Early Start for Sourcing at MAGIC
Once again, the Sourcing at MAGIC show kicked off on Aug. 30, a day earlier than its parent show, the MAGIC Marketplace, at the Hilton Convention Center, adjacent to the Las Vegas Convention Center.
According to several exhibitors, the early start helped boost traffic, which dropped off a bit after MAGIC and the Project Global Trade Show opened on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, respectively.
“It’s not so bad so far,” said first-time exhibitor Michael Jahromi of MJ Textiles, based in Los Angeles. Jahromi said he saw a mix of “everybody—designers, owners, people looking for special fabrics.” Opening day drew “owners and decision makers in a hurry,” he noted.
MJ Textiles was highlighting its eco-friendly fabrics, including organic cotton, Tencel, Modal, recycled polyester and a certified-organic bamboo. In addition, the company stocks a range of fabrics dyed with organic vegetable dyes.
Peruvian mill Vianny was showing its line of knits that look like denim, with plenty of samples in skinny-jean fits and short-shorts styles. Among the samples on display were knitted leggings with jeans stitching and denim-like wash treatments.
Speaking through an interpreter, General Manager Victor Grous explained that the company typically shows at international shows, including ColombiaModa and PeruModa, as well as at Moda Las Vegas, running concurrently at The Venetian.
Also showing in multiple locations was New York–based T-shirt maker Anvil Knitwear Inc., which had a booth at Sourcing and another highlighting the company’s eco offerings at MAGIC’s Ecollection section.
The company, which produces at its own factories in Central America, has been testing eco-friendly fabrics since 2007 and launched its first eco tee in 2007. Today, Anvil’s eco collection includes 15 products, including its newest style, an organic-cotton/recycled-polyester blank.
Although eco styles represent a small portion of the company’s overall business, Anvil is the sixth-largest purchaser of organic cotton in the world, behind Wal-Mart, H&M and Nike, according to Christopher Levesque, vice president of marketing.
The company opted to show at Sourcing to be part of the WRAP pavilion, where representatives connected with people looking for WRAP-certified and socially responsible manufacturers. (WRAP is a nonprofit organization that provides certification that factories manufacture lawfully using “humane and ethical” practices.)
The first day at Ecollection brought a lot of screen printers and smaller branded companies, Levesque said. “We [also] met with larger corporate clientele looking to incorporate sustainability and ethical manufacturing into their companies—they’re coming to us with a green initiative—and [we also met with] a lot of companies that are proudly green. We were able to share the whole picture—we don’t get to touch that customer, typically.”—Alison A. Nieder
