California Apparel News

With appearances by red-hot celebrities such as Jessica Simpson and a concert by new Grammy Award winners The Black Eyed Peas, MAGIC International proved once again it could deliver the glitz befitting America’s largest apparel trade show.

Yet the business action on the floor of the Las Vegas Convention Center Feb.14–17 often took a low-key profile, according to retailers and exhibitors.

“There’s no shortage of buyers,” said Jeff Shafer, founder of jeans label Agave Denimsmith in Santa Monica, Calif. “But the show’s energy is dispersed. You don’t hear the white noise of the crowd. You don’t feel you’re in a marketplace. You miss that excitement.”

The February market typically is the smaller of the two shows produced by MAGIC International, based in Woodland Hills, Calif. Show representatives said exhibitor attendance grew to 3,200, an increase from the February 2004 MAGIC, at which more than 3,000 exhibitors showed their wares.

The recent event’s leisurely pace was linked to everything from Valentine’s Day falling on opening day to business deals being completed at prior trade shows to competition increasing from the eight satellite trade shows scheduled the same week. But the exhibitors and buyers participating in MAGIC gave it a strong vote of confidence.

“It’s the national market,” Shafer said. “You have to show up. It’s a place to press the flesh, review the line and talk about markets.”

Steve Coe, a partner with streetwear company Arbre Group LLC, based in Vienna, Va., said the show gave up-andcoming labels an important stamp of approval.

“We did Pool [Trade Show] and we did Agenda,” Coe said. “If you show here, people take you more seriously.”

Los Angeles boutique chain Madison reportedly placed an order with the Arbre Group.

Venus Brown, president of Hollywood- based I-Am Clothing, said MAGIC remained the best place to find publicity for a debuting label.

“We didn’t come here to write $1 million in orders,” Brown said. “We wanted to create awareness of this label.”

But profit was the sole reason for other exhibitors’ presence.

“We do this show to write orders,” said Aaron Duncan, senior vice president and creative director for New York–based Playboy Enterprises Inc. “If we weren’t writing orders, we wouldn’t be here.”

Playboy’s booths were packed throughout the show, and the company estimated it conducted the same amount of business as it did during the last MAGIC.

Despite the overall low-key tone, many businesses did make deals because they needed to buy more stock, said retail analyst Elizabeth Pierce of Los Angeles–based Sanders Morris Harris Group Inc. “Vendors and retailers did a good job managing inventory during the holidays,” she said.

Business was very good for up-and-coming labels such as Vernon, Calif.–based Realitee Clothing Inc. Partner Mike Chodler said he did 20 percent more business than he did during the previous MAGIC because word had spread about the brand. He estimated that 90 percent of his business was from specialty shops and boutiques.

Merchandising MAGIC

MAGIC competed with the satellite events by adding special shows within shows, including Platform, dedicated to premium contemporary clothes, and Windows, reserved for women’s dresses. These joined several returning mini-shows, including the streetwear-savvy High Five Campground, the European-flavored In-dex sportswear section and rock-clubwear show The Edge.

Marco Tonazzi, U.S. distributor of Italian label Think Pink, said the mini-shows, organized as open-air marketplaces similar to competitors such as Pool, were successful because they directed buyers to specialty sections where they could find specific clothing categories.

Daniel Guez sold Fall 2005 clothes from his Los Angeles– based label, People’s Liberation, at Platform. He said that the traffic directed toward the open-air mini-show met his expectations for MAGIC, but he noted that he will opt for a traditional enclosed booth to ensure more privacy next time.

Retailer Izzy Ezrailson from Washington D.C.–based Up Against the Wall purchased streetwear lines such as LRG, based in Santa Ana, Calif., and Los Angeles’ Stronghold.

Alan Au of formal line Jimmy Choo’s For Men 5'8quot; and Under said he was particularly impressed by the Fall lines of Michael Kors and Tuscano.

Showing at Mandalay

Thirteen miles away from the Las Vegas Convention Center, the Mandalay Bay Convention Center hosted the Pool Trade Show, The Exclusive and the Project Global Trade Show. The distance emphasized how MAGIC International differed from the three smaller shows in terms of products, atmosphere and buyers.

