California Apparel News

While the COVID-19 pandemic has slowed retail and trade events in the apparel industry, business seems to be slowly opening up. During the Aug. 2–6 edition of L.A. Market Week, buyers visited downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District and logged onto digital platforms. Showrooms at the Cooper Design Space, The New Mart and the California Market Center welcomed buyers to safely shop their lines.

CMC Uploaded Unveiled

The California Market Center introduced “CMC Uploaded,” a series of interviews with the building’s showrooms, where the colors and the silhouettes of clothing lines were discussed just like a television shopping show. CMC Uploaded

was webcast Aug. 3­­–5 on Zoom and moderated by Matthew Mathiasen, the CMC’s manager of buyer and community relations, said Moriah Robinson, the building’s events director.

“We’ve had a great turnout and already seen quite a bit of buyer engagement with some buyers contacting showrooms minutes after their session ended,” Robinson said.

Like other businesses that relied on in-person traffic in the past, the CMC moved toward digital forums to blunt the spread of COVID-19. However, a buyer could still enter the building if an appointment was made with a showroom.

At Sharon Koshet Sales, it was also the first time in Koshet’s career that she did not have walk-in traffic during a market. However, Koshet found a lot that was appealing about conducting meetings through FaceTime and Zoom. The digital meetings were more apt to result in a sale, she said.

“When you are doing FaceTime, you are explaining more,” Koshet said. “They ask more questions.”

One of the retailers taking virtual meetings with Koshet was Eloise Goldberg of the City Lites boutique located near Palm Desert, Calif. “With Zoom, there are no interruptions or interference. You can really concentrate,” Goldberg said. “But it’s hard for me to buy online. I’m more of a hands-on kind of person.”

Sundresses have been trending at her store, and face masks are also among the big sellers. Goldberg ordered Berek and Mesmerize face-mask brands from Koshet.

Virtual and in-person meetings at the Cooper

At the Cooper Design Space, Marco Lebel turned his Lebel Fashion Group showroom into a photography studio for August market. He mounted an iPad Pro tablet on a stand and illuminated the showroom with a bright halo light to conduct virtual meetings. Lebel, who marked the fifth anniversary of his showroom business, took in a handful of in-person meetings during market, but running virtual meetings has increasingly served as his mode of doing business.

Virtual meetings take a lot more legwork than in-person meetings and there’s no opportunity for walk-in buyers to see lines such as Milly, Judith & Charles, Kasia and Black Score. The buyers who made orders requested Immediates or orders that were going to be delivered in 60 to 90 days, Lebel said.

Despite a shift to digital, there is still business to be made with in-person meetings, said Israel Ramirez, owner of the Siblings Showroom. He estimated that the number of in-person meetings compared to the June L.A. Market doubled. “There is still a need to go out there and buy,” Ramirez said.

One of the retailers taking an in-person meeting at Siblings was Founded 1912, a swim-and-beachwear store that is scheduled to open in Manhattan Beach, Calif., in mid-September, said Jennifer Elias, a shop co-founder. The boutique will offer elevated swimwear and beachwear for tourists and also focus on serving local consumers in Manhattan Beach and the surrounding cities in Los Angeles’ South Bay.

Elias said that COVID-19 has compromised the sense of discovery finding new lines during an unplanned visit to a showroom. “Something can look different on video than when you see it in person,” Elias said. “It makes it more challenging, especially with swimsuits and their trims.”

For swim trends, Elias noted a vintage trend in women’s swimwear, especially with the high waists of the 1950s’ pin-up look. “There are a lot of beautiful colors coming out,” she said. “A lot of yellows, pastels and lilacs. Pinks are hot.”

Staying optimistic at The New Mart

Business at The New Mart saw local buyers in addition to more-distant cities in California and neighboring states.

At the Arlene Henry Showroom, Sarah Kirakossian saw buyers from Palm Desert, Calif.; Pasadena, Calif.; and Arizona. Making appointments far in advance wasn’t the standard during this market, she said, noting a quick text from a buyer would be sent prior to arrival. While some buyers visited with a clear idea of the lines they wanted to see, others needed a bit of guidance.

“They’ll say, ‘We want to see Lisa Todd’ or they want to see Staples,” Kirakossian said, referencing some of the lines she was showing. “They also don’t know what they want due to the shutdown in case it happens again. The people from the desert said business is picking up because the snowbirds didn’t go back to the East Coast after last winter.”

More-fashionable tops were trending during this market as consumers who work from home are still expected to appear business ready for virtual conferences and video meetings. Buyers must also serve customers who are becoming more conscientious regarding the origins of their garments.

Stopping by Arlene Henry, Valerie Forlizzi, the founder and owner of the Simi Valley, Calif.–based Toscana Moon Boutique, said that she was happy to see more growth in the domestic side of apparel manufacturing.

“I don’t know if it has to do with the pandemic, but there seems to be influence on local manufacturing and stuff that is made in the U.S.,” Forlizzi said. “I like stumbling upon new companies that are manufacturing in the U.S. Some are a little bit more money, but it’s worth it.”

Catering to all ages with its trendy and bohemian goods, Forlizzi’s store offers price points averaging $69, with certain members of her clientele prepared to spend a bit more. To find holiday goods and items from new lines for her store, which sells mostly women’s but also men’s accessories and some children’s pieces and lifestyle products, Forlizzi visited the Rande Cohen showroom for PJ Salvage and Valerie Hambas, where she found Saxx, 5 Seasons, Lynn Girard, and Chaser.

At the Robert Aruj Showroom, which specializes in handbag lines such as Inzi and Bevini Modena, business wasgoing well. Aruj reported a steady stream of customers on the afternoon of Aug. 4, with some visiting from as far away as South Dakota.

“There are a lot of retailers out there who need to be looking at fall. I get reorders on a regular basis,” Aruj said. “They are buying very close to need so they are looking for immediate delivery.”

With non-leather wholesale price points between $30 and $50 and leather averaging $90 to $95 wholesale, he saw interest in products that offered convenience, such as crossbody bags, totes that aren’t too large, quilted pieces and retro suede-and-leather combinations.

“It’s promising. People are slowly but surely getting ready for fall—conditions allowing. People aren’t sure when to jump in,” Aruj said. “Normally, going into fall people have to go back to school and back to jobs. That isn’t happening the way it did.”