlobalTex’s March 2010 show to March 2–4, which will be closer to the European shows. (The fall 2010 dates also moved. The show is scheduled for Sept. 21–23.)

There were several representatives from international trade offices at the show, according to GlobalTex Vice President Stephanie L. Cole, who said attendees included the Italian Trade Commission (which had a booth at the show), the Embassy of Spain, and representatives from Turkey, the Philippines, Pakistan and Japan. “Their economies may be down, but they know they have to get new business,” Cole said.

Exhibitors also included several factories from China and India, as well as domestic resources. “There’s room for growth for the sourcing component,” said Cindy Morris, chief operating officer for the Market Center Management Co., which runs GlobalTex, the DMC and other wholesale market centers around the world.

“The second edition showed a significant increase in international resources with a European focus,” said Bill Winsor, president and chief executive officer of MCMC. “We are delivering quality resources at a well-designed event inside a fresh venue. And we are looking forward to additional growth for March.”

Espace Textile, based in Lyon, France, brought seven French mills to the show. “We were 15 in April,” said Espace Textile’s Agnes Elisabelar, adding, “Most say they will be back next year.”

Bernard Jacobs, rep for high-end Swiss mill Jakob Schlaepfer Inc., praised the European showing. “It’s a good presentation,” he said. “The concentration of European mills is superb.” Jacobs, who is based in Los Angeles, took advantage of the scheduling overlap with Los Angeles Fashion Week by attending fashion shows at Downtown L.A. Fashion Week in the evening after the show.

Karen Kananen and Samantha Robinson, designers of contemporary eco collection Raw Earth Wild Sky, only had a half a day to source, but since it had been the only textile show they attended this season, they needed to make the most of it.

“We’re going to all the forecasting services and going to see everyone who says they have organic [fabrics],” Robinson said.

This was the second show of the season for contemporary men’s and women’s designer Ryan Roberts, who said he “breezed through” the Los Angeles International Textile Show earlier in the month. “There are a couple of mills that I want to see [at GlobalTex]—new companies I wouldn’t see otherwise,” he said. Roberts, who said he was looking for companies that offered interesting fabrics and low minimums, sells his collection to retailers such as Avedon in Los Angeles and M.A.C. in San Francisco.

Designer Peter Cohen said he planned to spend two days at GlobalTex. “I was in New York during the last textile show,” he said. “I’m going to see pretty much everybody here. Other than one or two, they’re all here.”

Cohen was looking at European fabrics at the Filtex International booth, including Swiss mill Weisbrod’s waterproof silks, which are treated with a proprietary finish called Cocoontec. Richard Nissan, rep for New Yorkshy;–based Filtex, said traffic was “okay” on opening day. “We’ve had a steady flow, but we’re still missing some clients,” he said.

With a booth in the center front row, it was impossible to miss the Cinergy Textiles booth.

The Los Angeles–based importer’s Ramin Daneshgar said the show was slower than the Los Angeles International Textile Show, but he said he planned to continue to show at both shows.

“We have a good location [at GlobalTex],” he said. “People take a spin around the floor and they’re back at the front.”Mudpie, now with Denimhead

Once again, British trend-forecasting service Mudpie created the trend forum and hosted four trend presentations on the women’s, men’s, kids and denim markets. Mudpie recently partnered with Los Angeles–based denim trend-forecasting service Denimhead and its founder, Jill Perlman.

Fiona Jenvey, chief executive officer of Mudpie Ltd., said Mudpie will benefit from Perlman’s denim expertise and will align Denimhead for the European market. “Although she does sell internationally, we have a much larger distribution,” Jenvey said, adding that Denimhead’s premium-denim niche is a good fit with Mudpie’s focus on youth culture. “That strengthens our brand, as well,” she said. Mudpie is represented on the West Coast by Los Angeles–based The Patricia Brandt Co.