New Styles, Immediates Popular at Project

LAS VEGAS—Once specifically the go-to place for new premium-denim lines, the Project trade show continued its expansion into a wider array of fashions, which ranged from aloha shirts and avant-garde women’s fashions to skate- and surf-influenced styles, as well as emerging designers in the show’s Workroom section, during Project’s Aug. 20–22 run at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.

For retailer Alfredo Izaguirre of LASC in West Hollywood, Calif., a trip to Project was a symbol of success for his boutique. His buying budget increased 30 percent compared with last year. His boutique has been seeing an increase in business because the economy is improving—however fitfully—and consumers want something new to replace their old wardrobes that they have not changed since the start of the Great Recession.

He was glad that Project would give his clients something new. However, many of these new looks had a vintage style. “There’s a lot of nostalgia,” Izaguirre said. “Hawaiian shirts are popular. Shirts with prints and fabric treated to look vintage are popular.”

For upcoming trends, Izaguirre also saw growing consumer interest in labels that mixed fashion and athletic wear, such as the Adidas SLVR label. There also was continuing popularity with shorts and tank tops. However, tank tops took on a larger fashion edge with new prints and fabrics. At Project, Izaguirre ordered Second Sunday, a Los Angeles–based brand with a focus on fashion tank tops.

Project vendors reported being pleased with show traffic, but some said the show’s business gave mixed reads on the economy.

Todd Masters of the Newport Beach, Calif.–based Toddland did not expect buyer traffic to be as busy as it was during the first day of the show. While he met many of his steady retail partners at the show, such as Urban Outfitters, he said business is still risky when dealing with specialty stores. “The economy is getting better,” Masters said. “But we always ask for cash upfront. We don’t know if [specialty stores] will be in business next week. We need to make sure we’ll get paid and that you’ll stay in business.”

Most specialty retailers continued the long trend of orders for immediate goods. Melissa Cronkhite of Noëtic Showroom claimed that 80 percent of the retailers she worked with at the show asked for immediates. Reporting good business at Project was New York–label CaféBleu, which specializes in delivering fashionable woven men’s shirts every 60 days.CaféBleu founder Vince Gonzales said 75 percent of the retailers he worked with at Project requested immediate deliveries, while 25 percent requested deliveries with longer lead times. Larger retailers typically made those orders.—Andrew Asch