Los Angeles–based The Exclusive LLC offered roast-beef lunches with cloth napkins to better menswear retailers. Targeting high-end fashion and premium denim, New York’s Project gave away olive bags that were designed by Ted Baker London and printed with the phrase “the next generation tradeshow.” Los Angeles’ Pool, which focused on boutiques, introduced a semiannual magazine-cum-directory that included a music CD sponsored by Filter magazine. All three events lasted three days; The Exclusive and Project both opened Feb. 13, and Pool began Feb. 14.

The separate venues and different start times were hard for retailers such as A.J. Cohen, owner of denim shop Local Joe in Bend, Ore. “There is so much running around it’s ridiculous,” he said.

While the majority of his vendors showed at MAGIC, he also went to The Exclusive, Project and Pool to buy from Andrew Marc, Robert Graham and others.

Mohammed Khaled traveled between MAGIC and The Exclusive to put in approximately $125,000 in orders for his business, Zioni for Men, based in Jacksonville, Fla. He said it was easier to shop at The Exclusive. At MAGIC, “it’s too much, [and] you get lost,” he said.

Throngs of buyers came to Los Angeles’ embroideryheavy Antik Denim at Project.

Blue Pen Inc., of Vernon, Calif., said it got a great reaction to the Sable Blanc vintage-style tops and R U Blue premium jeans it unveiled at Project. “We wanted something that caters to the contemporary market and goes back to the denim,” said Sable Blanc President Christine Rielly.

For R U Blue, a top seller was a trouser that wholesaled for $120 and featured pin stripes in plain, red or green thread and pony skin covering the front coin pocket.

Eighty of The Exclusive’s 280 exhibitors placed booths in the Synergy area lying between The Exclusive and Project. Agave Denimsmith, which also showed at MAGIC, was among them. An Agave rep said that on The Exclusive’s first day, the company tripled the number of people who visited its booth from a year ago and opened 20 new accounts.

Pool’s growth was reflected in the hiring of Eventscape, a Toronto-based company that also worked on Fornarina and Miss Sixty stores, to design the 200,000-square-foot venue, according to Pool founder Ronda Walker.

Pool accepted Orange County’s Rvca, Etnies, Low and Split Clothing Inc., which have also participated in the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo. Eric Thomas, sales manager at Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Rvca, said incorporating drawings from about 24 emerging artists enables the line to cross over from the action-sports market to the boutique world. He added that Rvca hopes to increase its annual wholesale volume from $6.5 million last year to about $10 million this year. Steve Pinkow, president of Irvine, Calif.–based Split, said Pool has helped the company access more boutiques.

But Pool is best known for featuring labels that push the envelope. Montreal’s Circo de Bakuza silk-screened the kinetic paintings of Carlito Dalceggio on its T-shirts ($25 to $70 wholesale). Brad Day, who runs Los Angeles’ Decent with Patrick Winget, said visitors had mixed reactions to a lambskin leather jacket patched together from 67 Day-Glo swatches ($295 wholesale). Although the line is carried by domestic boutiques, including New York’s Work in Progress and Los Angeles’ Barracuda, most of Decent’s sales came from Japan and Europe.

Pool’s repertoire is “a little wild, not for my customer,” said Felecia Colvin, an associate buyer for MGM Mirage who purchases shoes and lingerie for the Las Vegas company’s hotels, including the Bellagio.

Pool offered more mainstream collections, too. Jak & Rae, owned by Los Angeles’ Hot Kiss, rang up about $200,000 in specialty store orders for vintage-inspired trenches, gauchos and other womenswear on day one.

Fornarina showed a variety of apparel and shoes at Pool. Edward B. Kangeter IV, vice president of sales and marketing, predicted that apparel sales will match shoe volume by the end of 2005. He added that the Italian company is researching the use of production in Brazil and the United States to shorten delivery times to North American customers. Fornarina said buyers liked narrower looks, including a lean jean with a high rise ($48 wholesale) and a velvet pencil skirt with a detachable silk/satin pleated panel ($95 wholesale).

Caroline Lettieri, manager of fashion direction at Anchor Blue in Ontario, Calif., said the colors, trends, directions and little details presented by Pool’s cutting-edge companies are ahead of the market by a year. A big theme Lettieri noticed was military camp, which she described as a cross between the Boy Scouts and the military.

