California Apparel News

Moving into a new space for 2020, Eurovet’s Curve trade show launched its Los Angeles edition Feb. 23–24 at the Westdrift Manhattan Beach hotel with a focus on foundation pieces, intimates and lingerie.

“The need was a business need. Reps are already driving all over the West Coast to see stores and buyers, but it’s so spread out,” explained Raphael Camp, chief executive officer of Eurovet Americas. “L.A. is one of those capitals of fashion, and it’s a natural meeting point for the West Coast. It has this sexy and glamourous component.”

For Los Angeles designer Kaila Methven of Madame Methven, the show provided an opportunity to showcase new designs. In addition to her new offerings, Methven was promoting her Madame Methven Peace Love Unity Respect initiative, which affords sales-employment opportunities to members of the LGBTQ+ community who have been shunned by family and fallen on hard times.

“They are at the LGBT centers and have no place to go,” she explained. “This association allows them to make sales and, no matter what, they get 20 percent.”

At the booth where Curvy Couture was showcasing customer favorites and 2021 designs for plus-sized consumers and full-busted clients, Summer Rose Beltran mentioned that buyers were looking into alluring, sexy designs and wire-free bras. Beltran mentioned that the brand bypassed the New York show for the first time in seven years.

“We are an L.A. brand so it made sense,” she said. “A lot of the people who are here are happy because it’s warmer than where they are from. The mood and energy are lighter than most shows.”

Co-owners of 25-year-old TLC Lingerie, located in Billings, Mont., Lisa Cetrone and Tana Re attended the event after assuming ownership of the business nearly two years ago.

“We want to create long-term relationships and so we wanted to intimately meet with vendors, have a cocktail with them,” Cetrone said. “New York is big, but it’s not our goal to wander around Manhattan.”

With 70 percent of their store dedicated to bras, 20 percent to swim, 8 percent to shape wear and a small lingerie component, in addition to non-insurance mastectomy offerings, the women were hearing about the experiences of their peers and planning to expand certain segments within their shop. At the show, they placed orders with Pour Moi, Scarlett Blue, Arianne and Curvy Couture.

Veteran buyer Kathy Rodarte, owner of Lu Lu’s Nouvelle in Manhattan Beach, Calif., was happy to have a Los Angeles–area show to help her identify products that will set apart her bricks-and-mortar business from online alternatives. Committed to selling goods to match an array of budgets, Rodarte was searching for wholesale price points between $28 and $100 to $200. She placed orders with Samantha Chang, Chlo Intimo, Else, Commando and Karen Luu for loungewear.

“As a buyer, I work hard to find unique brands that hopefully don’t have a huge online presence. Keeping it small, tight and boutique-y is important to my business,” she said. “The way I cultivate relationships with my customers, I cultivate with designers. It’s important to have those relationships all the way around.”