Light Traffic at Los Angeles Fashion Market
Several apparel trade shows converging within weeks of each other put a damper on the Holiday/Resort ’12 edition of Los Angeles Fashion Market, held Aug. 13–16 throughout the Los Angeles Fashion District.
Typically the smallest market on Los Angeles’ calendar, this season’s market was held five days later than last year, when the Holiday/Resort fashion market took place Aug. 8–11.
To make matters worse, the Dallas Apparel & Accessories Market, scheduled Aug. 16–19, overlapped with Los Angeles’ fashion market. That meant many sales representatives who didn’t have independent showrooms in Dallas were torn between staying in Los Angeles and working the entire fashion market here or zipping off to Texas.
“At the end of the day on Tuesday [Aug. 14], a lot of showrooms sent some of their samples to Dallas, so they didn’t have their full line to show,” said Amber Earl, who works at the Lily Kate Showroom in the Cooper Design Space. The showroom’s contemporary lines include Young, Fabulous and Broke, Parker and Karina Grimaldi.
The store buyers that did show up were in a positive mood. Their budgets were at least even or up slightly over last year. “Our budget is about the same as last year,” said Eva Jackson, who, for more than 30 years, has owned Sign of the Pampered Maiden, a specialty store off the main plaza in Santa Fe, N.M. Jackson wasn’t planning to attend any of the Las Vegas shows, such as MAGIC, Project or WomensWear in Nevada. “Vegas is not at a good time for me,” said Jackson, whose clientele include Santa Fe residents and travelers who are still flocking to the popular tourist city. “I like shopping this market because it is easier to get around. And I buy from all the buildings.”
Quiet at the California Market Center
The usual fashion market buzz felt throughout the behemoth California Market Center during other markets was missing for the Holiday/Resort ’12 market
The CMC’s Focus Apparel & Accessories event at the building’s penthouse was postponed until the next Los Angeles Fashion Market, held in October for the Spring season, said Alyson Bender, a CMC representative.
“The California Market Center and Focus vendors wanted to concentrate on October and make it a bigger and better show,” Bender said. “We have a lot of buzz and hype for October.”
At the CMC, buyers for Polkadots & Moonbeams, Fred Segal, Kitson, Marshall Retail Group, JW Marriott and LF Stores shopped the fashion market.Buyers from international retailers also dropped by the show. They included Creamy Velvet from Melbourne, Australia; Garguz Studio of London; Buffalo from Montreal; and Le Papillion Couture of Taipei, Taiwan.
Retailers had mixed views of what this season’s fashion market had to offer.
Deborah Wolsh of Ethel, a boutique on Los Angeles’ stylish West Third Street, opted to sit this market out. “I’m not really interested in Resort/early Spring, and I don’t need Immediates,” Wolsh said.
Erica Dee Thomas of Harper’s, a store in Corona Del Mar, Calif., attended the fashion market because she was not traveling to MAGIC in Las Vegas.
“I had the showrooms to myself,” Thomas said. She also reported that her buying budget for this market was more than 7 percent bigger than last year. “I’m buying deeper because I’m seeing an increase in sales at my store.”
Thomas made orders for brands such as New York–based clothing line Parker. “I’m seeing a lot of bright colors infused into collections—a lot of neon pinks and neon yellows,” she said.
While most showroom owners said traffic was light—in some cases, lighter than last year—there was a wide range of opinions.
For veteran CMC tenant Betty Bottom Showroom Inc., the fashion market had its ups and downs. There was a rushed quality to the show because the showroom had to prepare to ship its samples to MAGIC on Thursday, said Rosanne Tritica, the showroom’s owner. “But we had orders from new accounts, stores which were not going to MAGIC,” she said.
Betty Bottom displayed lines such as Boo Radley of Australia, New York–based Dzhavael Couture and Los Angeles–based Moonlight. Core wholesale price points for the showroom ranged from $5 to $79.
For Reichman Associates, a showroom located on the CMC’s second floor, traffic was slow. Most buyers were looking for Immediates. “There was no real urgency to buy, unless they were ready to beef up their Immediates-through-November deliveries,” said Don Reichman, the showroom’s co-owner. “I got paper from resort stores in desert areas, but it seems like a lot of people are waiting for Las Vegas,” Reichman said. He represents lines such as Karissa & Me, Barbara Lesser and Ava Knits. His wholesale price points range from $39 to $89.
Fewer booths at Select
At the Select show, a juried exhibition of contemporary brands and accessories, participation was down, but vendors said there was decent business to be found at the show, held Aug. 13–15 inside the Fashion Theater at the California Market Center.
There were only 19 booths exhibiting at the show, half the size of a typical show.
