California Apparel News

ORLANDO, FLA.—Just one week after showing at San Diego’s Action Sports Retailer Trade Expo, California’s surf, streetwear and skate brands trekked cross-country to Surf Expo, held Sept. 14–16 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. A more-diverse show than ASR, Surf Expo welcomed more than 850 exhibitors representing 1,672 lines—including wake board and windsurfing hardgoods manufacturers, resort apparel, gift manufacturers, swimwear brands and young contemporary brands—which packed the show floor. In all, more than 15,000 attendees walked the show.

New to the show this season was “Boutique,” formerly known as “She” and “Club Level.” The section featured more than 100 missy, young contemporary, footwear and gift exhibitors.

Exhibitor Sarvish Arora, vice president of juniors brand Funky People and young contemporary brand Pura Vida, had shown at She and welcomed the name change to Boutique. “It gives a clearer idea of what is here, which is apparel goods for boutique retailers. ’She’ sounded like it could be anything,” Arora said.

Surf and skate fashions were featured in daily fashion shows sponsored by Surf Expo and California Apparel News and held at the convention center. The trade show also hosted an off-site runway show at The Peabody hotel.

On the surf/skate show floor, buyers gravitated to classic lifestyle staples spiked with a dose of fashion—quite a change from the show a week prior at ASR, where fashion was the big story.

“There is a more conservative buyer here,” said Jason Arnold, marketing manager for Perry Ellis’ MCD brand. “The more-simple commercial pieces do well here—so basic boardshorts without a lot of scary art, logo T-shirts, the basics.” MCD’s black-and-white “Dark Deco” boardshort was a favorite with buyers at Surf Expo.

Dean Hada of Irvine, Calif.–based Ezekiel also found success with basics at the East Coast show. Walk shorts, boardshorts, T-shirts and no-frills woven shirts were key buys for Florida’s buyers. “Anything artsy or music-related didn’t check. Logos are big here,” Hada said. Mo Torres of Irvine’s Analog agreed with Hada and Arnold, though some buyers at Surf Expo did venture beyond the staples to a few more fashion-forward pieces, including slim-fit “cut-off” shorts and ’80s-inspired geo-print boardshorts.

Billabong showed cotton lace dresses, colored denim and trouser jeans alongside branded T-shirts and cotton shorts. Angi Broberg, the national sales manager for the juniors division, acknowledged that buying patterns were quite different from coast to coast. “Buyers really responded to the fashion pieces here, and they never resist color, but they did buy more conservatively,” Broberg said. Billabong’s baby-doll tanks, reversible fleece pieces, easy dresses and anything in bright tones caught the eyes of East Coast buyers.

At Paul Frank Industries, the focus was boardshorts, coverups and T-shirts, with a few sportswear pieces mixed in, said Laura Mills, the brand’s vice president of sales.

Hurley, which showed grown-up fashions, including a silk color-blocked day dress and tailored separates alongside its core surf offerings, is trying to redefine its image, said rep Jordan Dowty. “The focus is on the beach melting with the street. We’re going fashion forward,” she said. For guys, that means 30 percent of the line will focus on fashion, while 70 percent stays surf. Girls get 70 percent fashion, 30 percent surf. Still, in Orlando, buyers earmarked the bulk of their spending for branded, core surf looks. “We’d love to say the buyer here gave [fashion-forward pieces] a great reception, but we’re just not there yet. They think it looks great, but for now they’re sticking to the more-traditional pieces with a few pops of fashion-forward looks,” Dowty said.

Chris Friel of Costa Mesa, Calif.–based watch maker and apparel brand Vestal said West Coast trends take a while to migrate cross-country. “What’s hot here now is what we were selling on the West Coast three years ago,” he said. The brand did well with its new brand-heavy line of T-shirts and outerwear.

But not everyone agreed that buyers on opposing coasts are chasing different trends. “I haven’t seen a coastal difference for trends,” said Steve Pinkow, president of Irvine-based Split. Fashion pieces, including dresses and high-waisted pants and staples such as plaid Bermudas and graphic ?T-shirts, sold equally well at both ASR and Surf Expo, according to Pinkow. With boutiques counting for upwards of 20 percent of Split’s business, the brand dedicates 25 percent of its offerings to trendy sportswear. And, he said, core shops are shifting their focus to include fashion, as well. “The taste level is going up across the board,” Pinkow said.