WWIN set to expand

The big news out of the Women’s Wear in Nevada (WWIN) show, held at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino, was that about 200 new booths will be added to the August edition of the show. The space is expected to be dedicated to higher-end merchandise, said co-producer Jeff Yunis.

The show set records for overall attendance, said Yunis, though he did not disclose actual attendance figures. Exhibiting resources reported generally brisk traffic and continued interested in updated and contemporary silhouettes.

Novelty tops were popular, whether they were adorned with crystals or with appliqueacute;s such as the ultra-suede stars, hearts and flowers of Tea Shirts, sold by the San Diego–based Susan Wedell Collection. Lynne Andresevic of Los Angeles–based Crayola Sisters reported strong interest in tie-dyed knits as well as hand-beaded and hand-painted pieces from Azmina.

“Bling-bling is in,” noted Mary Larsen of Los Angeles–based Surrealist, which showed crinkled tops and T-shirts with crystals and stones.

San Diego–based Zashi reported good business with sequin-embellished circle skirts made from Indian fabrics, said company principal Sheri Tharani. Cargo skirts made from parachute fabric were also checking at Surrealist’s booth.

“We’re writing paper. This show’s as good as August, and we had a very good show then,” Larsen said.

Andresevic estimated her business was slightly down from last year’s show.

“We made some new accounts and had some busy days, but overall, it was probably a little bit off,” she said.

Other exhibitors reported mixed results from their retail accounts. “Some are down. Others are doing better than ever,” said Susan Wedell.

Manufacturer Debra Morel of Arcadia, Calif.–based Simply Roses agreed. She said she has enhanced sales for her cotton sportswear line by exhibiting at more gift shows.

Some retailers appeared to be honing in on niches at the show. Las Vegas store owner Lanice Rodgers said she was on the lookout for business suits, while Annie Tutunjian said she was searching for casualwear resources such as City Girl to enhance her Fresno, Calif.–based store, Mannequin.

Brighte Vegas bows at The Venetian

Brighte Vegas debuted at The Venetian hotel with about 100 exhibitors. Most said they were pleased with the initial run of the ENK International–produced event, held Feb. 14–18.

The show strived to bring more of a boutique element to the Las Vegas show scene. Labels Da-Nang, Chaudry, Tiffany Alana and RE were among the mix of East Coast and West Coast resources, and most said they had decided to show at Brighte based on their successes at other ENK shows, including Fashion Coterie in New York and Brighte Companies in Los Angeles.

“Some of the exhibitors opened up some good accounts. It was a good mix of known and established companies and new, young labels looking for exposure,” said ENK President Elyse Kroll.

“This show has a lot of potential. We saw some good stores,” said Chanita Harris of Los Angeles–based Yogi, which makes yoga-inspired sportswear in California.

David Shamouelian of Los Angeles–based Romeo & Juliet Couture said he was also impressed with the buyer base.

“They get all the A customers here. It’s a better caliber of a show,” he said. Shamouelian showed his line with Theresa Matthew, who reps the collection in her California Market Center showroom. The line consists of knits and tops embellished with wood beads, Swarovski crystals and sequins ($20 to $79).

Yogi featured dip-dyed tops ($20 to $26) along with gauze pieces and inside-out screen-printed shirts. “Every yoga studio that opens these days seems to have a boutique with it, so it’s a good niche,” Harris said.

Da-Nang highlighted its regular line as well as its Stitchs denim collection, out for its third season. The line features men’s, women’s and kids’ denim with heavy hand-stitching and a large dose of “Americana, Western and rock ’n’ roll,” described company representative Shane Crawford.

The pants are constructed from Japanese denim that has undergone a 30-hour wash process and are detailed with Indian Head or Buffalo Head nickel buttons. “They’re reordering like crazy,” Crawford said.

Aside from denim, there was an abundance of camisoles and low-neckline tops. Los Angeles–based RE said its turquoise and coral tops were checking. “We’re insane about fit. We move faster. That’s how we distinguish ourselves,” said Stephen Vigil of the company.

“[Camis] are a great layering piece. It’s here to stay,” said Matty M. representative Brett Ozar, who showed a number of polyester tops in the silhouette. The line is a more refined division of parent company Zinc, based in Vernon, Calif.

ASAP, the Sourcing Zone and Fabric@MAGIC

Thanks to the end of apparel and textile quotas for World Trade Organization members, foreign manufacturers scurried for U.S. customers at the ASAP Global Sourcing Show at The Venetian hotel and the Sourcing Zone at MAGIC.

