Class Takes a Holiday
The trade show’s first Holiday-season event is a success, producers say.
When the producers of the Class trade show found a lull in the Southern California trade-show calendar, they gambled and scheduled their first Holiday show.
Scheduling can make the difference between a successful trade show and a bomb. But the new May 12–13 window turned out to be a hit for many of the exhibitors at the menswear- and denim-focused Class show.
“Timing was critical,” said Jason Bates, a founder and partner in the show. “Buyers had not bought anything in three months. They had open-to-buy dollars.”
According to Bates and show partner Hanna Diouml;s, 55 booths exhibited at Siren Studios, a photography and events complex at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street in Los Angeles’ Hollywood neighborhood.
Vendor participation declined compared with the previous Class show in February, when 73 booths exhibited, Bates said, but the timing was right for Rian Gardiner, executive vice president of Sand, a Danish men’s suiting and shirting label.
He has participated at nearly every Class show since the 2007 launch but called the Holiday show his most successful. “I saw the most retailers. People were making orders,” Gardiner said.
He declined to say how many orders were made for Sand, but they were all for a November 2011 delivery, he said. The lack of competition and the easygoing pace of the show helped business. “But you have to make appointments,” Gardiner said. “You can’t expect people to just show up at the booth.”
Retailers attending Class included prominent boutiques such as Akira, based in Chicago; Atrium, headquartered in New York; Avedon, based in Beverly Hills; Bill Hallman of Atlanta; LASC, based in West Hollywood, Calif.; Lizard Lounge of Portland, Ore.; MGM Hotels of Las Vegas; Zebraclub of Seattle; San Francisco boutiques Jack’s and Nomads; Los Angeles boutiques Douglas Fir, Kitson, Lisa Kline, Ron Herman and Ron Robertson; and Headchange, an e-commerce store based in Redlands, Calif.
While many exhibitors at the show said retailers were actively writing orders for Fall and Holiday merchandise, some of the show’s big winners were selling Immediates. Costa Mesa, Calif.–based surfwear line Rhythm offered Summer categories such as boardshorts, said Ian Perez, a salesperson for the line. “It was a Holiday show, but 90 percent of our sales were for Summer,” Perez said.
For headwear label Christy’s London, sales at Class were superior to the brand’s performance in February, said Ben DeLuca, the label’s national sales manager. The majority of his sales were for Summer. “Hats sell better when it’s nice out,” DeLuca said.
The show also was a good place to check men’s style trends, said Jackie Nguyen, men’s buyer for Zebraclub. “I’m overbought for Fall, but I’m letting more Fall trickle in—if I love it and if it works,” she said.
For Fall, she forecast, men would be wearing more non-denim bottoms such as chinos, twills and cargo pants.
Manuel Jackson, founder of Ekquality Style Hause, a showroom and styling business, said Fall and Holiday men’s looks would be dominated by earth tones, but they would also feature colorful details.
Irvine, Calif.–based activewear company Element debuted its Element Emerald Collection eco-clothing line at Class. The 26-piece collection of organic T-shirts and hoodies is constructed out of organic cotton and recycled polymers. The line also debuted a denim pant made out of organic cotton and Sorona polyester.
Class marked the second show for San Francisco–based jeans line Welcome Stranger. The men’s denim line is manufactured in the San Francisco area. One of the founders of the line is Catherine Chow, a founder of the influential Azalea boutique.
Despite the good business, the market is still tough for fashion retail. Consumers are spending more for food and fuel, leaving fewer dollars for clothes, said Neal Gaydos, a former boutique owner and now a retail consultant. However, now is a good time to get into the boutique market, he recommended. “We have new people opening stores,” he said. “Landlords are offering low rent.”
Dates for the next Class will be announced by the end of May, Bates said. The trade event also will be looking for new locations to produce the next show. But Class might stick to its unorthodox scheduling. “These in-between dates were a success,” Bates said. “We might do a Summer show in November.”
