Strong Turnout for L.A.'s Fall Market

Saturday’s immigration protest makes history but had little impact on business

When 500,000 protestors converged in downtown Los Angeles March 25, many apparel industry people wondered if the demonstration against Federal immigration legislation, reported to be one of the biggest in American history, would hurt what was anticipated to be a busy day at the Los Angeles Fashion Market, held at the California Market Center and neighboring buildings.

Showroom owner Liza Stewart decided the demonstration could help. She shot a picture of the seemingly unending masses of people marching past the CMC, then emailed the photo to friends and retailers with the wry subject heading, “L.A. Market Sees Record Attendance.”

She hoped the humorous e-mail would take retailers’ minds off of the grinding traffic caused by the protest. Herheadline seemed to accurately describe the business of some showrooms, while others reported steady business overall despite a drop in traffic the morning of the march.

The unprecedented protest occurred during a very busy time on the fashion calendar, in the middle of the March 24–28 run of the Fall I Los Angeles Fashion Market at the CMC, The New Mart, the Cooper Design Space and the Gerry Building in downtown Los Angeles.

The CMC was also home to ENK’s Brighte Cos. in the Fashion Theater and the Transit shoe show on the building’s 13th floor. And at The New Mart and Cooper Design Space, the Designers & Agents show was underway. In addition, the Gerry Building was hosting the West Coast debut of the Boutique Lingerie Show on the fifth floor.

The CMC does not release attendance figures, but CMC General Manager John Kim said attendance was up nearly 5 percent over the January market. (The Fall market in March is traditionally larger than the Summer market in January.)

Still, the market drew traffic from heavy-hitter retailers including Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, chains such as Metropark, and boutiques such as On Sunset and Kitson.

Kim said he believed business was not hurt by the protests. “Our retailers are resilient,” he said. “We are thankful. It was a major event and they were very patient.”

Vendors such as Walter Baker were not impacted by the protest as he took meetings for his New York–based line Walter at the Liza Stewart Showroom.

“Saturday was supposed to be a disaster,” Baker said. “But it was one of the greatest days for business. Everyone was a nervous wreck in the morning, but by the end of the afternoon, sales climbed.”

Baker said his sales for the market increased 50 percent over last year’s sales.

Other vendors said they thought the protest derailed business.

“Nobody could get into the building,” said Josh Kuyt, who showed jewelry and accessories line King Baby at the Brighte Cos. show. “We had buyers who couldn’t get into the parking lot. Roads were blocked. We had a lot of people cancel appointments.”

Michael Gae, coowner of the Rep Et Trois showroom in the CMC, said the demonstration did not affect business. He estimated that traffic overall was off for this market because trade show producers across the United States had scheduled too many shows too close together.

“The overall pop was missing,” Gae said. “There weren’t enough customers for all the shows.”

Hunting for key trends

Showroom vendors said many retailers were shopping for Fall clothes with deliveries of June 30 to Sept. 30. Some were looking for more immediate deliveries of May 30.

Jeanette Chivvis, coowner of the Sugar On La Brea boutique in Los Angeles, said she did not see much new fashion on the market. But she believed that jumpers and minidresses with print designs, such as those manufactured by the New York–based Abaete label, would be a significant trend for Summer and Fall.

Jeans with a skinny fit would also be an important trend for the rest of the year, and anything with belts— from obi-like to vintage-inspired— would sell well for the rest of 2006, Chivvis said.

Another retailer, Erica D. Thomas, owner of the Erica Dee boutique of Corona Del Mar, Calif., said leggings, turtlenecks and sweaters would be in demand for Fall 2006.

Mixed results at Brighte

The weekend’s protest did not disturb business at the Brighte Cos. show at the CMC, said a representative of producer ENK International Trade Events.

The show hosted 85 vendors and 1,800 re-tailers, an increase of 500 attendees compared to the previous Brighte show, said Joanne Mohr, a group show coordinator with ENK.

Even so, Brighte vendor Gillian Julius believed that traffic had suffered in the show. She estimated her business had declined 20 percent compared to the previous Brighte show.

Julius said many retailers couldn’t regain the time they lost due to Saturday’s protest. Julius also blamed the decline on too many trade shows, saying she had exhibited at eight since the beginning of the year.

“They’re running almost concurrently,” she said. “It’s a huge expense for designers and retailers, and it also takes time from their work. When do I go home to run my business?”

D&A bounces back

Right from the start, the March 24–27 run of the Designers & Agents Annex enjoyed bustling traffic and buyers ready to leave paper.

“It’s a beautiful show, well edited and super busy,” said B.J. Anzevino, half of the design team that produces the quirky, young Los Angeles–based line Anzevino & Florence.

