California Apparel News

LAS VEGAS—This season, organizers of MRket, ModaLV and Accessories The Show reconfigured the show to have a single entrance at The Venetian, accessible from the Sands Expo and Convention Center side of the building. MRket, Business Journals’ upscale menswear show, was at the front of the hall, and buyers followed signs to get to ModaLV, the company’s upscale misses and updated contemporary show, and Accessories The Show, its accessories trade show.

The energy at the men’s show at MRket was up drastically from shows past, with buyers more relaxed about browsing and buying, exhibitors said.

“For the past couple of years, buyers usually don’t want to look at you and won’t even make eye contact, but now they’re at least willing to look in the booth as they walk by,” Charlie Heine, national sales manager for Tuliano said, “This is the first show where things are different. There’s more verve—a sense of energy.” Buyers are still cautious, but some are leaving paper, he said.

Former NBA player Kevin Willis of Willis & Walker was on hand promoting his new high-end menswear line, which includes luxury suits and shirts, premium denim and accessories, all for men 6 feet 3 inches and taller. The line soft-launched during New York Fashion Week in September but officially launched at MRket.

Willis said the enormous positive response to the line had been “overwhelming — in a good way.”

“People see the suits and say they’re absolutely beautiful,” he said.

Finding clothes that fit properly and look fashionable when you’re tall has always been a challenge, Willis said. His goal with the line was to introduce a collection for the athletically built man that looks good, has a wide selection and is tailored to fit a larger build. He wanted to avoid the boxy cuts and limited color range of navy, black and brown traditionally associated with the “big and tall” category.

The suits come in tropical weights that can be worn year-round, as well as wool and velvet, and a variety of knits, colors and prints.

Dino Di Girolamo, vice president of trouser sales for Rivieria and Jack Victor, said it had been an “outstanding” show that was “really strong” for him.

Buyers are still cautious with their spending, but it’s a totally different energy level than the doom and gloom of six months ago, he said.

“The energy level is way up; all our orders are up. It’s a very positive upswing. Business is fun again,” he said. “We’ve done more orders at this show than in quite a while.”

Giulio Mancuso of Roffe Accessories—which was showing Andrew Marc, English Laundry, ABS Allen Schwartz, Haines and Bonner and One Like No Other—echoed the positive sentiments, saying there had been an influx of buyers and “crazy traffic” after debuting One Like No Other on Feb. 12.  “It’s the biggest thing at this show,” he said. “It’s the next Robert Graham.” The U.K.-inspired shirts feature bright colors, stripes and Beatles prints and are made in limited runs of 500 and numbered one to 500.

ModaLV and Accessories The Show seemed to have slower traffic than MRket, but many exhibitors still reported good sales, and Britton Jones, president and chief executive officer of Business Journals, said the shows all had record attendance.

Tricia Carll, a sales representative showing at Moda with Danish brand Blue Willi’s, said orders were bigger and the mood of the buyer was much more positive this year.

“We had a very good show,” she said. “The steadiest one since we started, which was three years ago.”

Carll said she landed several new accounts and saw roughly 35 to 40 buyers on a drop-in basis. The company’s Danish rain boots, outerwear and knitwear were its most popular items.

Celeste Dominguez, a customer-service representative for Adia Kipur Accessories, said Accessories The Show went really well for her company.

“We had good orders placed,” she said. “We did a little bit better than last year.”

Despite the slower traffic, the Alhambra, Calif.–based company saw both drop-in and scheduled appointments that were placing orders. Adia Kipur’s collections include bold statement jewelry, crystal rope necklaces and antique cast bracelets. The pieces designed in bright neon and resin were the most popular, Dominquez said.

Designer Erika Walton of Alter Ego jewelry in Los Angeles’ North Hollywood neighborhood said it was the slowest show her sales reps had seen in years but that all of the lines she brought met with huge success.

Walton creates costume jewelry out of recycled toys made from the 1950s to the ’90s. She debuted three brand-new collections of her handmade accessories and jewelry line, including “Sleepy Hollow” and mermaid-themed bracelets and necklaces, as well as bags, belts and belt buckles decorated with Hot Wheels cars. They were “a huge hit,” she said. “We got new accounts and larger-quantity orders than what we’ve gotten before for existing stores.”

The combined registration for all three shows was well-received, Jones said, adding that the floor plan was reconfigured to have the three shows sit more closely side by side, so it was easier to float between them.

“We received very, very positive feedback about the look, the layout and the resources of the shows,” he said.

For next year, they plan to expand their idea for Macko’s MRket Picks—hot items picked by former Saks Fifth Avenue fashion director Michael Macko that are showcased on the MRket floor—into the women’s shows as well. Organizers are looking for someone well-known in the industry to pick top items for women.—Deidre Crawford