California Apparel News

Changing tides marked the surfwear, skatewear and streetwear business at the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo, held Jan. 14–16 at the San Diego Convention Center, and the Agenda show, which exhibited Jan. 14–15 in downtown San Diego.

ASR’s January show traditionally introduces the Summer collections of the world’s top surf and skate companies. This season, however, many companies—including Huntington Beach, Calif.–based Quiksilver Inc. and Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Hurley International—chose to preview their Fall collections at the show.

The shift to early previews has been a new trend in recent years, said John Sabo, senior vice president of Irvine, Calif.–based Redsand. “The big question is: How early do you want to work in the fashion cycle?” he said.

Sabo noted that customers ordered Summer clothes such as boardshorts for April 25 and May 25 deliveries, but Redsand also previewed its Fall denim line.

ASR, produced by New York–based VNU Business Media, reported that 328 companies attended the recent trade expo, a 10 percent increase from the January 2004 show. But growth in buyer attendance remained flat with the previous year’s numbers, according to show director Kevin Flanagan.

Many exhibitors said the show was productive but light on action.

“It’s exciting to see other companies’ new lines and new products,” said William Schuster, owner of Newport Beach, Calif.–based Poon-Tang’s Sportswear. Schuster has been showing at ASR since the late 1980s. “They have to figure out a way to get more specialty and mom-and-pop stores here.”

ASR reported that mostly specialty stores attended the show. Among them were Pacific Sunwear of California Inc. and Beach Bums, both based in Anaheim, Calif.; Jack’s Surf & Sport in Huntington Beach; and Central Coast Surfboards in San Luis Obispo, Calif.

Polishing the look

Polishing already strong collections was a main theme at the show, according to Matt Gomez, director of apparel at Matix Clothing in Torrance, Calif.

“I wouldn’t say there’s anything new this season,” Gomez said, surveying the show. “People are just getting better at what they’re doing.”

Bob Abdel, chief buyer and partner at Jack’s Surf & Sport, said he found interesting lines at the show. “It is harder for a buyer; there’s no one making bad stuff,” he said.

Abdel said lines from major industry players Billabong, Hurley, Quiksilver, O’Neill and Volcom had improved from the companies’ 2004 offerings. He also noted that he was impressed with Split and Ezekiel.

Jack’s bought Spring and Summer clothes from Australian company Insight, one of the show’s standouts. “It’s high-fashion surf,” Abdel said.

Beach Bums also picked up the brand.

New looks for January 2005 included walking shorts inspired by men’s formal trousers. Matix’s traditional “Harsh Gav” walking short wholesaled for $24, and Carlsbad, Calif.–based Rip Curl’s “Bentley” short went for $21 wholesale.

Long trousers are also gaining in popularity, said Todd Kellogg, senior buyer for Beach Bums. “It’s got to have plaid or pin stripes; basic chino won’t cut it anymore,” he said.

Retailers, Kellogg noted, are increasingly looking for slim-cut T-shirts. He said 70 percent of his store’s T-shirts are slim-cut combed-cotton and 30 percent are regular cotton tees.

Twice the Agenda

Aaron Levant, president of Los Angeles– based Agenda LLC, said there were 80 exhibitors at the recent show, up from 46 in September 2004.

Buyers from stores including Metropark, Up Against the Wall, Active Ride and Anchor Blue and from catalogs such as Digital Gravel browsed the show’s art-driven labels. RVCA Clothing, Cypress, Calif.–based Tank Farm and San Francisco–based Upper Playground were among the exhibitors.

Eric Herbert, chief executive officer and designer of Dm.Ninety-Eight in Long Beach, Calif., said business was mostly quiet but flared up in the afternoon on both days of the show.

Many retailers see the show as a gathering place for smart labels that are still under the radar for many consumers, said Steve Carlson, general manager of 30-year-old Central Coast Surfboards. Carlson, who visited the show for research, said he was impressed with RVCA, Mada and the MacBeth Shoe Co.

Marshal Cohen, chief analyst at Port Washington, N.Y.–based NPD Fashion World, said 2005 should be a healthy year for the surfwear industry. The industry’s retail sales could rise 6 percent to 7 percent, while total apparel should increase by 3 percent, he noted.

“It’s not going from zero to 60 in five seconds,” Cohen said of the activewear. “It’s back to its natural position, where it’s a lifestyle.”