One of the last exhibitors to join the show, Anzevino & Florence opened several key accounts (Atrium in New York, Villain’s Vault in San Francisco and Satine in Los Angeles) March 24, the first day of the show. The brand, which makes unique T-shirts and hoodies for men and women, as well as cool dresses and separates for girls, has a potential key account to thank for its involvement at the show.

Barney’s called and said they’d like to come see us at D&A, so we hustled and got in at the last minute,” Anzevino said.

After its promising beginning, traffic on the D&A show floor suffered noticeably during Saturday’s protest, according to several exhibitors. “Saturday is never that busy of a day, but with the protest it was a double whammy,” said Freddy Friedler, co-owner of the Standard Showroom in the Cooper Design Space, which also took a space at D&A.

Ed Mandelbaum, co-founder of D&A, said he was disappointed with the timing of the protest.

“It’s unfortunate that Los Angeles is holding a market that was advertised all over Europe and Japan at the same time as a big demonstration,” Mandelbaum said. “The issue is: Why couldn’t it have been coordinated better? It would have been nice to have some sort of communication or warning.”

Exhibitors and buyers took the disruption in stride.

“While it was slow, we got to spend more time with the buyers who were able to get here,” said a sales representative for the New York–based B With G line.

One buyer parked several blocks away, bought a picket sign and marched with the throng to D&A.

Exhibitors said traffic picked up in the afternoon after persistent buyers made it through the din. While most missed appointments were rescheduled, not all the damage could be undone.

“At the end of the day, business did suffer,” Friedler said.

Still, organizers are calling the trade show a success.

“The numbers are equal to those of the Spring market [in October]” and 30 percent higher than those of the same market last year, said Mandelbaum, adding that 2,400 stores visited the 235 exhibitors and 400 companies that showed at D&A. “It was the best Fall show we ever had,” he said.

Saja designer Yoo Lee showed her line at D&A with good results.

“People are such troopers,” she said.

Ironically, Lee credited the strength of the show to the difficulties buyers had reaching Fashion Coterie and D&A in New York in February, when a blizzard halted traffic during one of the days of those shows.

“The snowstorms meant a lot of buyers couldn’t make it to that show, so they came here to buy,” Lee said. Dresses saw strong sales, as did Saja’s suiting and the newly revamped sweater line.

D&A got good reviews from choosy buyers.

Greg Armas, a co-owner of Scout in Los Angeles who normally spends the bulk of his budget at international markets and in New York, shopped the aisles for belts, bags and shoes to offer this fall.

“It was a cool show—a vast improvement over previous D&As,” Armas said. “There were more serious lines, not so many glittery junior lines. I kept finding things I liked and wrote probably eight orders.”

Armas reordered TSE sweaters and wrote notes on the Borne collection. He also bought riding boots from Dusica Dusica, a line of Italian-made boots by a Serbian designer.

Bari Milken, co-owner of the Milk boutique in Los Angeles, browsed the aisles of D&A and found inspiration. She wrote orders for funky sweaters from American Retro and contemporary items from Manoush.

Though there were plenty of tempting lines, Milken said she had to be very selective.

“We have a more conservative budget for Fall than Spring,” both in the volume and the number of vendors, she said. On her edited list of must-haves for Fall are mod styles, including leggings and skinny jeans, and short shift dresses to be worn with tights. Brisk business at Cooper Design Space and The New Mart

Showrooms were busy and elevators were packed with buyers at the Cooper Design Space and The New Mart.

Shane Markland, a sales representative for Gold Sign jeans at the 10 Eleven showroom at The New Mart, said the market was the strongest the line has ever had.

“The brand is evolving and growing with our customers,” Markland said.

“It’s doesn’t necessarily have anything to do with the economy—it’s more that our client’s budget is growing.”

Buyers in the showroom opted for sweaters from Vince, clean denim and black, skinny jeans. While most buyers shopped for Fall, some looked for Immediates on skinny denim like the kind seen so prominently on the runways at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios the week before.

“They want to jump on that trend as soon as possible,” Markland said.

At the Jackie B. and Custo Barcelona showroom in The New Mart, printed T-shirts with nature themes and ornate or distressed fabrications did well. “We beat last year’s sales record,” said showroom manager Melissa Gould. Immediates were hot and plenty of new accounts were opened.

“We sent out a lot of mailers to get buyers in—and there was good foot traffic,” Gould added.

Michael Stars’ new cashmere line debuted just in time for market at The New Mart’s Lerner Et Cie showroom.

“Business was phenomenal—we booked so much cashmere,” said sales representative Liz Santos.

The showroom, which also sells Union Jeans and G1 sportswear, saw half of buyers leave paper. And some buyers avoided the rush by scheduling appointments a week in advance, Santos said.

Dresses and anything with skulls were the items of the moment at the Chan Luu showroom in The New Mart. The designer showed her ready-to-wear line at her home during Fashion Week.

