WWDMAGIC
VEGAS TRADE SHOWS
Good International Turnout and Strong Interest in Immediates
LAS VEGAS—International buyers and retailers looking to restock diminished inventories circulated around the more than 20 apparel, accessories and sourcing trade shows in Las Vegas, including the MAGIC Marketplace shows (MAGIC, Project, ENKVegas, WWDMAGIC, Pooltradeshow, Tents at MAGIC, Sourcing at MAGIC, ISAM, FN Platform, WSA Vegas and Playground); the Modern Assembly shows (Liberty, Agenda, Capsule, MRket, Stitch and Accessories The Show); the Offprice show; CurveNV; WWIN (Womenswear in Nevada); and Kidshow.
MAGIC kicked off most of its shows on Feb. 17 with some exhibitors reporting an especially strong turnout.
“This is one of the better first days in a long time,” said Moshe Tsabag, whose Velvet Heart booth at WWDMAGIC at the Las Vegas Convention Center was consistently busy throughout opening day.
“They are coming and asking for Immediate goods, and we have it—we projected earlier,” Tsabag said, adding that some retailers have been struggling to fill in inventories for goods that have been stuck at the West Coast ports during the recent slowdown during contract negotiations. “People are looking for goods, and we are able to fulfill these orders quickly,” he said.
At the end of the first day, Stop Staring!’s James Atyeo was entering a stack of handwritten orders into the computer at the Stop Staring! booth at WWDMAGIC.
“So far, so good,” he said. “I wasn’t sure how this day would go, but from 10 a.m. on it hasn’t really slowed down all day.”
Kristen Keyes Sullivan, director of sales for Compton, Calif.–based Colosseum, was similarly upbeat.
“So far, it’s a great first day,” she said.
Sullivan was showing the company’s 3-year-old activewear collection in WWDMAGIC’s new dedicated section for activewear and yoga collections.
“It’s nice having a real activewear section,” she said.
The semiannual Sourcing at MAGIC show, held in the South Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, opened a day early on Feb. 16. Nearly 40 countries represented at the gargantuan show were showing their expertise in manufacturing everything from athletic wear to zippers. Chinese exhibitors made up more than half the show.
This season, there was a focus on Egypt and its 25 qualifying industrial zones, where apparel made there gets duty-free entry into the United States under a trade preference program.
Mandalay Bay shows upbeat
At Project at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Christopher Yoo, wholesale director of the Los Angeles–based Andrew Christian fashion underwear brand, said that his booth had 50 appointments.
“Every hour was double booked,” he said.
Mario Pasillas, West Coast sales for 7 Diamonds, said he saw “an upswing in the way people are spending.”
The 7 Diamonds booth was in the same place it’s been for the last three years, Pasillas said.
“It’s tried and true,” he said. “People know where to find us. It’s great.”
At the upscale Tents at Project, retailers Jacqueline Forbes and Arlington Forbes, owners of Canvas Malibu at the Malibu Country Mart and Canvas Woman in Malibu, described business as “solid.”
“There is an uptick in buying,” Forbes said.
Marie Shaffer, who was working with Agave, said she saw Pitkin County Dry Goods of Aspen, Colo.; Gary’s of Newport Beach, Calif.; Butch Blum, based in Seattle; Rodes, based in Louisville, Ky.; and Baer’s Den, with locations in Memphis and Birmingham Ala.
Opening day of ENKVegas, also at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, was for window shopping, said Amanda Parenti, a freelance salesperson for women’s contemporary brand Philanthropy.
“During the first day there’s a lot of looky loos,” she said. “The second day they always come back and order.”
Pooltradeshow expanded its style boundaries during its February 2015 run. Best known for T-shirts and casual looks, Pool became a forum for suits when Dutch brand OppoSuits made its U.S. debut at Pool. The line’s suits retail for $99 and feature comic prints of dollar signs, leopard skin prints and ugly Christmas sweaters, said Jelle van der Zwet, a founder of the brand. “We saw some serious buyers looking for the latest trends,” he said of Pool.
