California Apparel News

NEW YORK—The menswear business kicked off the Spring/Summer season in New York on July 18 with the opening of ENK New York and MRket trade shows, followed by the Capsule and Agenda trade shows, which opened a day later.

Buyers etched a path between ENK at The Tunnel in Chelsea, MRket at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in Midtown and back to Chelsea for Agenda, held at the Chelsea Art Museum, and Capsule, which occupied all four floors of a space nearby.

Drawing a mix of major retailers and specialty boutiques from around the country, as well as international buyers, the shows covered the range of menswear from traditional suits to contemporary collections to streetwear brands.

At ENK New York, the focus was on designer collections, premium denim, up-and-coming brands and men’s grooming products showing in four separate shows: Designer Collective, Blue, Tomorrow and Clean.

“The buyers were here at 9:30 a.m.,” said Laura Jones, a sales rep for Los Angeles–based showroom Denim Area, which was showing Velvet Men and Civil Smith.

“We were here last year; it’s a great men’s show,” she said. “We see a lot of quality buyers, people who are serious, who write orders and don’t waste our time.”

Among the retailers who turned out for opening day were Nordstrom, Ron Herman, Lisa Kline, Tomorrowland, Z Life, Selfridges, Spoons International and Zero Traders.

Retailer Ron Herman was spotted walking the show on opening day.

“I go to every men’s show,” said Herman, who said he just returned from the shows in Paris and planned to shop the trade shows in Las Vegas next month. “We always find something here.”

But more than the opportunity to buy, Herman said, the shows offer him a chance to meet with the brands that he carries.

“The most important thing for me is to be out in the industry,” he said. “We’re a small specialty store. The relationships we have are extremely important to me. That’s the top priority.” What’s new for men’s

Among the returning exhibitors at Blue was Los Angeles–based Post’Age.

“This is our third Blue,” said A.J. Jacobson, director of sales and marketing for the label. “There are always good retailers here.”

Jacobson said Post’Age is looking to expand, while still offering value to the consumer.

“We continue keeping everything American-made and keeping prices competitive,” he said. “We want to offer something to the consumer that’s relevant and has value. Denim is tough right now. When people buy a pair of jeans, it’s an investment for them.”

To that end, Post’Age keeps its retail prices below $150. “It’s our own little stimulus package,” Jacobson said.

At Agave, owner and designer Jeff Shafer introduced something that had been missing in his own wardrobe—woven shirts.

“I wanted to start wearing woven shirts after years of wearing knits,” he said. Agave’s versions are made in a lightweight 4-oz. denim in several washes: medium blue, gray, black and white.

“As it washes it’s going to get better and better,” Shafer said.

Brooklyn, N.Y.–based graphic T-shirt line Paste came to Blue with a new collection of men’s swim suits featuring original prints designed by Paste founder Jason Laurits.

The 3-year-old brand sells its tees in Nordstrom, Camouflage in New Jersey, and Los Angeles boutiques Alpha and Traffic. Although Paste T-shirts are made in New York, the new swimsuits are made in Los Angeles.

ENK launched Tomorrow, its up-and-coming labels show, last season with five brands. This season, the show expanded and moved to the ninth floor of The Tunnel.

This was not only the first time at an ENK show for Beautiful Ful, it was the first time the Los Angeles–based line showed in New York.

“Up here we get special attention,” said company representative Arianna Dulan, who was showing the line with designer Alejandro Rodriguez.

Now in its third season, the collection expanded on its vintage motorcycle, adding military details with a modern update. For example, a pant with a military stripe down the side seam features a dropped crotch, and a linen jacket combines the styling of a blazer with the knit trim of a bomber jacket.

Also launching at Tomorrow was the new Neil Barrett for Sundek collection, a partnership between menswear designer Barrett and the venerable sunwear brand.

The new collection featured plenty of amusing details, such as the trompe l’oiel print sunglasses peeking out of the pocket of shorts and tees. Another swim-trunk style featured a print that mimicked the look of well-worn jeans shorts. And a pique polo was restyled as a button-up shirt.

