Good Start for MAGIC, Project
LAS VEGAS—The MAGIC Marketplace kicked off on Aug. 31 with a good start for many exhibitors, particularly those showing in WWDMAGIC, Premium at MAGIC, S.L.A.T.E. at MAGIC, Ecollection and Pooltradeshow. Buyers and other attendees turned out for opening day that beat many expectations, particularly after the slow traffic at February’s MAGIC show.
Ten percent higher—that was Dov Charney’s estimate about traffic on opening day. The founder and chief executive of Los Angeles–based American Apparel was walking the halls of Pool, where his company was showing its latest line.
Opening day seemed consistently busy, according to !iT Jeans owner Kimme Song, who said appointments and walk-ins showed up at 8:30 in the morning at the !iT Jeans booth at Premium at MAGIC.“People have a little hope for the next year as business is getting better,” Song said, adding that new trends are helping keep optimism up.“The women’s buyers are excited about the new fashion,” she said, noting that the boyfriend-jeans style and shorts in all lengths are selling well.
At Premium at MAGIC, it was hard not to notice the return of Christian Audigier, who kicked off the show with a runway fashion show and non-stop barrage of video and music clips looming over the massive 30,000-square-foot space that housed all of Audigier’s brands.
The Project Global Trade Show opened to similarly strong crowds on Sept. 1 as buyers and other industry insiders jammed the aisles of the show at the Sands Expo & Convention Center. This edition of the show was markedly smaller than previous shows, but that did not seem to deter buyers who were spotted reviewing lines and writing orders.—Alison A. Nieder
