Workroom Room Bows With Curated Collections
This season marked the debut of Workroom, the new upscale trade show located next to the Project Global Trade Show at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
With just 21 lines, the show featured an airy, loft-like atmosphere.
Among the lines showing were Factory by Erik Hart, Kova & T, Radcliffe Denim, Sitbon Laundry and Ai for Ai.
Gretchen Jones, designer of Portland, Ore.–based contemporary women’s line MothLove, gave the show high marks for looks and location.
“I was pleased with the proximity to Project, enjoyed the layout and design of the venue,” she said. Although traffic seemed slower than she had anticipated, Jones said American Rag, Atmosphere, Moule and Candy Store Collective were among the retailers that shopped the show.
“I would have loved to have seen more contemporary womenswear buyers, as the traffic seemed menswear-driven,” she said. However, being that A/W 2010 is only my second national collection, I feel as though exposure and brand recognition are an [integral] part in participating in any trade show, and from last season to current I found growth in actual and anticipated sales/orders.”
This is the second national collection for MothLove, which features sophisticated bohemian pieces in organic cotton, silk, bamboo and soy-blend fabrics.
Anna Korte, who designs Portland-based accessories lines Im:mortal and AK Vintage, was equally enthusiastic about the look of the show.
“The venue was beautiful and spacious,” she said. “Everyone who walked in commented on how good it felt in the space.The coordinators did an amazing job creating a fresh atmosphere and a carefully curated group of just 25 brands.”
The Im:mortal collection features leather bags, pouches and accessories, as well as scarves, pendants and necklaces.
She also felt traffic was somewhat slow but said that “all the right buyers were there,” including representatives from American Rag, Shotwell, Zebraclub and Need Supply Co.
Yves Spinelli, a rep for the Hatch showroom was at Workroom showing the Kova & T collection. Hatch was also showing Factory by Eric Hart, Lacoste Mens and Womens and Lacoste Red at Workroom. (Hatch representatives were also showing their collections at Project.)
“The overall impression of the show from me and accounts with whom I spoke was that it was a very nice space to showcase emerging lines and focus more attention, as things don’t get lost in the vastness of Project,” Spinelli said.
The new show drew several buyers from Asia, as well as a mix of well-established specialty boutiques from the East and West Coasts and new stores, Spinelli said.
Although traffic at Workroom was lighter than at Project, Spinelli said, “The quality of accounts that came through were more selective and serious.”
He also gave the venue high marks for atmosphere and selection.
“The space was really nice and open and intimate, and it was a nice place to meet and work with clients,” he said. “There were some nice emerging lines in there, and it was a nice mix of new and interesting designers.”—Alison A. Nieder
