California Apparel News

LAS VEGAS—The contemporary womenswear show ENKVegas experienced some of the biggest changes from the repositioning of shows at MAGIC.

LastAugust, ENKVegas exhibited at luxury hotel Wynn Las Vegas and Encore Hotel.ENK was acquired by MAGIC’s parent company, Advanstar Global LLC, in November. For ENK’s most recent run, Feb. 19–21, the trade show moved outdoors under a group of white tents adjacent to Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The changes drew support and criticism. For Gillian Julius, founder of the Los Angeles–headquartered Gillian Julius accessories line, the new location attracted a different caliber of retailer from past ENK shows.“When we did ENK at the Wynn, the first question was not ‘what is your price point?’ It was ‘how soon can you get [product] here?’” Julius said.

She estimated that 40 percent of her meetings at the show resulted in orders, and 60 percent of her ENK meetings were composed of introducing the brand to a wider group of retailers than in the past. While many vendors complained that show logistics were often disorganized, Julius gave the ENK production team high marks for making what many described as a quick and somewhat-bumpy merger transition into a smooth ride.

Laurie Hasson of the Los Angeles–headquartered Laurie Hasson showroom liked the show’s new looks. However, she forecast that price would continue to be an important issue. “It’s still really hard for retailers,” she said. “[Fashion lines] have to be price competitive because the market is driven by less-expensive clothing,” she said.

Nicole Bald, owner of the Lavish boutique in San Francisco, said the show floor could be hard to navigate, but there was a sense of fashion experimentation in the air.

“Everyone was playing it safe in the past two years. Now new designers are making what they always wanted to do,” she said. She noted a lot more experimentation with colors and patterns, including sea-foam green, magentas and plaids. Hasson saw more use of asymmetric silhouettes and peplum waists in looks at the show.

Designer Eva Franco of her self-named Eva Franco label, headquartered in Los Angeles, saw more use of fabrics such as perforated leather.One reason for her attendance at the show was to get some feedback.“I came to the show to listen,” she said. “Creative product must be relevant to people’s lives."