LAS VEGAS — When it comes to MAGIC and the ever-expanding circuit of industry expos and events that invade this city twice annually, could it finally be a case of too much of a good thing?
Retail buyers swarmed to the Project Global Tradeshow at the expense of the Pool Trade Show, MAGIC and other trade shows held in Las Vegas last week. And MAGIC, recognizing a good thing, announced earlier in the week that it had snapped up both shows to bring them into its fold.
Reactions from vendors and retailers about the vibrancy of MAGIC ranged from enthusiastic to lukewarm, although MAGIC executives said it was a record turnout of exhibitors, with more than 3,600 companies on the show floor.
“I’m not finding a lot of newness in product, but newness in companies,” said Fred Levine, owner of M. Fredric, which operates 19 boutiques in California. Levine said he “went nuts” ordering from newly launched Z Brand, a line of casual knitwear and woven sweats and T-shirts that showed in MAGIC’s Streetwear section at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
But he and his wife and business partner, Lisa Levine, both groaned at the endless denim lines appearing at every show. They said they made a pact not to buy any more new denim lines unless they dropped an existing one.
An exception was made, however, for Robin’s Jeans, which showed at Project, at the Venetian Hotel. “The product is at a peak that I’ve never seen,” he said. “It’s colorful, artistic and the fabrics have never been better.”
Buyers at Hot Topic didn’t share Levine’s enthusiasm. “No overwhelming trend has really stood out,” said Terri Matera, divisional merchandise manager for women’s and men’s apparel at Hot Topic, who was shopping all the shows. “We’re just looking for whatever is new.”
One of the new lines Hot Topic ordered was Adeline, which is designed by Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and his wife, Adrienne. Produced by Rock Steady Clothing, Adeline received more than $1.5 million in orders at MAGIC, according to Rock Steady vice president Joshua Brownfield.
Many buyers definitely came to shop, however.
Related Articles
You May Also Like
Laurie Hummel, a dmm for Macy’s Southeast region, said tunic tops with ruching detail and Japanese- and African-inspired styles topped her list. “In the North, looks are becoming more clean. But in the South, kids still want branded logos,” she said.
And while many analysts have predicted a denim glut this fall, jeans still figured into the equation for some retailers.
“We’re starting to bring in a lot more contemporary styles for women,” said Kelley Miller, buyer and general manager for the Jeffrey Thomas stores in Columbus, Ohio, who placed orders with Ben Sherman and Seven Diamonds. “And we’re really looking for a lot of belts and accessories.”
Buyers almost unanimously applauded MAGIC’s owner Advanstar Communications Inc.’s purchases of Pool and Project. They hoped the consolidation would mean less show-hopping during the next event in February. While MAGIC fully occupied the Las Vegas Convention Center, Project was held at the Venetian and Pool was located in the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
“Our customers know this will be a boon to the market,” said Laura McConnell, vice president and gm for MAGIC International. “We have made some significant changes to MAGIC this show and the industry has responded well.”
One such change was the launch of the Premium Contemporary category, which housed Platform, the juried pavilion located inside Premium. Platform increased to 114 booths, up from about 30 at its premiere during the February show.
Despite the growth and excitement about the new category, attendance visibly dipped Wednesday afternoon, one day before the show officially came to a close and the day after Project ended.
Echoing many other vendors, Lindsay Bergman with Agent Red, which showcases European brands such as Cimarron, huffed: “We totally expected Project spillover today. But it’s only been off and on.”
Another significant change was the folding of the Edge category — an area filled with punk, Goth and fetishwear — into the Streetwear section. While the intimidating gates were gone, those vendors formerly designated as Edge were still situated in the back of the hall.
But vendors appeared to be pleased with their inclusion in the Streetwear area. “It’s opened up a lot of people’s minds of how they view our product,” said Bryn Thomas, who handles sales for The Original Cult, the newly created parent company of Los Angeles-based Lip Service.
IN THE SWIM
For the first time, the resort and swim category merged with ISAM, meaning the two sections were side by side on the same show floor at the Las Vegas Convention Center, instead of in different buildings. The consolidation pleased buyers, who, after a slow start on Aug. 29, jammed the tiny booths with appointments by Wednesday.
“Frankly, I’m not a fan of trade shows, but lines have changed so much this year in terms of colors and patterns that I needed to come,” said Vicki Hardey of Wild Seahorse Swimwear in Medford, Ore., noting she found ample choices to freshen up her merchandise.
Major trends included adjustable bandeau tops, Brazilian bottoms and daring cut-out one-piece suits with rings. Popular colors included turquoise, orange and metallics, while ethnic embellishments — from wood beads to crochet trim — were plentiful.
