California Apparel News

NEW YORK—Coming off a successful first show of the year in Huntington Beach, Calif., the Agenda show went back to its roots for its New York show, held Jan. 16–17 in the Chelsea Art Museum in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood.

“Huntington Beach was probably our biggest and best show,” said Aaron Levant, founder and organizer of Agenda. “Here [in New York], it’s more back to our roots; it’s more street-focused.”

The New York show also featured less of a “scene” than the longstanding West Coast show, said Levant, who added that exhibitors were pleased with the business focus.

“Everyone seems stoked,” he said. “They’re all sitting down, writing orders.”

This was the second season for the show, dubbed Agenda:NYC, and among the returning exhibitors was Irvine, Calif.–based LRG Clothing. East Coast marketing rep Juan Medrano said the New York show gives the company exposure to a broader range of buyers.

“It’s getting the guys on the East Coast—all the skate guys that don’t get out to Cali,” he said.

Ryan Savage, sales representative for Torrance, Calif.–based Alpinestars USA Inc., agreed that the New York show drew an East Coast crowd—and especially helped the company meet with its New York accounts.

“As a rep, it’s hard to come into the city to see all your stores,” he said. “This central location allows us to see everyone at once.”

Alpinestars introduced a new collection of travel bags for Summer 2011, as well as a cellphone case for the iPhone4. The company also introduced a new nano-stretch boardshort designed with no inside seams and featuring welded side seams and hems for a flat-finished look.

Among the new Agenda exhibitors was Ezekiel. The Irvine-based company is a longtime exhibitor at Agenda’s West Coast show but opted to show in New York to connect with the brand’s East Coast accounts, according to Jessica Rush, women’s brand manager.

Rush said the company was developing product with interesting details to give retailers something special at a great price. She said knits, printed wovens, screen-printed products and dresses were selling well.

“Also, we’re seeing basics really booking—and retailing,” she said.

This was the first New York show for Arbor, maker of snowboards, skate decks and apparel made from bamboo. The company is based in Los Angeles’ Venice neighborhood and opted to show at Agenda to widen its distribution, according to Drew Hopkins, global sales and marketing manager for the company. The company established a name for itself with its snowboards made from rare and exotic woods. The company expanded into skate decks before adding apparel to the mix.

Today, the company manufactures apparel in organic cotton and bamboo blends, as well as new fabrications, such as a bamboo/polyester blend and a bamboo/cotton blend with a bit of spandex for stretch.

“We’re here to get in more apparel boutiques nationally,” he said. The company is also looking to expand beyond its core skate-store customers.

“Traditionally, our hard-goods stores order a lot of logo-driven product,” Hopkins said.

“Action sports are still our largest accounts, but now we’re selling to more specialty retailers, and we’re getting some good traction in crossover boutiques.”—Alison A. Nieder