California Apparel News

Now in its eighth year, the Hammock swimwear and resort apparel show attracted buyers to Miami’s One Hotel South Beach during Miami Swim Week. Working within an intimate setting in the hotel’s second-floor ballroom space or choosing a private suite, exhibitors were able to provide specialized attention to buyers who were at the show, held July 14–16.

In an ocean-view suite, Ikaria founder and Chief Executive Officer Lisa Storie presented her luxurious line of resortwear manufactured in Los Angeles, using 100 percent silk and Swarovski crystals. The private suite allowed Storie to maintain the luxurious identity of her brand.

“When you’re trying to create something that is very high-end luxury, it’s a difficult market, but it’s very unique. Nobody is doing it,” she said.

Showing at Hammock for the first time since 2014, Jaclyn Schroeder, who is the women’s sales director for RVCA—whose pieces wholesale for $40 to $50—was happy with her company’s return to the show.

“We’ve been loving Hammock,” she said. “It’s been an extremely successful show for us. We’ve been showing accounts from our current account base, but we also have had a decent amount of prospects walk in.”

When asked about trends, Schroeder mentioned that one-pieces were still a popular style for her Costa Mesa, Calif.–based brand, but buyers were being discerning regarding designs, as French-cut designs, textured pieces and triangle, or tie tops, were on her radar. Emphasizing the popular exhibitor sentiment that buyers want fresh, new styles, Schroeder noted that “new” doesn’t always require intricate designs with a lot of embellishments.

“People are loving newness, but some of that newness is a simplification of swimwear,” she said. “It seems like people’s eyes are kind of adjusting to being a little bit more simplified than we’ve been in the past. There was so much going on with high necks and strapping details. Now it’s about cleaning up.”

At the Los Angeles–manufactured brand Kay & Elle, founders Kady Decker and Lindsay Lancaster thought the show was an excellent opportunity for buyers to become familiar with their brand.

“Some people come by and they just want to see your collection, and some people want to write and that is awesome,” Decker said.

Showing at the event for their third year, Decker and Lancaster felt that Hammock’s organizers offered personalized attention and carefully planned the placement of each vendor.

“For us, they do a really good job of trying to let different kinds of brands in, so it doesn’t feel so much like you’re competing,” Decker said.

“We love Hammock,” added Lancaster. “It’s more quaint than hectic.”

Echoing the sentiment of being attracted to a more intimate—yet glamourous—space, Dana Miller was attending the show for the first time. As an assistant buyer for Etc Boutique in Gainesville, Fla., Miller was looking for brands to recommend to her supervisors and appreciated the ease afforded at Hammock.

“This is more comfortable, easy and accessible. It’s buyer friendly,” she explained. “These brands are able to represent themselves more.”

Also shopping to report back to his colleagues was Murat Sofraci, who is a partner at Swimwear World. He was extremely satisfied with his first visit to Hammock.

“I had a couple of meetings. It’s going really well. [The] show is very well organized. I am quite satisfied, actually,” he said.

For his Montreal-based company, Sofraci was interested in the textures found in ribbed styles and embroidered accents at a show that offered a more independent atmosphere that was organized without a structured, corporate feeling.

“There are good brands here,” he said. “It’s not so commercial and has a good atmosphere. It’s very well organized.”