Menswear Buyers in Flux at Westcoast Trend Show
Menswear retailers taking in the third edition of the Westcoast Trend Show, held Jan. 25–26 at the Embassy Suites LAX, were relatively upbeat yet remained cautious heading into the remainder of the buying season.
Buyers were in a state of flux at the show. They were doing a lot of looking and a smattering of order writing while holding most of their open-to-buy for the Las Vegas shows.
“It’s a very long buying season. The New York shows were a little too early for them, and the timing should be right in Las Vegas,” said Larry Hymes, a rep for Poggianti and Ichiban as well as a director of sales for the MRket show in Las Vegas.
The WCT caters to upscale menswear stores throughout the region and features European and American sportswear, suits, and accessories. This end of the business is usually less resistant to buckle under recessionary times, but it is feeling the pinch.
“Men are still buying, especially the older empty-nesters and the single guys, but the family guys are holding back a little. They are the ones making the sacrifices and buying for other members of their families first,” explained Alan Au of the Beverly Hills boutique Jimmy Au’s.
Au is breathing a little easier because the Screen Actors Guild recently lost support to stage another strike. Au’s shop caters to many in the entertainment business.
Show attendance was actually up, said producer Ken Haruta. Several stores and vendors skipped the New York shows to focus on shows locally and in Las Vegas next month. Among the retailers present were Patrick James, Nordstrom, Outlander Men’s Gear, Randall’s Menswear and Mario’s Men’s Clothing.
Steve Short, director of U.S. sales for Daniel Hechter, said regional shows such as Haruta’s are becoming more popular, given the state of the economy.
“People are sticking to regional shows. They get work done there, and, of course, they’re less costly,” he said.
Short is helping to relaunch Hechter in the United States after a long absence. The French label was popular in the ’80s. Short and West Coast rep Marty Hinds showed Henley shirts, long-sleeve polos, sweaters and cotton sport shirts bearing abstract images, priced from $30 to $60.
Value was being pushed by many vendors. David Abril of Betenly was selling Italian-designed yet Asian-sourced sports coats for $120.
“Stores are looking for anything that can enhance their margins,” Abril said.
J.C. Cerrillo of Chula Vista, Calif.–based Continental Leather agreed.
“The key for retailers right now is to shop smart. They’re looking for better deals and are looking for marriages between items,” he said, illustrating the point by pairing up one of the company’s suede or deerskin jackets with another item, be it premium jeans or novelty belts. “The stores aren’t writing a lot of orders right now, but they are writing,” he said.
Haruta said his accounts are surviving and even excelling by focusing on partnerships, noting that one store in New York is offering its sales staff $500 bonuses so they can take key customers out to restaurants.
Sports shirts and accessories were among the best-selling items at the show. Steven Matus of German label Haupt was highlighting a purple-hued series of shirts in natural fabrics. “They go great with grays and blacks,” he said. Checks and plaids were especially strong, and striped shirts were holding their own, Matus said. Chris Cantrell of shirt maker Robert Graham said buyers were trimming their purchases, buying in smaller quantities and picking “the best of the best.”
“Retailers still need to have a ’wow factor’ on their store shelves, and we can help in that department,” he said.
Hymes agreed, as he showed a new line of Asian-themed T-shirts from Ichiban featuring U.S.-made shirts with Asian art and lettering for $24.50 each. “They are enzyme- and silicone-washed and feature original artwork.”
Hymes confirmed that Business Journals Inc., owner of the MRket show, has acquired the New York Haberdashery show and will rename it MRket and launch the first edition this July at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York.
