California Apparel News

Surf continues to maintain the momentum it showed in September with the Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo, held Jan. 20–22 at the San Diego Convention Center, and Agenda, which exhibited at the San Diego Concourse Jan. 20–21. Both posted excellent attendance figures.

ASR, which marks its 25th anniversary this year, saw some growth over last January’s edition. Last year, the show was plagued by flat numbers. “The preliminary numbers show we were up a couple hundred stores and several hundred buyers,” said Kevin Flanagan, the show’s director. ASR also saw a 5 percent increase in exhibitors. “We’re really happy to see nice, steady growth,” Flanagan said. Show organizers are hoping to parlay their momentum into success for their new show, ASR Holiday, which is set to debut May 31–June 1 this year in Newport Beach.

Agenda, now in a new location, had one of its biggest shows ever. Approximately 125 brands exhibited at Agenda—representing a sizeable leap from last January, which drew 80 exhibitors. “We had huge growth,” said Agenda owner Aaron Levant. “We got much bigger and were able to fill a space that was more than double our old space.”

Exhibitors included premium denim brand Monarchy, Obey, Anzevino and Florence, and Ben Sherman. Traffic was steady, exhibitors reported. “We had over 400 buyers register online and 75 percent of them showed up,” Levant said. Levant also noted that another 400 industry guests attended the show.

The January edition of ASR has traditionally been dedicated to Summer collections, but the Fall focus has gained momentum over the last few years, and this year, many brands offered retailers a sneak peak at Fall. Quiksilver, Ocean Pacific, 686, Insight, Ezekiel, LRG and Luxirie by LRG all offered buyers a glimpse of Fall. RVCA focused on Summer, but brought a sampling of Fall to show forward-thinking buyers.

But not all buyers necessarily want to think about Fall just yet. Fung, a buyer for the seven Mainland Skate & Surf shops in Northern California—who only goes by one name— said he wasn’t interested in looking at Fall offerings. “I’m just not ready yet,” he said, noting that it’s too soon for him to know what will sell at his stores, which carry goods from brands like Stussy, Hurley, Roxy and Mada. “I’m here to shake hands and solidify relationships,” he said.

High fashion

If the offerings at ASR are any indication, skaters and surfers want more than just baggy jeans and branded T-shirts. “Anything that looks high-fashion does well,” said Rob Carbajal, owner of the Industry Ride skate shop in Palm Springs, Calif. In his shop, where preppy skateinspired fashions by Volcom sell best, denim is a big deal. “It’s super important. Everyone is after a good fit, style and wash—price isn’t really an issue,” Carbajal said.

High-fashion looks were available from snow, surf and skate brands. Irvine, Calif.–based lifestyle brand Ambiguous showed an expanded Fall collection of “dirty glam, dirty nerdy” clothes for men, featuring mismatched buttons and unique stitching. A standout piece was the brand’s full-length, ’70s-inspired twill trench coat, which wholesales for $50.

The Australian company Insight showed skinny, over-dyed denim for girls and wool bandleader-inspired jackets. Men can pair Insight’s baby blue Vneck sweater with the brand’s pale pink tie and heather-gray blazer. Ezekiel debuted a quilted purse for Fall that even couture lovers will covet.

Lifestyle brand LRG showed clothes with plenty of gold, snake print, embroidery and beading—for men. “Men want some luxury too,” said Kevin Delaney, LRG’s brand manager. Luxirie, the brand’s girls’ line, offered plenty of bling. Denim got glamorous with fitted shapes and a back pocket encrusted with Swarovski crystals.

Snow-inspired brand 686 offered a patented, gold-plated skate tool belt with a built-in screwdriver. The belt, which wholesales for $35, comes in its own wooden display case. The brand also offered snowboarders a down-filled suede jacket.

Home sweet new home

Held for the first time at the San Diego Concourse, Agenda enjoyed better facilities and more space. “I love it here,” Levant said. “It’s much better. The aesthetic of the show is the same—it’s a fun event and people do business—but the growth in size and the venue itself are encouraging people to stick around longer.” Past shows have been held in hastily-prepared parking garages and warehouses.

On opening night, attendees and exhibitors stayed late and enjoyed complimentary drinks. Exhibitor RVCA, which also had a booth at ASR, treated the crowd to the musical stylings of the Japanese Motors—a punk band from Orange County— and a fashion show featuring the brand’s Fall collection. Kiosks stocked with video games and lounges with comfy couches enticed buyers to sit a spell or write an order.

Levant said he hopes to keep growing the show, making it more interactive for attendees and exhibitors. “I want the show to be like a festival,” he said.

Jeremiah Myers, head buyer for the Karmaloop boutique in Boston and Karmaloop.com, said he would spend all of his time at Agenda shopping for streetwear for men and women. “There’s a good range of brands here, no filler,” he said. Myers spent his time perusing the offerings of brands like Freshjive and Five Four. He mentioned that his budget more than doubled over the same time last year. “I’m shopping for more upscale brands, premium denim, high-end Tshirts and sneakers,” he said.

He also divulged a surprising tidbit: Men purchase more goods from Karmaloop.com than do women. “They’re shopping for T-shirts, sneakers and jeans,” he said, noting the buyers weren’t from small towns or Midwestern states—they’re from California and New York. “They just don’t want to drive the 15 minutes to the store; they’d rather buy online and get it delivered to their house.”