Pool Debuts New Location
Reports were mixed at Pooltradeshow, where exhibitors said they didn’t see the spike in traffic they expected following a move from the Las Vegas Convention Center to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, where it ran alongside the MAGIC Marketplace’s contemporary and premium-denim show, Project, as well as the trade show giant’s menswear shows, Menswear, S.L.A.T.E., Street, Premium and Workroom.
The show, which focuses on emerging brands and T-shirt lines, featured a brand roster that matched the previous show, but attendance figures were not available at press time, said Stephanie Seeley, Pool’s show manager. Pool would have been bigger if the show had been given more square footage, Seeley said.
Part of the reason could have been location. Last season, Pool was located at the back of WWDMAGIC at the Las Vegas Convention Center, and buyers could easily wander in to browse Pool’s exhibitors. This season, the show was located on the same level as Project at Mandalay Bay—but far from the entrance and around the corner from an escalator leading to MAGIC’s Premium, Street and S.L.A.T.E. shows.
Mitra Khayyam, the designer/founder of the Los Angeles–based Blood Is the New Black T-shirt label, said traffic in the aisles was down noticeably—especially among major retailers. “We had consistent Asian business; there were a lot of Japanese buyers at the show. But we didn’t see a lot of American buyers, especially the majors. Majors were missing,” she said. “But we still wrote [notes and orders]. A slower show just means I have to do more legwork, work a little harder. I’m not disappointed in [Pool].”
Seeley said buyers from retailers such as Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, 80s Purple, Oak and Metropark shopped the show.
Khayyam took the opportunity to debut Half Light, her new women’s contemporary line, at Pool. Wholesaling for $22 to $95, the collection debuts for Spring 2011 with leggings, dresses, tunics and bustiers. Made in Los Angeles, the line is directed at independent specialty retailers, while Blood Is the New Black targets stores such as Urban Outfitters and Nordstrom.
Buyers looking for new resources had many options at Pool, including those brands featured in the show’s “Emerging Concepts” showcase, which highlights new brands such as Emma & Emilie, a new Los Angeles–based contemporary line with an environmental focus, and TMinx, a new line of graphic T-shirts for women.—Erin Barajas