“The fashion show sets the tone for the collection and market,” said Kris Banfield, Chan Luu’s West Coast sales manager.

Mona Sangkala, the Cooper Design Space’s leasing director, said, “It was a very positive market for us.” Buyer attendance for the market was up 22 percent from the same show last year.

Luciana Brancorsini, owner of the IdeaGeneration showroom in the Cooper Design Space said the market was good but that she would have liked to see more international and designer buyers walking the halls.

“We definitely need some help to keep attracting a high-end, international kind of client,” Brancorsini said. “From the American market, there were some very valuable clients here.”

Buyers from Ron Herman and H. Lorenzo in Los Angeles and Max in Denver paid visits to the showroom, and Brancorsini opened key accounts for Dondup, a line of premium Italian denim, which has recently expanded into a lifestyle brand.

Buyers also had something new to look at in the showroom.

Brancorsini debuted Juan Carlos Obando’s eponymous line in the showroom right after his well-received runway show during Fashion Week. The line, which drew admiration from buyers, is being targeting to exclusive, high-end retailers.

In the Steven Alan showroom at the Cooper Design Space, buyers were shopping for knits, accessories and anything black, said Christina Nguyen, West Coast sales manager. Walk-in traffic was steady despite the mob scene outside on Saturday, she said.

“I was surprised by how many people actually did show up,” Nguyen said. Buyers left paper despite the relative lateness of the market in the season. “People still have open dollars,” she added.

Gerry business steady

As the Gerry Building continues to gain more noteworthy tenants, more buyers are making the trip across Los Angeles Street to the venue, which offers a mix of contemporary sportswear and innerwear.

“It’s not yet a destination spot with lots of walk-in traffic, but we showed here and at Brighte and did well,” said Israel Ramirez of the Nikki & Lucy Showroom, which sells labels like Odyn Jeans and Hype.

Stacia Diamond of Jak & Rae said she stayed busy throughout the market.

“We opened some new people and saw all of our regulars,” Diamond said. The company’s designer, Joe Pham, was on hand to give buyers his perspective of the Fall lineup, which included sweater coats, capelets, long graphic coats in furniture fabrics and jump suits.

“There’s lots of ’50s and ’60s silhouettes,” Pham said. “We try not to follow trends, and people like us for that. We have lots of repeat customers.”

Punk themes featuring the Ramones, New York Dolls, as well as classic rock bands like AC/DC prints were scoring in the Chaser showroom. Sales manager Kristine Van Galder said the market for tees is recharging after runway shows in Milan included rock shirts in their looks. Prices range from $11 to $14.

“The market is crowded, but we distinguish ourselves with Modal fabrics, discharge prints, needle-cut constructions and great graphics,” Van Galder said.

The Gerry also drew some temporary exhibitors. Los Angeles–based David Cline was among them and drew interest showing pre-shrunk cotton tanks and tops from $39 to $44.

Glow shines

The CMC’s lifestyle products show, Glow, experienced a marked increase in exhibitors during its March 23–24 run with 65 exhibitors, up from 55 in January. The show is a venue for apparel, accessories, jewelry and home deacute;cor products aimed at retailers looking to cross-merchandise.

“The idea here is to cross-promote these items rather than separate or categorize them,” explained CMC’s Kim. “So far, we’re pleased with the results.”

The CMC set up a pavilion on its 11th floor offering several styling concepts as examples of how merchandise could be combined. Exhibitors said buyer traffic was on the slow side, but most said they were pleased with the results.

“We’re very happy,” said Carol Jambrina, principal with Jambrina Leather based in Tarzana, Calif. “We placed some orders and saw buyers from Japan and Hawaii and gave out a lot of catalogs.”

Susana Skillen of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.–based Cha Cha Sleepwear said, “Although it’s a bit slow, the buyers that are here are serious.”

Jambrina, whose factory is based in Argentina, showed perforated cowhide handbags, woven leather shawls and silicon rubber necklaces, which were picked up by the Chicago Museum of Art’s gift shop.

Cha Cha’s line featured satin and cotton flannel–lined pajama sets in animal prints and metallic finishes designed by 16-year-old Sarah Skillen. Camis and boxers are priced from $15 to $20 each. A robe and pant set sells from $70.

Much of the product shown at Glow was high on novelty.

Connie-Jo Zulu of Femme Metale showed silver jewelry based on rock ’n’ roll themes, tattoo art and vintage reproductions, from $8 to $150, designed by former make-up artist Leslie Homan.

“There’s a need for moderate-priced, well-made silver jewelry right now,” Zulu said.

Metal-flake vinyl handbags and wallets made from car upholstery and hardware were highlighted by Ventura, Calif.–based Trophy Queen. Price points ranged from $15 to $45 for wallets and $100 and up for larger bags.

