California Apparel News

GlobalTex returned for a third edition in Los Angeles in a new hall at the Los Angeles Convention Center, where the textile and sourcing trade show drew representatives from both large and small manufacturers.

Among the attendees shopping the show were reps from Walt Disney and Disney Resort, 7 For All Mankind, Joe’s Jeans, Karen Kane, Izod, Apolis, Artistic Garment, Rod Beattie for La Blanca, Andrew Christian, 3 Dots, and Velvet.

“This is my first time visiting the show,” said designer Carl Jones of Bleuology Lab, a design studio specializing in denim. “I thought I’d come see what’s new—and I found a few things,” including both domestic and European fabrics.

Pat Tabassi, representing Los Angeles–based knit mill Design Knit Inc., said she was meeting several new prospects at the show, including designers from Northern California and from other states.

“It shows that they’re a little more inspired and willing to get started again,” she said. “It’s a sign of the times. Last year was a hard year, but, definitely, things are optimistic; there’s a little more confidence.”

Design Knit was one of several GlobalTex exhibitors who are also planning to show at the Los Angeles International Textile Show, set for March 15–17 at the California Market Center.

“This is the newer show, and we’re very happy with [it],” Tabassi said. “[But] people fly in from out of state, and we’re not sure which show they’ll go to.”

Tabassi said Design Knit was seeing interest in denim and indigo knits for leggings and hoodies; sheer fabrics to use as seasonless layering pieces; and textured fabrics, both visual (such as space-dye and meacute;lange fabrics) and physical (such as slub fabrics and linen blends).

Solstiss/Bucol will also be showing at GlobalTex and the L.A. Textile Show, according to Sandrine Bernard, executive vice president for the New York–based company, which represents high-end French textile mills. Bernard was working the GlobalTex booth with Jane Burge, the West Coast rep for the company.

“We’re seeing more international attendees at this show—but no California,” Burge said, adding that she and Bernard met with designer Carla Pierucci, who came to the show from Australia.

Bernard praised GlobalTex’s look and its focus on European mills. “There’s an opportunity to build the show and be the Premiegrave;re Vision for the U.S. PV Preview [in New York] is too early in the season. This is perfect timing.”

Solstiss/Bucol was one of a number of companies representing European fabric lines, including fabrics from mills in France, Italy, Switzerland, Germany and Portugal.

German print mill KBC returned to GlobalTex for the third season.

“This time we have more traffic,” said company representative Peter Vouml;egtlin.

“The last two times there’s been one hour we were busy and then nothing. This time it’s constant.”

Vouml;egtlin said he would wait until the end of the show to decide whether to return but added that overall, “the mood is positive. People are looking for excitement, new creation, quality. We’re happy.”

But not everyone was pleased with the turnout. Los Angeles–based Fox Fabrics Inc. had a prime location at the entrance to the show, where owner Phil Fox was showing fabrics primarily from Italy. Fox praised the look of the show but was unhappy with the caliber of buyers walking the show.

“The show is not up to my expectations,” Fox said. He conceded that traffic on the second day of the show was better than the first. And he met with buyers from 7 For All Mankind, Disney and Bebe, but he added, “I’m [at Bebe] every day.”

In years past, Fox has co-produced the boutique textile show European Textile Rendez-Vous at The Standard Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. This season, he and co-producer Ghita Ferro, the West Coast rep for New York–based Renovazio LLC, decided not to host the show. But Fox said he was considering hosting European Textile Rendez-Vous again in the future.

But Ann Davis, who represents Eclat Textiles, said she was happy with the companies that shipped the show, which included many activewear brands.

New to the show this season was Big C, a Torrance, Calif.–based company that is the North and South American distributor for the Dino-Lite, a hand-held digital microscope. The microscope is used for medical applications, jewelry and industrial inspection. But rep Sara McMillen said the company is exploring interest from the apparel industry.

For the apparel industry, Dino-Lite can be used in place of a loupe to verify thread count, and it can be used to illustrate quality-control issues in communications with overseas factories. Priced between $200 and $500, the microscope takes digital pictures and videos, which can be e-mailed. “It’s easy to use. We have tech support, free software and free updates,” McMillen said. “We’re getting people [coming to the GlobalTex booth] saying, ’That’s interesting. We can use that.’”

Another first-time exhibitor was Calcutta, India–based DC Exports, which was showing lace and embroidery. Company representative Siddarth Kapoor said he opted to show at GlobalTex in hopes of landing more West Coast business. He said the turnout was better on the second day of the show than the first but said he was getting mixed feedback from the designers who stopped by his booth.

“Some were very positive, but because of the downturn, everyone is hesitant to place even a sample order,” he said. Kapoor said his company is currently looking for U.S. reps to handle the East and West Coast markets. “There are a lot of tiny couturiers who need personal service and a local rep,” he said.