Tapping Into Trends at Glow

The California Market Center’s Glow show—the marketplace for accessories, apparel and gifts—got a less-than-glowing turnout from buyers during its July 28–30 run in downtown Los Angeles.

It featured 20 more exhibiters than the March show, a CMC spokeswoman said, but it was competing with a slate of gift events being held at the L.A. Mart and the Los Angeles Convention Center, as well as in the gift showrooms of the CMC. Held on the penthouse floor of the CMC, the Glow show featured everything from handmade jewelry to novelty candles and handbags.

The concept has been attractive to retailers looking to create theme areas and cross-merchandise apparel and gift items within their stores. The proliferation of apparel boutiques on the West Coast has created more demand for accessories, yet the traffic at Glow did not live up to expectations for some.

“It got pretty quiet,” said Lisa Ozur of the Niche Showroom in the CMC, who also took a space at Glow. “People at the other venues either didn’t have the time to come up here or didn’t know about it.”

Ozur showed Bonnie Strauss clothing, novelty candles featuring crosses and skulls from Chrome Angel, and glittery superhero change purses from Madeline Beth. “We sell to lots of apparel boutiques,” she said, “and we wanted to get some of that cross traffic.”

“[Glow] has almost become a sample-buying show,” added Lauren Scherr of Los Angeles–based Lauren Scherr Glamourize & Accessorize. “You see lots of people with resale licenses looking to buy samples.” She was highlighting her glammed-up line of bags and clutches detailed with ostrich feathers, lace and rose petals.

Exhibitors didn’t lack in providing interesting product. Oakland, Calif., textile designer Vanessa Vandenburg of DaDaFunc showed clear-plastic coin purses and wallets embedded with swatches of her textile designs, wholesale priced from $15 to $20.

Her business partner, Tracy J. Parker of Los Angeles–based Question Etc., showed handcrafted handbags made from colorful felt and lined with vintage fabrics, as well as scarves made from vintage Japanese kimono fabrics. The bags are wholesale priced around $30. “You can translate it to different materials,” said Parker, explaining the different trims featured on the bags.

Other showstoppers included handmade jewelry from Fillmore, Calif.–based Flourish. The line features all-natural undyed stones on necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. All the items are one-of-a-kind.

“We’re here to build relationships with retailers,” said designer Krista Ward-Sell. The line is sold in several museum shops, Ward-Sell said, and she hopes to break into some apparel boutiques. Wholesale prices range from $39 to $400 for a super-slim freshwater-pearl necklace. The jewelry designer also featured some pieces with Venetian glass.

And Edna Shahchi of Beverly Hills–based Shahchi Collections showed the new company’s extensive line of furs, featuring mink, fox and chinchilla from $1,000 to $5,000, as well as knits and denim. “We sold a lot last time,” she said. “The buyers love these items.”

CMC officials said they expected the show to continue to grow and noted that they are negotiating with several exhibitors for permanent space at the CMC.