“That’s the philosophy of Sundek, the DNA of the brand,” said Chief Executive Officer Agostino Magni. “We’re not just selling a line, we’re building a full concept.”

In ENK’s Clean show, exhibitors showed men’s fragrances and grooming products. For Los Angeles–based D.L. & Co., this marked a change from gift shows, where the brand typically shows.

“This is the first apparel show since the launch of the line, said Wendye Katzman, director of sales of the line. “I love the energy and the vibe.”

The company manufactures candles, fragrances, stationary and gift items described as “objects and curiosities” that sell in stores such as Los Angeles–based Maxfield. The company also recently acquired two new candle collections, Lisa Carrier Designs and Burn.

The concept for Clean came from store visits, said ENK founder Elyse Kroll.

“My men’s team did a 30-state run in April/May to see stores,” Kroll said. “They sent pictures of this growing sector that every store devoted real estate for.”

Kroll was proud of the format of the ENK New York shows, which she said reflects the evolution of the men’s business.

“The men’s market is relentless,” she said. “They will not stay the same nor move backward.”MRket and Vanguard

Now in its third season in New York, MRket opened its doors on July 18 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with a lineup that included better men’s collections, including Italian suit makers, upscale casualwear and accessories.

There was also a show-within-show, Vanguard, which debuted last season with a lineup that included more than 15 contemporary menswear resources, including English Laundry, which took several booths to showcase its extensive collection of brands, including Scott Weiland for English Laundry and Scott Weiland Black Label, the Jimi Hendrix Experience, and the John Lennon collection, which is produced under an agreement with Yoko Ono. Pieces in the John Lennon collection feature the late musician’s artwork and lyrics from his songs.

“We’ve shown at MRket, but this is the first time at Vanguard,” said Christian Wicks, president of the company, which has expanded in recent years to include 18 licensed product lines covering everything from sweaters and hats to fragrance and childrenswear.

“It’s helped us grow our brand,” Wicks said. Major retailers represent 75 percent of English Laundry’s customer based, Wicks said, adding, “But we still look after the little guy.”

The was the second time at MRket for Los Angeles–based Age of Wisdom, according to designer Allison Basile. The novelty shirt line is manufactured in China, but each piece is washed and dyed in Los Angeles to give it added texture.

“MRket is a nice place to work. Buyers write a lot of orders,” she said. “It’s the first show of the season, and we get a lot of feedback. You have time to go back and tweak the line. This is a good indicator of how the season will go.”

One of the busier booths at MRket was Equilibrio, where buyers filled each available seat.

“We were slammed; it’s always like that,” said Paolo Dorigo, chief executive officer of the Los Angeles–based shirt line, which was founded in 1988. “We have 110 appointments over the next three days.”

The company was showing two brands, Equilibrio, which Dorigo described as “European-preppy,” and EQ, which has more of a “West Coast vintage” look, he said.

“MRket is a great fit for our business, ’Dorigo said. “We like to say we’re youthful but not young. Our fits are contemporary but not skinny. Our customer is maybe 28 to 55.”

Everything is designed in the company’s design office in Florence, Italy, and manufactured around the world. One of the latest collections—dubbed “Business Class”—is a hybrid sports shirt and dress shirt, which is made in Italy and retails for $145, according to Dorigo, who said about 375 stores have already picked up the collection.

Hat maker Dorfman Pacific was showing at MRket for the second time. But because it’s the first show of the Spring season, the company was not yet ready to show its latest licensed collections, including Stetson, Sinatra and Carlos Santana.

Instead, the company was showing the Tommy Bahama and Woolrich collections.

“It’s been somewhat the land of casual,” said James Caparosa, vice president of the company’s men’s division. Caparosa said the opening day seemed to be a day for meeting and greeting.

