LAS VEGAS—The decision by MAGIC International to consolidate its shows under one roof paid off at the Aug. 30–Sept. 2 run of the semiannual apparel trade show in Las Vegas.

More than 3,300 exhibitors signed up for the MAGIC Marketplace, spread out over 930,000 square feet at the mammoth Las Vegas Convention Center. That was the highest number of exhibitors in five years, said Camille Candela, marketing director for MAGIC. Last year, 3,000 exhibitors attended.

Buyers were happy to stay under one roof instead of splitting their time between the main convention center and the Sands Expo & Convention Center blocks away, where WWDMAGIC had been held until it consolidated with the MAGIC Marketplace this August.

“This is the best thing to happen to us. They should have done this long ago,” said Moshe Tsabag, chief executive of Los Angeles–based juniors manufacturer Hot Kiss Inc. Corp., which has been successfully riding the upturn in the economy.

Star power

A touch of Hollywood made the buying experience more exciting. Celebrities were everywhere. Actor Kevin Costner made a cameo appearance for a few hours at the booth where his fianceacute;e, Christine Baumgartner, was introducing her handbag line, Cat Bag Couture. Pamela Anderson held court at a pink-carpeted two-story booth, where she posed for photos and showcased the Pamela Anderson Collection of apparel and accessories. Nicky Hilton presented her new line, Chick, and a newly trimmed-down Anna Nicole Smith introduced her collection of jeans, T-shirts, tops and skirts, called Anna Nicole.

Organizers estimated that more than 90,000 people attended MAGIC Marketplace, and business was buzzing as buyers maneuvered through the aisles, viewing lines and placing orders.

Consumer confidence prompted many exhibitors—including John Sabo, senior vice president of Redsand, a division of Perry Ellis International Inc.—to forecast rosy business for Spring 2005. Sabo had back-to-back appointments every hour with specialty and department store representatives. “Everyone is talking about booking the same business or an increase from last year,” he said.

Satellite shows

The upbeat vibes were echoed at the various satellite shows that have sprouted around MAGIC Marketplace.

“We’ve increased our show this August by 10 percent,” said Roland Timney, show manager for WomensWear In Nevada at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino, where there were 630 booths this season.

Other shows held during MAGIC included the Off-Price Specialist Show at the Sands, Pool and The Exclusive at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, the ASAP Global Sourcing Show at the Las Vegas Hilton, and the International Swimwear/Activewear Market at Caesars Palace.

Buyer optimism was felt on the exhibition floor at The Exclusive, the menswear show formerly called Westcoast Exclusive. (The Los Angeles edition is still known as Westcoast Exclusive.) About 1,800 department store and specialty store buyers had registered by the show’s second day.

J.C. Cerrillo, a sales representative for leatherwear manufacturer Continental Leather in Chula Vista, Calif., calculated his first-day sales reached approximately $34,000 in better menswear boutique business.

At Pool, a show for alternative lifestyle apparel, more than 400 vendors presented a mishmash of hip apparel, footwear, art and home furnishings.

Jade Howe, founder and designer of Howe in Newport Beach, Calif., said he received a lot of attention from buyers looking to inject a bit of punk-rock attitude into their menswear offerings.

The line offers specialty-washed denim, fitted cotton dress shirts with French cuffs and Howe cuff links, pinstriped blazers, and angora zip-up hoodies with novelty screen prints. Wholesale price points range from $16 to $75.

Boy Scouts

One of the most active sections of the MAGIC Marketplace was The Edge, where urbanwear and alternative styles generated attention.

“This is where it’s happening,” said one financial analyst who follows the apparel industry.

One of MAGIC’s latest additions was The Campground at High Five in the contemporary street market. Twenty-eight manufacturers displayed their wares in vintage tents and travel trailers surrounded by lawn chairs, picnic tables and a stuffed bear. Up-and-coming streetwear companies—including Redsand, Astronaut People Wear and Cabral—sold artdriven boardshorts, T-shirts, wovens and blazers in the rustic environment.

Garth Cabral, owner of contemporary casual menswear line Cabral, said the campground’s theme drew buyers maneuvering their way through the sea of booths.

“Sure, it’s a little on the gimmicky side,” Cabral said. “But it gets attention.”

The California Apparel News will run full coverage of the Las Vegas shows next week.