Mixed Results at L.A. Textile Show

Traffic reports were mixed at the Los Angeles International Textile Show, which was held between the split Fall ’05 markets at the California Market Center.

The April 4–6 show, held after the new Los Angeles Contemporary Market Week (March 17–22) and before the Los Angeles Fashion Market (April 8–12) and the Los Angeles Majors Market (April 11–13), still drew a number of local designers and company representatives. Among those spotted shopping the show were designers Eric and Diane Martin, Louis Verdad and Sterling Capricio and representatives from Karen Kane, Petro Zillia, JW Los Angeles and Steady. Even Bravo’s “Project Runway” finalist Kara Saun turned out to browse the show’s offerings, which included piece goods, trim, original artwork and apparel-specific technology.

Most exhibitors said the traffic at the show seemed light, although some European exhibitors said attendance seemed to be on par with last season.

The CMC does not release attendance numbers, but show organizers were upbeat about the show’s turnout, although they noted that this year’s show was three weeks earlier than last year’s, which could have had an impact on attendance.

“We are up against the highest registered attendance in seven years,” said Cecil Strickland, the CMC’s executive director of retail relations. “Although the comments are positive and encouraging regarding our new dates—three weeks earlier than last year— to beat last year’s attendance with these new dates would be a real challenge. We know the textile community will need two or three shows to adjust their calendars and mind-set to this new time frame.”

Still, some exhibitors were very pleased with the traffic. Hector J. Perez, sales rep for Vernon, Calif.–based converter Chris Stone Inc., was happy with the turnout and response to his company’s collection of interiors fabrics.

“The last show was the best one for us traffic-wise, and yesterday was pretty good,” he said on the second day of the show. “That’s a good sign for us.”

Ann Davis, a Los Angeles representative for Gastonia, N.C.–based Naturally Knits and City of Industry, Calif.–based Eclat Textile Co., was equally upbeat.

“All my customers have been in—I’ve had a very good response,” she said. “I get the feeling there may be more production happening here than previously thought. Nobody has been talking packages.”

And Ascher Studio Inc.’s Dan Sassower was also positive about the show, noting that the traffic seemed to come in waves.

“Around 3 [p.m.] yesterday we had five of our most important people come in at the same time,” he said, adding that the New York–based company’s African-inspired prints were particularly well-received.

This was the second time at the show for Gallery Asha’s Julie Ward, who has been importing fabrics from Mauritania since 1999. “I started traveling and saw the fabrics and fell in love,” she said. In 2002, she began bringing in Peruvian fabrics after a trip to Machu Picchu.

Currently, she sells to labels including Skye, Suzi Click and Juuml;nker. She acknowledged that the process between meeting a potential customer and landing an order can take quite a while. “It took Skye a year to order,” she said.

The brightly colored fabric is sold in 5-yard lengths with a 50-yard minimum and an eight-week delivery window. The next step for Ward is to begin stocking some of the fabric in Los Angeles.

Better was better

In general, fabric representatives who sell to the contemporary and high-end market fared better than those catering to the juniors market. Many reps said the juniors piece goods buyers had little time to spare as they prepared for the Majors Market.

“The junior market is so crazy; they don’t have half a day to spend here,” said Mitch Naidrich, vice president of Malibu Textiles. Naidrich said manufacturers looking for immediate goods from domestic mills such as Malibu need at least two weeks to put newly ordered fabrics in the line.

The turnout seemed higher among contemporary and designer resources. Strickland said the building saw a 19 percent increase in attendance by designers this season over last year and the percentage of attendees in the better-to-designer market increased from 44 percent to 56 percent.

MartinMartin designers Eric and Diane Martin hunted for new fabrics, including denim and active-sports fabrics.

“We have our regular sources for MartinMartin fabrics,” Eric said. “Today, we are looking for denim for menswear and womenswear applications. We are also interested in technical fabrics, and we’ve found many, many beautiful examples of that from Italian mills.” He later found more resources among the exhibitors in the French Pavilion on the 13th floor.

Italian optimism

This season, the Italian Trade Commission brought representatives from 17 Italian mills to show at TexItalia, held in the fashion theater.

“We are more and more interested in the West Coast,” said Rossana Ciraolo, director of the fashion department for ITC’s New York bureau, who noted that Italy saw a 7 percent increase in fabric exports to the United States last year.

“There are more designers interested in Italian products, and [Italian] companies find the West Coast market challenging,” she said.

Diane Hayon, who represents Italian denim line Ritmotex, was enthusiastic about the show’s turnout.

“This is the best show we’ve had in years,” she said. “People in L.A. are coming in and saying it’s not a price issue, it’s a newness issue, and they are looking for fashion. Prices are tough because of the euro, but it doesn’t seem to matter—they’re going crazy.”

Price was a consideration for JW Los Angeles designer Victor Tanaka, who was viewing the lines in TexItalia. Although the weak dollar has made European prices an issue, the designer said there’s often no less-expensive substitute. “You find great European fabrics, and there’s nothing comparable from Asia, so you don’t have a choice,” he noted.

The same was true for J.P. and Mattie designer Mattie Ilel, who typically places most of her orders at Premiegrave;re Vision in Paris.

“We usually buy most of our fabrics from Europe, but now we have to seek more options,” she said. “I’m trying to be resourceful here.”

New faces at the French Pavilion

The euro/dollar exchange rate was an issue among the 15 exhibitors at the French Pavilion on the 13th floor.

“The main problem is the euro rate—it’s probably the same for all the European exhibitors,” said Agneacute;s Elisabelair, international export manager for Espace Textile, which organizes the French Pavilion.

Still, Elisabelair said the exhibitors were pleased overall with the show, noting new exhibitor Verne et Clet landed an order with Disney through its New York agent, European Fabric Resource’s Gary Birns.

Another newcomer to the pavilion, Soiries Cheval, was hoping to find a market for its high-end eveningwear and haute couture fabrics, including silk prints, chiffons, glitter flocking and burnout, according to representative Frank Romestant, whose family founded the mill in 1936.

“I have some California customers, but this is my first time in the United States. I want to try this business here,” he said, adding that he is now looking for an agent to help him develop his West Coast business.

Despite the unfavorable exchange rate, Elisabelair noted that French mills remain interested in pursuing the West Coast market.

For the next show, she said Espace Textile will include a display of garments made by California designers using French fabrics as part of the trend forum at the entrance to the pavilion.