California Apparel News

Prelude, a new textile print show, bowed Aug. 8–9 at the California Market Center in Los Angeles with exhibitors featuring original textile prints and patterns from local and international design studios, as well as trend and color forecasts.

Exhibitors, representing more than 33 design studios, set up space in the airy 13th-floor penthouse of the CMC.

“We’ve got some good studios to support the show,” said show organizer Patricia Brandt, owner of Los Angeles–based Patricia Brandt Co., which represents print studios and fashion information services such as United Kingdom studio Whiston and Wright and Italian companies Studio 33 and Studio New Age. “Everyone really wants to have a California presence, to catch the California companies in one place before Premiegrave;re Vision [in Paris in September].”

Brandt said she received preregistration from designers in San Francisco, Seattle and Portland, Ore., and as far away as Mexico.

The show got off to a slow start, although exhibitors said they were pleased with the format, which allowed them to meet with designers and retailers looking for original designs. Traffic on the second day picked up, thanks to a pair of seminars hosted by David Wolfe, creative director for Doneger Creative Services.

“The idea is good, but this is a new show; it will probably take a little time to build,” said Sergio Giacomel of La Jolla, Calif.–based Textile Design Studios, which represents Italian lines Anteprima and Pool Studio.

Giacomel, who said he also exhibits at the Los Angeles International Textile Show, said he was hoping to meet a few new designers at Prelude, as well as see some of his existing customers. “You always want to get a little bit of new people, hopefully,” he said.

A smattering of designers, manufacturers and retailers turned out for the inaugural run of the show, including Karen Kane, Trina Turk, Sheri Bodell, Tadashi, Cynthia Vincent, Mona Thalheimer, The Walt Disney Co., Pacific Sunwear of California Inc., The Wet Seal Inc., Tommy Bahama and Skechers.

“We went to see the David Wolfe presentation—that’s what got us there,” said designer Trina Turk after the show. She said the presentation, which focused on the return to grown-up, sophisticated fashions, “is all good news for Trina Turk.”

After Wolfe’s presentation, Turk briefly walked the show floor, although she said she was not specifically in the market to order.

“It’s a weird time for me,” she said. “I’m done with my print development for Summer ’06, and I haven’t started Fall ’06. I did buy something from [New York–based vintage textile supplier] What Goes Around Comes Around.”

Turk said she typically scouts for vintage prints on her own or meets with vintage-print representatives at her office, located in Alhambra, Calif. She said she has attended other print shows, including Direction in New York and Indigo in Paris, which is held at the same time as Premiegrave;re Vision. “I find those shows a bit overwhelming,” she said.

In addition to Wolfe’s presentation, Arnold and Fran Sude, owners of Los Angeles–based Design Options Inc., presented their Fall 2006 forecast for the misses, juniors, contemporary, young men’s and home markets. Stanley Pearlberg of Update by Stanley Pearlberg Studio presented a Summer/Transition 2006 forecast featuring St-Tropez and street trends. BGA’s Bill Glazer introduced his “EyeSpy Europe” service at his seminar, titled “A Junior Perspective From the Riviera.” And Eva Brune, senior editor of Fashion Snoops, presented trend forecasts for three categories: juniors and young men’s, denim, and toddlers and kids.

Turk said she liked the roster of trend presentations. “The more information you have, the better equipped you are,” she said.Los Angeles designer Cynthia Vincent, whose label is Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, was taken with the show. “I thought the show was great,” she said. “I did all my early [print shopping].”

Trend forecaster Fran Sude was enthusiastic about the turnout at her opening day presentation and about the caliber of attendees at the show.

“It was amazing,” she said. “Skechers came to the show. Disney came to the show. These are the people who are hard to get out of their offices.”

Timing the show

Most of the exhibitors at Prelude also show at the Los Angeles International Textile Show, where they vie for designers’ attention among textile mills, converters, technology providers and trim suppliers. Many Prelude exhibitors praised the look and format of the new show.

“I like this show. I like the feeling of it. It feels more specialized; it has a warm feeling,” said Judy Rosenberg of Los Angeles–based Judy Rosenberg Textile Designs, Color & Trend Forecasts.

Tuesday was the busier day for Rosenberg, who also shows at the Los Angeles International Textile Show.'“At the Textile Show, you get a lot of people who think you’re selling textiles,” she said. “They’ll ask, ’How many yards can I get?’ or “Can I get it in rayon?’”

Lynda Weinstein of Lynda Weinstein Design Resources echoed Rosenberg’s sentiments.

“I’ve been doing the L.A. Textile Show since the first show. This is definitely more focused for print development,” said Weinstein, whose Los Angeles–based company represents European design collections and maintains a library of more than 500,000 antique, vintage and original designs. “This is better timing for development, and the other show is focused on fabrics.”

Still, many exhibitors questioned whether the timing of Prelude was quite right. The event fell immediately after Intermezzo in New York and before Los Angeles Market Week.

“We selected the timing because we’re right after Direction [print show in New York] and a lot of the European studios, who do the New York shows, traditionally come to L.A. anyway to meet their L.A. accounts,” Brandt said. “And it’s before P.V.—these collections will all be at P.V.”

Many exhibitors said they will return to the next Prelude show, which is tentatively scheduled for January.

“If [Patricia Brandt] organized another time, I will do it—it’s worth a try,” said exhibitor Angela Arrigo of A3 Design Solutions in Marina del Rey, Calif. Arrigo’s company represents three lines based in Como, Italy: Blue Studio and Red Studio, which produce computer-generated prints, and Atmosphere, a hand-painted line.“We just have to adjust the timing,” Arrigo said. “The setting is beautiful, you have space and it’s very well-organized.”