Alternative Crowd Gathers at Agenda

T-shirts—and plenty of them—were the main bill of fare for the inaugural edition of Agenda, an independent music, art and apparel trade show. Agenda ran concurrent with the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo Jan. 23–24 at Naga Restaurant’s banquet room in Long Beach, Calif.

Deejays, rappers, abstract paintings and a circular bar made up the scene at Agenda, which attracted lots of Asian buyers as well as hot independents Fred Segal Melrose, Hot Topic, United Kingdom-based Route 1 and others during its initial run. T-shirts with graffiti, industrial art and propaganda themes were the big draws. But womenswear, menswear and footwear were also on the menu, served up by approximately 40 emerging companies.

Agenda actually started about six years ago as a onenight party showcasing the talents of local musicians and artists. With the emergence of graphic-artist groups such as Los Angelesbased AWR/MSK, show producers Louis Pulido and Aaron Levant decided that it was time to expand into apparel and launch a full-blown trade show.

“ASR hasn’t been profitable for a lot of the smaller companies,” said Pulido. “We wanted to open up a venue for young and up-and-coming companies.”

Among those were Huntington Beach, Calif.-based Howe, designer Jade Howe’s namesake line, which has been gaining lots of media attention for its low-cut men’s denim and European-woven dress shirts.

“We don’t fall directly into the boardsports category, and we wanted to do an alternative type of show, said Howe’s Summer Scherer. The company showed its denim line, as well as propaganda tees and Western-influenced button-up shirts.

Los Angeles-based Twentyfive used the show to relaunch its brand as RE, having licensed its original name to Asian customers. The company showed its women’s line, which consisted of rayon/poly strappy tops and stitched-up pants.

Tyke Wynn, chief designer for Santa Ana, Calif.-based Eyewitness, known for its Sasquatch- or Big Foot-themed printed tees, used Agenda to preview a new line of action figures based on the Sasquatch. It is an image that has captured Wynn’s imagination since he was in the fourth grade.

“It’s intriguing and embedded in everyone’s imagination,” he said, showing off new tees, priced at $11 each, that feature Sasquatch Beer, Jesus and evolution themes.

Levant and Pulido, who also produce tees for Los Angeles- based Milk Distribution, showed off several brands— including Green Apple, Leche, Ummah and Milk—all aimed at different market segments. Charlie Wolf of Sherman Oaks, Calif.-based The Seventh Letter was showing graphics of freight trains and graffiti-based slogans from leading street artists such as Saber, Ewok, Retna, Krush and Cold Steel.

“This is a good venue because buyers can focus on one thing,” said Wolf. “At the big show, there’s lots of eye candy and distractions. It’s going to get better.”

Added Kelly Johnson of T-shirt maker and magazine publisher Vapors: “ASR has gotten so big, there’s too much to look at. It’s more simple here, and the clothes sell themselves.” —Robert McAllister