Mudpie to Open Los Angeles Office
After partnering with the Los Angeles textile trade show GlobalTex for two years, London-based trend forecaster Mudpie is looking to plant a permanent stake in Los Angeles.
The company plans to open its U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles to take advantage of the California market and the proximity to Mexico.
“We have considered both New York and Los Angeles for our U.S. headquarters; we feel that the fashion industry in L.A. is key to the city’s economy,” said Fiona Jenvey, chief executive officer of the trend-forecasting service, which launched in 1992. “The casual and active lifestyle in L.A. also perfectly suits the Mudpie brand.”
During the last GlobalTex edition, in October, Mudpie’s trend seminars drew nearly 400 people, Jenvey said, adding that Mudpie’s active-trend book, contemporary casual-trend book for women, and casual and street-trend book for men do well in the Los Angeles market. Also, Mudpie is planning to expand its online service, at www.mpdclick.com, in the Los Angeles region with the opening of the West Coast office.
The trend forecaster envisions hiring more than 40 people to staff the office, which will serve all U.S. markets west of the Mississippi, as well as Mexico.
John Gorman, Mudpie’s commercial director, will be in Los Angeles in February to begin scouting for potential partners.
“I will begin by looking for L.A. real estate as well as seeking partners to work with,” he said. “Once we have retained the right senior personnel, we will work with them to finalize a suitable office location. The U.S. [headquarters] in L.A. is just the beginning for Mudpie; our business plan will deliver substantial growth. As a brand, Mudpie will skyrocket. Internationally, Mudpie plans to invest in more sales offices, adding both sales staff and creatives in markets where we feel that there are opportunities for rapid growth.”
Mudpie trend books are available in the Fashion Bookstore in the lobby of the California Market Center in Los Angeles. For more information, e-mail enquire@mudpie.co.uk or visit www.mudpie.co.uk.—Alison A. Nieder