“It’s definitely slow,” said Gillian Julius, who exhibits her West Hollywood, Calif.–based Gillian Julius accessories label at every Select show. “But it’s always worth showing up. We always do business here.”
This time, most of the buyers were local boutiques not traveling to MAGIC.A lot of business written was for Immediates. Julius called the orders decent-sized.
Many of the vendors at the show were Select veterans who exhibit at each show. Thousand Oaks, Calif.–based lingerie line Ally Rose Toppers has displayed its lace tops at the show for the past three years. The label recently introduced lace bottoms and camisoles.
“It’s like ‘out of sight, out of mind,’” said Pagona Kubert, an Ally Rose sales representative. “But if you keep it in sight, buyers will remember you.”
For buyers of the Minnie Rose contemporary line, West Coast retailers have no choice but to see the label at Select or in Las Vegas, said Nina Frank, a Minnie Rose sales executive. “We don’t have a showroom in Los Angeles,” she said. “They all come to see me when I’m here. I always have a good show.”
Tempered at The New Mart
Ethan Eller, The New Mart’s general manager, expected retail traffic to be slow because August is traditionally the lightest market on the calendar.
He worried that Los Angeles’ recent broiling heat wave would keep people from traveling to the market. “It also could be the really tight schedule of shows in August,” Eller said. “Right after us is Dallas. Then comes MAGIC. It might blunt attendance at all three shows.”
However, showroom owners said business was fine.At The GIG Showroom, co-owners Joel and Stacey Gossman debuted Underella by Ella Moss. “We opened up some new accounts,” Stacey Gossman said. “People are in a shopping mood.”
The Vonderheide Showroom introduced the Miami-based line Anatomie. Its wholesale price points range from $39 to $240. Showroom co-owner Diane Vonderheide said business was good and forecast that sales would increase by 10 percent compared with last year. “Traffic was lighter, but the orders were bigger,” she said. “If the product is great, the product sells itself.”
But showroom co-owner Tom Vonderheide felt there was room for improvement. “It could always be better before the Vegas shows,” he said.
Shauna Stein, who operated the On Beverly and On Sunset boutiques until 2009, when they closed, was back shopping the market with her new employers, Andrea and Marzia Rossetto, the owners of the Code C boutique at Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood.
She said there is so much fashion influence from previous decades that the style outlook is hazy. “The personal interpretation from stores is more important than ever,” she said, noting that asymmetrical tops are quite popular right now.
Consistent at the Cooper Design Space
Showroom owners weren’t denying that store buyers were scarcer than at other markets, but they weren’t surprised. “It has been a very slow show,” said Melissa Maldonado, a sales representative at the Bluebird Showroom, whose lines have a socially conscious thread, such as the faux-fur accessories made by Los Angeles–based SpiritHoods and Groceries apparel, a green company based in the Arts District of downtown Los Angeles.
Still, there was a certain hum in the air in various showrooms as handfuls of buyers perused lines and flipped through lookbooks. “It was better than last year’s Resort market,” said Christie Danielson, the West Coast sales director for LNA Clothing, a line of novelty sweaters, leggings and T-shirts carried at the Atlas Showroom.
Sales representatives at the Lily Kate Showroom on the fifth floor were feeling more fortunate than their showroom neighbors. While most sales representatives had seen no more than about 20 store buyers, more than 50 buyers had ventured to see the various contemporary lines in the showroom. One of those buyers was from Revolve.com.
“This is one of the slowest markets in a long time. It’s Resort, so it is always a slower market. But I still saw a bunch of my stores. It has been consistent,” said Amber Earl, who noted that during a good market she will see about 100 buyers.
Other showroom representatives were pleasantly surprised by their buyer turnout because they had braced for the worst. “It has been a lot busier than we thought,” said Patty Moran, director of apparel for Dolce Vita, a higher-end line, and DV Apparel, marketed to a younger crowd.
Good at the Gerry Building
Buyers weren’t overabundant at the Gerry Building showrooms, but the ones that showed up were placing orders.
“Traffic was the same as last year, which is not a lot,” said Sarah Kirakossian at the Arlene Henry Showroom. However, one of their labels, Staples, saw a 50 percent uptick in orders over last year.
It helped that Staples’ principal designer, Rosemary Brantley, who is also founding chair of the Otis Fashion Design school, was on hand Monday to talk to buyers about her collection, produced for more than 30 years in Los Angeles. Particularly popular were silver and gold metallic tops that wholesaled for $69. “Metallic is happening right now,” Arlene Henry said, noting that the tops are great for Holiday but can carry over into January.
Julie and Stuart Marcher, who own the Julie & Stuart Marcher showroom down the way from the Arlene Henry Showroom, said it was a slow market but it was a bit busier than last year. “The proximity of MAGIC is challenging,” Julie Marcher admitted.
