California Apparel News

NEW YORK—Upscale menswear retailers from across the East Coast—as well as across the country and world—turned out for the Jan. 17–19 run of MRket/Vanguard at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.

Show organizer Business Journals Inc. extended the show from its Las Vegas base two years ago and maintained its better men’s collections, including Italian suit makers, upscale casualwear and accessories.

This time, lifestyle brand Tommy Bahama returned to the show after several seasons of showing out of its New York showroom, said Gregg Emfield, Midwest regional sales manager.

“It’s nice to be back in front of this industry, he said. “And to stay connected with our specialty-store base—the backbone and future of our industry.”

In addition to East Coast retailers, Emfield also met with a retailer from Idaho, and the company’s Dallas rep was consistently busy, he said.

Like many of the exhibitors at MRket, Emfield and his team were heading next to regional shows in Chicago and Charlotte, N.C., before showing at the MRket show in Las Vegas in February.

That was the case for Los Angeles–based Remy Leather, as well.

“Specialty-store retailers are working on a tighter budget—that’s why we attend the various markets,” said Remy Chief Executive Officer John Remeny.

In New York, Remeny said he was getting good retailer response to the company’s leather and cloth jackets, all made in Los Angeles. “We do a lot of classic American rugged looks as well as more sophisticated fashion pieces,” he said.

There’s a mechanism for all of this, our combination of service and product.

The executive said the mood at market was “significantly upbeat” this season, adding that MRket was a good draw for the specialty-store buyer.

“[MRket is] a reflection of a good cross-section of the menswear specialty-store market,” he said. “Every legitimate menswear retailer has a presence here—either the owner or buyer.”

But large retailers also turn out at MRket, said Paul Diamond, president of New York–based Jack Victor USA. But Diamond added his work with the majors is already done.

“We started working with them at the beginning of December,” he said.

In addition to Jack Victor, the company was also showing Ted Baker, which it recently began manufacturing.

According to Britton Jones, president and chief executive officer of Business Journals Inc., the New York show drew attendees from nearly every state in the country, and 15 percent came from out of the country.

“From all around the globe and 47 states, the retailers of better menswear enthusiastically embraced the Fall/Winter season, and their optimism and spirited buying served as proof positive that the economy is significantly improving,” he said. “With this run, we accomplished our goal of advancing and enhancing the business of menswear retailing in an engaging and enjoyable way.”—Alison A. Nieder