Appointments Key at CurveNV

Approximately 1,900 buyers attended CurveNV—the men’s and women’s and lingerie, daywear, innerwear and underwear trade show—at The Venetian in Las Vegas. About 180 brands were on display during the Feb. 15–17 show run.

The number of buyers was down in comparison with the 2,500 buyers who attended the August 2009 show, but it was a 9 percent increase from last year. The February edition is typically slower than the August show because many smaller specialty-store owners opt to stay in the stores during the important Valentine’s Day selling period.

The show offered a healthy selection of contemporary brands such as Betsey Johnson, OnGossamer, Hanky Panky and Blush, an increased presence of shapewear brands, men’s underwear brands such as Calvin Klein, Diesel, Hanro, Guilio and Hugo Boss, and themust-have foundations brands such as Wacoal, Chantelle, Simone Perele and Felina.

Amira Shaif—sales rep for Damaris, Mimi Holliday, Bodywrap and Valery—noticed that there was “less traffic” than the last show. However, she was busy writing, with appointments “booked back to back” through the show run.Last year

Victoria Roberts’ store, Zovo, located in Seattle, had the “best year ever” since she opened five years ago. She came to Curve to shop lines such as Prima Donna, Freya, Chantelle, Simone Perele and Wacoal.

“It’s all about the bras. Those are definitely recession-proof,” said Roberts, who stocks AA to K cups with 28 to 46 band sizes starting at an opening retail price point of $40. Brands that offered color, prints, convertible straps and decorative straps were standouts at the trade show.

“There’s less of an emphasis on the best T-shirt bra. hellip; It was noticeable that [manufacturers] were really focusing on fashion bras,” Roberts said.

Michelle Perez, a buyer for Top Drawer Lingerie in Houston, was on the lookout for “pretty and a little more sophisticated and elegant” fashion bras in the $90 to $150 range for her 30- to 60-year-old customers. Perez’s general sense was that brands were “being conservative with the colors and fashion,” but she was pleased with the fashion offerings from Mimi Holliday and Passionata, which is part of the Groupe Chantelle family of brands.

In innerwear, Samantha Chang relaunched her printed mesh collection. She discontinued the line a few years ago when the fabric mills she used went out of business. “The response has been really, really good,” said Chang, who drove business with appointments. “There’s a void in the industry that I treat mesh a certain way. My old customers are really excited.”—Rhea Cortado