They had about 25 buyers who came from California, Colorado, Utah and New Mexico.
Stuart Marcher said store owners can’t afford to be away from their boutiques for too long, so they have to pick and choose the shows they attend.
Strong sellers in the showroom included reversible Nally & Millie dresses that wholesale for $69 and bright Miraclebody control-top jeans that come in a rainbow of pastel colors for Resort and Spring and wholesale for $100 to $120.
Buyer traffic was tempered at Salt & Pepper Sales, a showroom that has several updated lines, including Status, Mosaic USA, Susans and Vanite Couture.
Showroom owners Bea Gorman and Emmalena Bland said they did brisk business with their Georgina Estefania sweater line, produced in Dallas. The collection’s bright but subdued neon tops, which wholesale for $49 to $78, were right on trend.
Lady Liberty and 824
Traffic was slower at the Lady Liberty and 824 Building, but showroom owners had some positive feedback to offer.
Mike L. Garcia, brand architect from T&A men’s showroom at the 824 Building, admitted that “a lot of buyers were finishing up Resort shopping and this season could be a bit slow.”
No orders were made, but retailers made notes. Particularly popular were the showroom’s new line from visual artist Rolland Berry. “Berry’s graphic T-shirts stand out amongst a [host] of standard T-shirt lines. His association with Reebok and popular paintings has made his tees a [commodity],” Garcia said. Having sold to retailers such as Barneys New York, his price points are low, with outerwear prices starting at $30.
Roblene Montes, a sales representative at the Secret Service showroom, said retailers made appointments. “They are expected to come in at the end of the week, but a majority of buyers are holding off to Vegas,” he said.
A majority of drop-in buyers were seeking Holiday and Resort collections, consisting of women’s contemporary apparel and accessories.
“We are excited to introduce a new high-end jewelry line by Simone I Smith, rapper and actor, L.L. Cool J’s wife. Smith is a cancer survivor, and a portion of her proceeds from her lollipop jewelry line, A Sweet Touch of Hope, go to cancer patients,” Montes said.
The hoop earrings, bracelets and lollipops wholesale from $50 to $69 and can go up to $3,000, depending on the detail of the product.
Sheila Smith Oliver, chief executive officer and president of Lit Studio, represents Jessica Smith and Vince Camuto and picked up a new collection, Natalia Romano.
“We have our long-time clients that have returned, but this is a very rushed market because of the date change, as well as the Dallas and Las Vegas trade shows. We feel stores come to get Resort at this market but are anxiously waiting for Spring. Many of the stores are opting to see us at regional shows, so it divides many of our customers,” Smith Oliver said.
Los Angeles–based contemporary collection Natalia Romano, however, received a promising response from buyers, Smith Oliver said.
Lit Studio received Resort orders for Romano’s ready-to-wear, printed dresses.
Brooke Afkhami, an accessories rep at the Liaison showroom at the Lady Liberty Building, said attendance at the market could be helped by more outreach by the showroom owners. “It has become diluted in this market, and because more of the trade shows focus on Spring, Resort gets lost. We have to educate our buyers on the importance of Resort trends,” Afkhami said.
Many of the buyers are looking for Spring items, with a majority of retailers looking to see lines in Las Vegas and New York, Afkhami added.
Although no orders were made, a lot of notes were made, Afkhami said, and many buyers gravitated toward her luxury fashion accessories line, Caviar and Cashmere, and Neivz by Steven Shein, the “revamped architectural jewelry collection.”
For Casey Griffin, sales rep at The Globe showroom, this season’s market was undeniably slower, but there was a good turnout.
The Globe carries major apparel lines such as Canadian-based tailored coat line Smythe, lifestyle collection Nicholas K, and the fun and accessible Los Angeles–based apparel line Sam & Lavi. “We really run a gamut on the price points in our showroom,” Griffin said. A Smythe blazer can wholesale from $150 and up, or a Nicholas K will wholesale for $500.
“Although the Resort season is not as busy as previous ones, we have active accounts that are looking for the resort consumer. We also feature select Spring collections where retailers are writing orders, namely for lines such as Nicholas K,” Griffin said.
Trey Alligood, owner of The Penthouse showroom at The Lady Liberty, said he was expecting more business in Las Vegas. “We are not expecting a ton of people, as we make most of our orders in Las Vegas, but we have made Immediate orders from buyers who are familiar with our merchandise,” Alligood said.
He said the causal yet refined pieces from menswear line Civil Society were a favorite among buyers. “We are also representing a new men’s and women’s shoe line, People’s Movement, that really represents our showroom’s [aesthetic],” Alligood said.
He said it is an eco-conscious company that believes in combining repurposed materials into their products.
