California Apparel News

Liberty Fairs introduced its first virtual trade show on Aug. 17, co-produced with the Joor wholesale marketplace. The virtual trade show enjoyed more than 1,800 unique visits to its site on the first day of the show, said Edwina Kulego, the new Liberty Fairs vice president, who joined the trade-show producer in July.

“It has been awesome! We had a strong day one,” Kulego said. “It gave us a lot of confidence. This is our first time doing a virtual trade show. But digital has been a long-term plan for us.”

Liberty Fairs had been long planning to develop a stronger digital trade-show presence. The COVID-19 crisis forced the company to introduce a digital show sooner than anticipated.

Exhibiting at the virtual-trade show were brands including Karl Lagerfeld Paris, the Billionaire Boys Club, PRPS, The Kooples and Naked & Famous. More than 38 percent of the vendors were new and emerging brands. The shift to virtual gave the chance for many new vendors to exhibit, Kulego said. Fees were more affordable—70 percent lower than recent in-person Liberty Fairs. Entry for retailers was free.

On the virtual Liberty Fairs, vendors post photos and videos in a virtual booth. Communication works like a social-media site. Buyers can start a relationship with an exhibitor by giving a “like” or a heart-shaped icon on a vendor’s showroom. The platform also tells vendors who has been viewing posts of their showroom.

Reese De Luca runs a namesake Reese De Luca brand in Montreal. He said that the viewing function has offered good show intelligence. “I get more information compared to doing a show live,” he said. “It’s given me the ability to pursue the right people who have been looking at my profile.”

Nina Baksmaty of Koshieo, a luxury brand with African-design inspiration, also exhibited at the virtual show. She was hesitant about participating in a physical trade show during the COVID-19 crisis, but the virtual trade show was affordable and she didn’t have to travel. The event allowed Baksmaty to spread the word about her brand widely. “I’m getting more connections with international buyers,” she said, and many were ordering face masks.

Retailers such as Fred Segal, Assembly in New York City and United Arrows in Japan reportedly visited the virtual trade show. Daniel Lipkin of Los Angeles­­­­­–based multi-brand specialty boutique The Parliament, said that he had browsed the virtual Liberty Fairs. It was his first virtual trade show; however, he has done a lot of online ordering with the brands that he carries in his shop. Experience in online ordering takes some guesswork out of virtual shopping, he said.

“It’s better when you can be at the trade show and touch the fabric,” Lipkin said. “But when you have been in the business for a long time, you get a feel for the fabric.”

Veteran salesperson Leary Forteau started a new sales company, the Leary Forteau Agency, in July. He represents brands including Hiro Clark, FTC Cashmere, Original Paperbacks, Benibeca and Point Zero. He said that working a virtual trade show can be a challenge.

“I know retailers miss the touch and feel of garments and having that back and forth, that real human connection. The cool thing is we have virtual chats and get to have face-to-face comments, which can be more intimate than a trade-show setting,” Forteau said. “We got to make do with what we have now and take this opportunity to grow.”

Kulego said that the show would continue until Sept. 17. Visitors can access the virtual show at jooraccess.com and libertyfairs.com. The long show run will give a leisurely time for retailers to mull over the decision-making process. For future Liberty Fairs shows, Kulego hopes that retailers and vendors will participate in the in-person Liberty Fairs as well as the virtual shows.

“We are making these trade shows about experiences. Retailers can visit a physical booth and listen and learn about a brand. Then they can finalize an offer online,” she said. “It’s an omni-channel way to bring the best of both worlds.”