Business Bustling at WWDMAGIC
Business was booming at the WWDMAGIC trade show, held Aug 22–24 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, according to vendors.“It’s been beyond my wildest dreams,” said Merryl Centeno of Dittos Jeans, which was newly relaunched by Jordache Enterprises at MAGIC after initially relaunching via Frankie B Jeans in 2007. The famed ’70s denim line, which comes in 12 different colors and three different rises, sports names such as the “Gladys” and the “Aretha,” named after ’70s icons Gladys Knight and Aretha Franklin. Located in the young contemporary section, the line was a hit with buyers, according to Liz Berlinger, president of Jordache.“I think this has been a fantastic show. It’s been busy, and we’ve been meeting lots of new people,” she said.The brand has done well, in part, because of the breadth of colors and washes available at a reasonable price point, according to Berlinger. With wholesale pricing ranging from $35 to $45 and a wide selection of Spring colors—including red, royal blue, bright green and fuchsia—buyers have been flocking to the line, she said.
Don Choi, a sales representative for The Classic, also stationed in the young contemporary section, said it had been “a really good show” and that it was “definitely better than February.”
Choi said that about 100 orders had been placed the first day of the show and they had opened “a lot” of new accounts. Fringed T-shirts and tank tops and graphic tees in Aztec and skull prints had been the company’s biggest sellers.
Yul Kwon of downtown Los Angeles–based young contemporary line Freeway said business was definitely better this show than last August.
“The traffic doesn’t feel up from last time, but they’re writing deeper and ordering more,” he said. “I think the people who survived the economy are opening their wallets. The strongest have survived and now are trying to get stronger.”
Kwon said buyers seemed to like the brand’s Spring styles but had been buying about the same amounts of Spring and Fall merchandise. Shawls, capes, and Southwestern and Native American prints were big for the label, which primarily sells to independent boutiques.French Connection was also having a good show. “It’s been great. We’ve been meeting and beating [our numbers from] last year,” Robin Alexandra, an account executive for French Connection, said.The company debuted its new Spring line at MAGIC. The line features elegant fabrics; rich reds and oranges; and Southwestern, Americana and boho-chic influences. Texture also played a primary role with embroidery, crochet and mixed-media beading featured on many tops and dresses, Alexandra said.
Trademark H denim did more business this show than in February and had about 100 drop-in appointments the second day of the show, said Nadine Perez, vice president of sales.
Perez said it had been “a writing show” and that buyers were drawn to the decorative jeans, which retail for $82 to $88, because of their value and appeal to both juniors and young contemporary.
Diana Disante of New York showroom Lifestyle, which carried three “better to bridge” French collections, showed in the new Heart of Pret station in the North Hall, dedicated to Parisian brands showing at Pret a Porter.
“Overall, it went very well,” Disante said. “Traffic was a little slower; it was a little bit off [compared with February], but our customers did come.”Buyers placed smaller orders but were definitely writing, according to Disante.“There’s a double-dip recession going on out there, so customers are nervous and they’re being a little cautious when they write.”Spring sold much better than Immediates for the showroom, and larger sizes were also selling well. Trench coats and sleeveless tops and dresses were the most popular, Disante said.The lines wholesale for $49 to $129 at independent boutiques such as Trends and Eurotrends in New Jersey.Also in the North Hall, Lisa Nichols, partner and chief designer of North Carolina–based Kenzania, a line of women’s clothing sewn and beaded in Tanzania by disabled artisans, said it was the company’s first time showing at a large trade show and that they had opened new accounts in Japan; Santa Barbara, Calif.; and Connecticut. The straw bags, cotton skirts, tops and dresses created in bright ethnic prints wholesale for $28 to $48, with the bags and long sash skirts leading as the top sellers for the show, Nichols said.Joyce Christensen, an account executive for Vernon, Calif.–based Karen Kane, who had a booth located in the women’s sportswear and dresses section, said it had been a bustling show and praised MAGIC’s layout and organization of apparel sections.“Accounts were able to see us in the category that we’re in, and they were able to find us more clearly,” she said.The company also wrote larger orders and had bigger traffic than the past few MAGIC shows, according to Christensen.
“People were ready to buy,” she said.