Costa Mesa, Calif.–based Revamp Productions showed similar bags, as well as a line featuring tweed and nostalgic prints gleaned from B-movie and pin-up posters.

Another bag resource, Lux de Ville of Long Beach, Calif., gained interest with its studded clutches and totes featuring embossed artwork with sparrow birds and floral designs, from $19 to $24, and a big weekender bag in camouflage print for $60.

Other exhibitors of interest were New York–based Sandy Hyun, who showed delicately crafted earrings and necklaces with draped 14k Italian gold chains with sapphires, opals and aquamarine stones; Benjamin Sanchez’s Revolver T-shirts, and Spa Pig clothing for kids.

CMC’s Protest Plan

A few days before the Market opened, California Market Center Operational Manager Eugene Kim said he heard from a number of sources that a protest against Federal immigration legislation would take place on March 25 with 20,000 to 30,000 demonstrators expected.

The building’s management office delivered handbills warning showroom owners of the upcoming event. The bills asked the reps to make arrangements to meet with retailers other than the morning of March 25, when the protest was scheduled, according to CMC General Manager John Kim (no relation to Eugene Kim).

On the day of the protest, Kim realized the original crowd estimates were dead wrong as masses of people seemingly stretched from Los Angeles City Hall to the horizon.

One of his first concerns was ensuring that retailers would have safe passage to the CMC. He said the building’s management team was continually adjusting the routes of the shuttles that were transporting retailers from their hotels to the CMC.

The building also added four security guards to its 36-member team. No crimes or violent incidents were reported, but the building’s security team took no chances. Auxiliary building entrances such as the Food Court entrance by Los Angeles Street were closed, but the main lobby was kept open. Parking lot attendants were instructed to only allow retailers and others with market business to park in the building’s parking garage. —A.A.

Gerry Lands Lingerie Show

The fifth floor of the Gerry Building has become a destination for lingerie buyers, thanks to a wealth of permanent showrooms carrying lingerie and loungewear. But during the March 24–28 Los Angeles Fashion Market, the building also hosted the first Los Angeles run of the Boutique Lingerie Show, which included lingerie, sleepwear and crossover companies.

Permanent tenants on the Gerry’s fifth floor include the Lois Evans Showroom, Jennie Neilsen Showroom/Ellusions, Leah J. & Reg, Nap Intimates, On Gossamer and Vestiny/Trevor Riewer.

Companies participating in the Boutique Lingerie Show included Arobatherapy, Aubade, Commando, Dana Pisarra, Fleur’t, Garment Guard, Hipster Music, Hot Dot Greetingwear, Huit, Lavit, L Straps, Mary Jo Bruno, Myla, Piera Pischedda, Prima Donna-Marie Jo, Samantha Chang, Simone Perele, Spoylt and Vagin Povoir.

Lingerie manufacturer and buyer Samantha Chang organized the show. Chang launched the show two years ago when she stopped showing at the Lingerie Americas trade show in New York and opted to rent a suite at the Royalton Hotel in New York to devote more time to her buyers in an intimate environment. Other designers soon joined Chang’s informally organized show, and in February, Chang secured a whole floor of rooms at the Royalton and decided to brand the collective as the Boutique Lingerie Show.

Chang said she started the Los Angeles leg of the Boutique Lingerie show at the Gerry Building due to the lingerie showrooms that are already there. “The point is to make it convenient for the buyers,” she said, adding that a lingerie-specific show was needed because “ready-to-wear and intimates are so different—intimates are a slighty more mellow pace.”

For the first show, walk-in traffic was minimal, but exhibitors were nonetheless pleased with the launch. Chang said she saw “pretty much all the lingerie stores that [she sells] to on the West Coast.”

The show was a good fit for 2-year-old Los Angeles–based line Lavit, which does not have a showroom in Los Angeles, instead relying on securing business through road trips. “We’ve seen every single lingerie [store] buyer,” said Lavit’s Vivian Baril, who added that she opened three new accounts in one day.

Maggie Klippel, the West Coast account executive for Simone Perele, said she was “very successful” at the show and agreed that the mellow setting and convenience for buyers was key.

“The word that I’m getting from buyers is that they really want to support it and they love seeing something like this happening in lingerie in Los Angeles,” Klippel said. “They really like the energy of the show.”

Trevor Riewer of the permanent Vestiny showroom next door to the Boutique Lingerie Show said he could not determine if the show affected his business but is optimistic that the show will reinforce the fifth floor of the Gerry Building as a destination for the intimate apparel business. “That they’re here and there’s variety—that’s what attracts the buyers,” he said.

Chang said the next step is getting the word out to specialty boutiques. “What’s missing is the ready-to-wear buyers that also carry some lingerie,” she said. “I think it’s a matter of time to bring people over here.” —Rhea Cortado