Busy at the Sands and Venetian
The trade shows held at the Sands Expo & Convention Center and adjacent Venetian ballrooms started early, giving buyers a head start on shopping.
MRket, Accessories The Show and Stitch, all organized by Business Journals Inc., opened on Feb. 16.
By the second day of the show, everyone up and down the wide aisles glowed about the amount of traffic that was seen that Monday.
“We had six people working in our booth, and we could have used more,” said Bea Gorman, who runs the Salt & Pepper Sales showroom with Emmalena Bland at the Gerry Building in Los Angeles and was showing at Stitch. “We booked in one day what we booked the entire show one year ago.”
At the Liberty show, Leary Forteau, sales for Matiere, said he met with a lot of international retailers.
Dale Rhodes, vice president of sales at Katin USA, said he saw all his major accounts, including Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s and Conveyor at Fred Segal. But many retailers were late on deadlines, Rhodes said. “Our deadlines for Fall and Holiday are past,” he said. “This show is for us to capture new boutique accounts.”
At Agenda, footwear line Macbeth, introduced an apparel collection.
“We’re getting a lot of recognition for the brand by being at this show,” said Brian Krauss. He serves as the president of the Macbeth division of Mercer House. Mercer House holds a license to make goods for Macbeth.
This season, Agenda quietly introduced a section called (+), or Plus, devoted to elevated streetwear.
At Capsule, Tina Ye, national agent for the True Collaborative Fashion showroom, with locations in Portland, Ore., and the Cooper Design Space in Los Angeles, said opening day was busy with buyers looking at the showroom’s lines Nau, Bridge & Burn, Prairie Underground, Curator and Little River Sock Mill.
“People were open to look at the other lines we represent,” Ye said, adding that she saw several buyers from Japan and Korea.
Lingerie and swimwear buyers shopping at CurveNV got the news that the show, organized by French trade show organizer Eurovet, will partner next season with MAGIC and move to the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Among the new exhibitors at the recent show was Joe’s Intimates, the lingerie, swimwear and lounge line from Joe’s Jeans and Onis Design Group.
“Day one has been good,” said Gihan Gabor, vice president of sales for Onis. “They’re surprised to see Joe’s intimates. We keep hearing how much people love their Joe’s Jeans.”
Mona Goldberg, senior vice president of sales and merchandising with luxury eco underwear collection Blackspade, said she was meeting with buyers from “all over,” including many international retailers.
“The energy has been great,” she said.
The Offprice show, held on the first floor of the Sands, opened on Feb. 15.
“This is a very good show for us,” said Patti Luner, director of sales for Studio City, Calif.–based Ingear, which shows its excess inventory at Offprice and its better lines and licensed collections at MAGIC.
“This is the time of year for Immediate goods,” she said. “At this show, they see this body and that print, and they can get it right now.”
Ed Bernard, president of Michigan-based Bermo Enterprises, described this season’s Offprice show as “phenomenal.”
“We had so much activity before the show that we knew it was going to be good,” he said.
We saw all of our domestic companies but quite a few new and more international than ever.”
Brisk at WWIN
The WWIN show at the Rio All-Suites Hotel & Casino had particularly brisk traffic this season. Even during the third day of the four-day event, which ran Feb. 16–19, the tables were packed with buyers perusing new looks, taking notes or placing orders.
Elaine Nieh, president of Flair LLC in Burlingame, Calif., has been attending the event for 10 years to sell her stylish reversible jackets and crinkled polyester tops that are flared at the bottom. They wholesale for $40 to $50.
“It has been a very good show for us,” said Nieh, whose wide booth was separated into sections for Immediates, Spring and Fall. Buyers were placing orders for all three.
“I always feel comfortable at this show, and my clients know where to find me here,” she said, explaining why she keeps coming back year after year.
Over at the Sienna Rose booth, Sasha Rivera was meeting with buyers interested in the line’s vibrant print tops that had a certain bohemian look. Half the line made of georgette, polyester/spandex and polyester knit is manufactured in the Arts District in downtown Los Angeles, and the rest is made overseas. “I think our vibrant prints are attracting a lot of customers and also because of our price points,” she said of the collection that wholesales for $20 to $45.