“We’re testing the waters here. There’s no better time than right now,” said Magesh Bagquathi, a representative of the Zaida Clothing factory, based in Tamilnadu, India. The company showed at the Sourcing Zone in the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Zaida, which has a U.S. office in Erie, Pa., specializes in wovens, making shirts for Quiksilver Australia and other large manufacturers. Bagquathi said the company competes with larger producing nations such as China by offering lower minimum orders. “With us, it’s 400 to 1,000 [minimum orders]. Many of the Chinese factories require a minimum of 3,000 units,” he said.

Barry Wang, general manager of Crest Light International Ltd. of Hong Kong, was looking to track U.S. garment trends and market its denim factory, which makes jeans for $6 to $8 per pair. “The end of quotas should make it easier for us, but at the same time, it’s more competitive. This market is not easy to work,” he said.

May Leung, sales manager for Pacic International Inc., based in Jiangsu, China, said the factory is keeping an eye on how U.S. trade representatives are reacting to the recent lifting of quotas. “Quotas are only a temporary measure. The U.S. may impose embargos or increase duties this April,” Leung said.

The factory, which has U.S. offices in Monterey Park, Calif., makes silk dresses and knitwear and specializes in the misses and juniors markets. Its customers include Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Nordstrom Inc., J.C. Penney Co. Inc., Macy’s and Target Corp., Leung said.

CTC Garment Ltd., based in Hong Kong, showed off its full-package capabilities at the Sourcing Zone. The factory recently developed a new dip-dyeing process for silk, which it claims is among the best in the business. A company representative said CTC, headed by H.F. Chan, plans to bring its services to Los Angeles in the near future to capitalize on the new trade environment. “The playing field is level now,” said the representative.

Companies from smaller producing nations such as Nepal also stand to grab a piece of the U.S. market.

“There’s only so much China can supply,” said Anil Tuladhar, director of U.S. operations for Sobha Cashmere, a Nepalese factory that has an agent in Medford, Mass. “People won’t break relations with us because of quotas. We satisfy their needs, and as long as we stay competitive, we can do the same or better than China at a competitive rate without everything that comes with being made in China.”

At ASAP Sobha showed an extensive line of cashmere garments, ranging in price from $25 to $100 a piece for landed costs.

Yoshio Ikeda of Profit Alliance, based in China, said the company made lots of contacts at ASAP for its sportswear. “We see dramatic increases in American customers, not only from quotas but because we worked hard last year in meeting companies and it’s paying off now,” he said.

Buyer Michael Donner of uniform manufacturer Barco Uniform, based in Gardena, Calif., said he was looking to establish relationships at ASAP. “We’re looking for trustworthy companies that make good, highquality garments fast,” he said.

The Hong Kong Trade Development Council brought a group of 30 companies to show at the Sourcing Zone at MAGIC. Stephen Wong, regional director, Americas for the HKTDC, said the Hong Kong exhibitors were hoping to impress on U.S. manufacturers their proficiency at higher-end, fashion-forward production. “Hong Kong companies know they can no longer compete on price because they are surrounded by indigenous Chinese,” he said.

He noted that the Hong Kong contingent at the Sourcing Zone represented just a fraction of the companies that exhibit at the biannual Hong Kong Fashion Week. “I could only bring 30 companies to Las Vegas, but in Hong Kong, I can bring 2,000—it can benefit the whole trade,” he said.

This year, MAGIC organizers more fully integrated the Sourcing Zone with Fabric@MAGIC, creating an entire section where manufacturers and retailers could source production, fabric and trim.

The move proved to be a good one for Los Angeles–based California Label Products, according to Tasha Garfield, principal and art director.

“Tuesday was insane,” she said. “We had about 450 leads, all qualified, all really big manufacturers.”

Garfield said she met with manufacturers and licensees from San Francisco, New York and other U.S. cities. Most inquiries were from MAGIC exhibitors looking for label products, although a few also asked for recommendations for domestic contractors.

This was the second time California Label Products showed at Fabric@MAGIC. Although the first time at the show did not yield much business, Garfield said the company was encouraged by its second visit. “There’s so much more potential—they haven’t tapped the iceberg,” she said.