At the Bella Brazil booth, Judith Carroll, owner of The Enchantress boutiques in Maui, ordered a black bandeau bikini with heavy turquoise hardware before even seeing it on a model. “I’m looking for the one thing that really pops, because my customers want something different,” she said, though after a minute, she also decided on a tie-dyed bikini with a macramé and shell belt.
West Coast favorites Robin Piccone, California Waves and Body Glove mingled with California lines making their debuts such as Birdie Jo and Phax, and Brazilian brands such as Agua de Coco and Flor Brasil.
POOL
While the Pool Trade Show, in its ninth installment, filled the Mandalay Bay Convention Center with 400-plus booths, including new art and home exhibitors, the show seemed quieter, according to vendors and buyers.
Buyers speculated that Project stole some thunder from this curated show, known mainly for its graphic T-shirts, hoodies and footwear. Not only did Project move from Mandalay Bay to the Venetian for the August show, but it took some exhibitors such as Los Angeles’ Faith and More Showroom. The sporadic shuttle bus service between the Venetian and Las Vegas Convention Center also frustrated buyers.
“I love this show, but there’s a lot more competition this year,” said Denise Askew Meyerson, owner of the Denise Carolyn boutiques in Sherman Oaks, Calif., who shopped at MAGIC Accessories and The Accessories Show in addition to Pool.
That didn’t faze some first-time vendors such as dress companies Yu and Sworn Virgins, who were happy to get their lines in front of buyers.
And the show’s cool, relaxed vibe continues to be a draw for returning vendors such as Veronica Alvarez of Lauren Merkin handbags.
“It’s much easier to talk to people here and the urban flair makes a huge difference, plus you know buyers are excited about looking for new lines here,” she said.
PROJECT
Tarrant Apparel Group chairman Gerard Guez summed it up best when he said why he chose Project as the launchpad for the holiday collection from The House of Deréon, Beyoncé and Tina Knowles’ new line, which his company produces: “We want to be where the action is.”
Indeed, the action was thriving here. Compared with its initial run in Vegas in February, Project doubled the number of attendees to more than 10,000 and increased the number of exhibitors by 58 percent to 315.
Jeans and T-shirts topped the shopping list of many buyers, giving a boost to two-year-old T-shirt company Garbege from Brooklyn, N.Y., which had never participated in a trade show before. Hoping to grow its West Coast business, Garbege hit it big when Jackie Brander, the owner of Fred Segal Fun in Santa Monica, Calif., ordered its T-shirts with a Roaring Twenties motif.
The likes of Beyoncé could draw an audience anywhere. But it was her cropped tapestry jacket with mink-trimmed bell sleeves that appealed to Rebecca Bishop, co-owner of Beca Christian in Santa Barbara, Calif. “I love the mix of something really beautiful like a jacket like this with the denim,” Bishop said of The House of Deréon’s inaugural collection.
The line also passed muster with Bill Bigler, vice president in the fashion office for Macy’s West in San Francisco. He said that, while his stores can’t carry fur, the jeans fit just like the designers promised. Plus, the label is “right on par with what’s happening in fashion,” he said.
Another celebrity line at Project was Justin Timberlake’s William Rast label, which briskly sold nylon track jackets, five-pocket jeans and hoodies with a deep V-neck in the front and glitter and screen prints on the back to stores such as Boogie’s in Aspen, Colo., and Local Joe in Bend, Ore.
Adriano Goldschmied, a denim veteran who showed his latest venture, GoldSign, said he welcomed celebrities into fashion as long as they bring something new in product development. Otherwise, the stars are in the advertising business instead of the apparel business, he said.
ACCENTS
After being somewhat of an afterthought category at MAGIC, accessories staked a sizeable claim of territory at MAGIC this year, with more than 200 exhibitors at the Las Vegas Hilton, including a pared-down version of the JCK show.
“I like that they’ve separated the accessories from the clothing. It’s a nicer atmosphere,” said Erica Moller of Material Girl in Omaha, who was buying goods with a Western flair.
Major trends included oversized leather totes with studs and rivets; wide, low-slung belts; wooden jewelry; gold jewelry; sequins, and metallics. First-time standouts included Candice Nicole bags, I Wood sunglasses, Amanda Nicol and By Boe jewelry.
Some vendors thought the traffic was a bit slow, due in part to the hustle of the apparel show being out of the picture.
“I had some higher expectations for this,” admitted Dallas jeweler Sarah Briggs, “Everyone always says traffic is amazing, but it’s not full.”
Also bowing in Las Vegas for the first time was The Accessories Show, located at the Venetian Hotel. The more elegant location appealed to both vendors and buyers. So did amenities such as complimentary meals, chair massages and $10 taxi credits.
