California Apparel News

Pool prepares to move to LVCC lot

LAS VEGAS—Business was booming in many quarters of the massive MAGIC Marketplace and the Project Global Trade Show, while talk on the show floor revolved around the planned move of the Pool trade show for the next run of the shows in February.

There was a buzz on the floor at MAGIC, which ran Aug. 28–31 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, particularly in its streetwear and boardsports section in the South Hall and among the women’s and juniors exhibitors at WWDMAGIC in the North Hall. Business was brisk at the Stop Staring! booth at WWDMAGIC, where Alicia Estrada, designer of the Los Angeles–based dress label, said business on the first day of the trade show far exceeded the previous year. “The same stores were coming in and made double and triple the amount of orders,” she said. Meanwhile, MAGIC’s recently acquired contemporary streetwear show Project, held Aug. 28–31 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center, doubled in size, expanded its offerings beyond menswear and denim, and retained its reputation as a first-stop show for many buyers.

Pool move

Business ranged widely at Pool, MAGIC’s other recently acquired contemporary streetwear show, held Aug. 28–31 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Many exhibitors reported strong traffic and order-writing on the first day, followed by a drop-off on the second day.

Part of the problem may be Pool’s location far from either the LVCC or the Sands—a problem that organizers addressed by announcing that Pool would move in Februar y to climate-controlled tents outside the convention center’s North Hall.

According to Mindy Wiener, Pool’s director of operations, the decision to move came after learning that Mandalay Bay’s convention center will be unavailable in February due to a previously scheduled NBA event. Wiener promised that Pool would retain its identity as a show for independent designers and new lines.

“We wanted to be closer to the LVCC, but we weren’t ready to go inside,” she said. “We’re going to have a lot of creative freedom with these tents.”

The tents will be approximately 200,000 square feet and will be in the parking lot across from the LVCC’s North Hall. Wiener said she expected retailer traffic at Pool to triple with the new, more convenient location.

Exhibitors on the Pool show floor worried that with the move, organizers would increase the booth prices again. According to Dave Connor, founder of San Luis Obispo, Calif.–based Goodie Two Sleeves, rates have increased in the last year from $2,500 to $4,000 for a 10-by-10 booth. But Wiener said her organization does not plan to raise booth prices. Rather, she said, it will continue to look for ways to make Pool the most affordable show at the MAGIC Marketplace.

Overall, many exhibitors said they thought Pool was well-organized. “A lot of vendors are happier—the signage is better, it’s easier to walk around,” said Freddy Rojas, designer for Los Angeles label Rojas. “There’s a sense of freshness.”

Big Project

This season, Project increased from 500 to 700 exhibitors. Sam Ben Avraham, Project founder, said he had to expand in order to accommodate retailers from beyond the men’s premium category. “The market is changing,” he said. “There is a lot of crossover in this category.”

According to Fred Levine, owner of the M. Fredric chain of contemporary stores, people worried that Project lacked focus.

“It’s a different animal—they don’t have to focus on denim anymore,” he said. “As long as they keep the lines’ integrity, they don’t have to have a focus.”

Not everyone was pleased. Pierre Levy, owner of Vintage Rebel and a former partner in Guess, was at Project for the second time.

“It used to be just denim people here,” he said. “Now it’s all kinds of retailers—you don’t know what they’re doing here. It’s just like MAGIC.”

Satellite shows mixed

Traffic results were mixed at MAGIC’s satellite shows. Those that opened a day before MAGIC— including the upscale menswear show The Exclusive and the ASAP Global Sourcing Show—did quite well on that first day.

Organizers of The Exclusive, which was held next door to Project at the Sands, said they saw several buyers who were shopping both Project and The Exclusive.

This season, The Exclusive shared its space with ENK’s new show, ACICLV, the Accessories Circuit Intermezzo Collection Las Vegas. The small show’s exhibitors included several contemporary apparel and accessories lines.

ASAP set up its booths in the conference rooms at The Venetian, next door to the Sands and connected by a short hallway.

In another conference room at The Venetian, New York–based AccessoriesTheShow turned out for its second Las Vegas run.

On the Sands’ first floor the Off-Price Specialist Show returned.

And Women’s Wear in Nevada (WWIN) once again was held at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.

Buyers at The Exclusive menswear show appeared to pour into the event held at the Sands Expo Center mostly on the opening day and then cherry-picked items down the hall at Project and across town at MAGIC.

Show producer Larry Hymes said that attendance appeared to be up and that he had heard mainly positive feedback. The show caters to better men’s specialty stores. Those stores continue to adopt a new model by bringing more casual items next to suits and ties.

“If you just sell suits and ties now, you’d be out of business,” said Wally Barger, national sales manager for Seattle-based Road apparel, a division of Shaw Safari.

Vincent Ordioni of New York–based denim resource Jack of Spades said the company had logged 45 new accounts halfway through the show. Others said buyers were looking for items to build their merchandise mixes with a more casual slant.

WWIN show organizers said they were on-track for a record show, with an estimated 7,000 buyers in attendance at the event held at The Rio. “We’re still tallying,” said the show’s co-producer, Jeff Yunis.

Attendance was fueled by a rebound in the Resort business and a bigger draw from beyond the show’s principal audience west of Texas. Exhibitors said there was almost an even divide between selling Immediate goods and Spring.

Sigrin Torres-Aulenta of Los Angeles–based resource Dick & Jayne said there was lots of interest in dresses. “Everyone was asking for dresses with sleeves.”

Several buyers said the summer has been flat, but they are stocking up on color and relaxed casual clothing for Fall and Holiday.

Andrew Asch, Erin Barajas, Rhea Cortado, Robert McAllister and N. Jayne Seward contributed to this report.