NEW YORK — The November market here continues to pose a vexing issue for manufacturers and retailers.
Although small in comparison to the August venue and preceding the first February market, which executives believe will pull a huge turnout, November remains a viable platform for some vendors and merchants, but represents fractional business for others. However, the common denominator in November will be its check-point status for trends and key items for spring-summer selling.
The inaugural February edition will combine the former January and March markets into one major session for back-to-school and fall business.
Some designers, such as Eileen West, whose sleepwear is licensed to the Komar Co., view next month’s market as an opportunity to get a jump-start on fall 2007.
“We are looking forward to this market and will be showing everything new for fall selling, all the way through August deliveries,” West said. “We are doing this because the next market is not until February.”
West noted that her fall sleepwear was inspired by an “Anglomania” exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
“There will be some very Victorian items, lacy and very romantic,” she said. “But there will also be lots of new fabrics and actual tapestries of big English roses.”
Colors will include burgundy, rose, olive, brown and white.
“Since it’s a tiny market for us, we’ll continue to show spring-summer merchandise, but we’ll be taking the opportunity to launch our first bridal line, called Bridal Luxury, which ships March 15,” designer Leigh Bantivoglio said.
The bridal collection will include an Empire-waist cami, a sheer-lace baby doll and a long sleep gown with a plunge back and crisscross detail, Bantivoglio said. There will also be a cami of stretch silk for fuller-busted women, with a sweetheart neckline and three-quarter straps.
“I think there’s a niche in the market for luxury bridal items and retailers like the idea of an earlier delivery,” she said. “It will be a replenishment program, and because of the seasonless colors — porcelain white, petal pink and azure blue — they won’t need to be marked down.”
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Several resources said the Oct. 30 to Nov. 3 edition remains key, despite the likely absence of smaller specialty operations.
“This is not an important specialty store market and speciality store retailers have complained in the past that they want to be at their stores during pre-Thanksgiving business,” said Marc Kimmelman, vice president of sales for Flora Nikrooz sleepwear and Baby Phat Intimate Apparel by Kimora Lee Simmons at Age Group Ltd.
Amy Ligouri, vice president of merchandising for On Gossamer daywear and foundations, said, “On Gossamer will be showing in-store June, July and August deliveries for summer and transition. This market is expected to be smaller because there will be no Lingerie Americas [trade show], but it would have been a smaller market overall.”
She added that the “usual list” of major stores had made appointments, including Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Belk, Dillard’s Department Stores, Lord & Taylor and Bloomingdale’s.
Ligouri noted that the On Gossamer brand, which was acquired by the Carole Hochman Design Group in April, has been primarily a daywear line, but there are plans to expand the brand into foundations-type bras.
“We will be introducing two new bras that match back to our mesh daywear, and going forward to February we will introduce more new bra styles and will be launching On Gossamer sleepwear,” Ligouri said.
Gale Epstein, president and creative director of Hanky Panky, outlined several early fall highlights: signature lace panties with coordinating tops in Crayola colors of spearmint, azure blue, daffodil and teaberry red; mesh bloomers in light blue, pink, carnation, sea glass green and black and white, and bridal baby dolls. The lace and mesh baby dolls will be available in baby blue and white.
“We’ll also be offering assortments of prints in our thongs and boy shorts, calling it Panty Party for a little spice in the panty department,” Epstein said.
“I really won’t be showing any new product with the exception of a new group of hand-painted silks and some different fabrics at my sales rep, Vicki Montana, because it’s a small market,” said sleepwear and daywear designer Ying Li. “This market is too small to expand into more groups, and Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day business is done. So, we’ll wait until February to show fall.”
Maria Scotto, a retailer-turned-sleepwear designer, said she doesn’t have “great expectations” for the market, but added, “I’ll be showing for two days, Oct. 30 and Oct. 31, by appointment at 152 Madison Avenue at the Linda Hartman showroom. There will be a number of retailers in town, so we’ll see what happens.”