California Apparel News

For more than a decade, Pooltradeshow has considered itself as the first place where new brands exhibit and experiment until they are assured enough to exhibit at a larger trade show, said Alli Johnson, Pool’s show director.

During its most recent run, held Feb. 17–19 in the South Pacific ballroom at the lower level of the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Pool lived up to its mission. Half of the 175 brands that exhibited were new to the show, Johnson said.

Pool also expanded the number of its brands with an eco-friendly focus. There were more than 40 eco brands exhibiting at the show. Also making a return was Pool’s cash-and-carry section, where attendees may purchase items from the show floor.

Well-known brand American Apparel ran a booth at the show as did Freddie Rojas, who has been exhibiting his self-named Rojas brand at Pool since the first years of the show.

Also exhibiting was novelty Dutch suiting brand OppoSuits. Texas-based T-shirt brand Femlin Clothing took a bow at Pool. It makes T-shirts bearing the graphic of a “Mad Men”–era burlesque character called Femlin. Also showing was Killstar, a Glasgow, Scotland–based company that calls its styles occult luxury. It designs T-shirts and dresses with pop-culture, rock music–inspired and occult-style graphics, said co-owner Dennis Bence.

“The show was good,” he said of Pool. “Everyone seemed to have their own thing going on. It’s not solely mainstream. It’s not solely alternative.”