“It’s awesome here,” enthused Claudia Wilson of Whimsy boutique in Salt Lake City. “You don’t have to sort through as much junk so you can find the one-of-a-kind, pop-out items.”
Several vendors, such as Athra and CJ Sardi, who also show at the New York JCK, said they signed up for Las Vegas with the hopes that it will grow.
“I heard that East Coast buyers were coming here instead of New York, and that says something,” said Shirley Martin of CJ Sardi. “If you’re going to spend money to come to a show, you want to get the most out of it, and there are so many shows going on in Las Vegas that it’s more cost effective to come here.”
ASAP
At the ASAP Show at the Venetian, manufacturers representing some 21 countries jockeyed to attract apparel companies that farm out production overseas.
Vendors festooned their cookie-cutter booths with jeans embroidered with gold butterflies, graphic Ts and other items demonstrating their handiwork. Some exhibitors honed their pitches with an eye on China, which dominates apparel manufacturing in spite of recent safeguard quotas imposed by the U.S.
Fatima-Zahra Masski, sales manager for Indumail in Morocco, said her company’s proximity to Europe enables faster deliveries to the U.S., better quality and a bigger fashion influence than what Asian factories can provide.
That argument didn’t convince Diane Hashim, president of a women’s private label clothing maker that bears her name in Toronto. She said all her production is done in China. “They’re the best in the world,” she said. Still, she dropped by the show to check out what other countries had to offer.
Mexican factories tried to be more appealing by evolving into vertical manufacturers that offer one-stop production. “That is the way we can compete with Central America, China and Asia,” said Miguel Vega, director of business development for the Mexican Trade Commission in Los Angeles. For instance, in the state of Puebla, Denimart formed a joint venture with Top Jean, whereby Denimart offered fabric production and Top Jean handled sewing and finishing.
Also targeting the healthy American jeans market is Rana Textile Mills Ltd., of Pakistan. Kashif Munawar, its creative director, said Rana doubled the number of looms to 300 and hired 800 additional people to its staff of 350 for a new denim production unit.
OFF-PRICE
Chief executive officer Bill Jage of the Off Price Specialist Trade Show at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, said that the August market was not stellar, but “better than expected,” with attendance up 5 percent from last year.
“We had modest expectations because retail was soft,” said Jage, pointing to factors such as high gas prices, weather and a flood of low-priced commodity imports. “Stores were buying — not in record amounts, but enough to please visitors.”
For a vendor such as Jasmine Kohli, co-owner of the Northridge, Calif.-based Creative Cute Options Inc., business was good because she had on-trend pieces that retailers were hunting for such as tiered bohemian skirts, tops and accessories that sparkled.
“I got all of my customers back and opened some new accounts,” she said. While business was good for Kohli, she admitted that rising gas prices have eaten into her business and she has had to pass prices on to consumers.
“The people who we buy from raised rates on freight due to gas, so we have increased our prices,” she said. And with gasoline prices continuing to rise as the effects of Hurricane Katrina grow, there is no telling just how much more these costs will continue to be passed on to the consumer.
WWIN
There hardly seemed to be a booth that didn’t shine, sparkle or scintillate in some fashion at the Women’s Wear in Nevada show, held at the Rio Hotel. But some of that sparkle was tarnished by the news of Hurricane Katrina.
“One of our best stores is in New Orleans in the French Quarter,” said Kathy Hoermann, owner of Painted Pony, a San Antonio-based manufacturer of ladies novelty jackets, tops and skirts.
Hoermann said that the pace of this show hasn’t been “frantic,” but her broomstick skirts have been a hot item. “We’ve done our broomstick skirts for 18 years and were about to take them out of production and then they came back in again.”
Store owner Misty Smith, who operates The Pink Cactus in Purvis, Miss., said she was still writing orders for things such as rhinestone belts, “things with sparkle” and tiered skirts, despite dealing with severe flooding in her town.
“We haven’t held back on orders, but we’re telling everyone to call us before they ship orders because the town is going to be shut down for three or four weeks.”
Vegas Trends
- Geisha House: Traditional Japanese graphics on everything from T-shirts to jacket linings. Kimono-style blouses and sweaters.
- Tropical Punch: Island prints in Caribbean brights such as turquoise, lemon and citrus.
- Army Draft: Military details on jackets, shorts and pants including buckles and cargo pockets often in khaki, olive and camouflage print.
- Home on the Range: Dusty cabbage rose prints in washed-out colors; feminine silhouettes such as long skirts with floor ruffles and cap-sleeve blouses, often embellished with crochet and eyelets.
- Lean Jean: Superskinny, straight-leg denim in classic washes with minimal treatments.
- To Dye For: Batik, tie-dye or dip-dye on everything cotton, from hooded sweatshirts to flirty skirts.
— also by Marcy Medina