Berkeley, Calif.–based Tokens & Icons typically exhibits at gift shows.“I’m very gift-oriented—75 percent of the business is catalog, 15 percent is online, and 10 percent is bricks and mortar,” said company founder Ward Wallau.Among the apparel and accessories boutiques that carry pieces from the collection are Natalie Seaver, Ron Robinson and Zero Minus Plus at Fred Segal in Santa Monica.Dubbed “recycled nostalgia,” Tokens & Icons repurposes vintage subway tokens, typewriter keys and stadium seating into gift items steeped in history. For example, the company sells cuff links made from the original Madison Square Garden flooring, pens made from the vintage wood seats from Yankee Stadium and wallets lined in the distinctive Red Sox uniform stripes. The company recently struck a deal with the Boston Garden to use pieces of the venue’s distinctive parquet flooring.“They entrusted us with nine of the last 10 pieces, which I can use for the next 20 years,” Wallau said. “We try to make gifting fun. We’re not in the commodity business. What we have is something people can’t get somewhere else.” Capsule spreads out

For its July 19–20 run, contemporary lifestyle trade show Capsule moved to a new location in Chelsea, spreading out to fill three floors plus a rooftop deck, where exhibitors and attendees could soak up the sun.

Capsule organizers said 2,200 people shopped the show, including buyers from retailers such as Saks, Barneys New York, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom, Opening Ceremony, Oak, ASOS and Topshop. The exhibitor lineup included 150 brands. (Last season’s show featured 140 brands.)

Buyers crowded the aisles on opening day.

“People were lined up at 9:30—and they’re writing orders,” said Steeve Bohbot, owner of the Connected Showroom in Los Angeles. Bohbot only brought one brand, Moods of Norway, which was returning to Capsule for the second season.

Moods of Norway co-founder and President Stephan Dahlkvist said the company was experiencing “all-time high” sales at its Moods of Norway store on Robertson Boulevard in Los Angeles, its European business has doubled and the company now has 10 flagship stores open in Norway.

Los Angeles–based Riviera Club was also back for a second season at Capsule in New York, as well as showing at Capsule’s Las Vegas show in February and its Paris show in June.

“We launched the season in Paris and had an amazing response,” said designer Joe Sadler. In New York, Sadler said, he “saw everybody we wanted to see. They seem interested and are buying.”

This was the third Capsule for Los Angeles–based Freshjive, according to sales representative Aaron Tague, who described the traffic as “relatively busy.” Tague estimated about 70 percent of the retailers he’d seen were from East Coast stores, as well as several international buyers.

“The majority of our East Coast stores also go to Las Vegas [for the trade shows],” he said. “Here, they get a first look at Spring.” Agenda in N.Y. Bowing in New York for the first time, the Agenda trade show brought its street and skate concept to the Chelsea Art Museum for its July 19–20 run.

Conveniently located next door to the space housing Capsule, buyers and press (and a few exhibitors) migrated between the two venues.

Agenda exhibitors took up the first and third floors of the museum with a cafeacute; in between. Los Angeles–based Obey had a prime position right at the entrance of the first floor.

“So far so good,” said company representative Steve Ternosky during a break between appointments. Ternosky said he’d been primarily meeting with East Coast companies at the show.

“It helps us out because we have a new East Coast rep,” he said, adding that showing at Agenda “helps the customers better understand the brand.”

“We saw everybody we wanted to see—East Coast stores, for the most part, and Midwest-ish,” said Mark Encinias, sales manager for Rogue Status and DTA. Both brands are divisions of Los Angeles–based Famous Stars and Straps.

“If people are happy, then I’m happy,” said Agenda founder Aaron Levant, who said retailers turned out from across the country, including several Southern and West Coast stores.

Although this was the first New York show for Agenda, Levant had produced a New York trade show several years ago under the name Stitch.

“We do something when we see a clear void in the market,” he said. “No one else was doing action sports, skate and sneaker culture. We’re not competing with ENK or Capsule. We’re doing something underrepresented.”