DALLAS — A move toward ensemble dressing and an invigorated dress market helped spark interest at the four-day multiseason market that ended Aug. 20 at FashionCenterDallas.
While items remained strong sellers, including long embellished tunics, leggings, metallic belts and dark-rinse denim, many buyers shopped for casual, updated and social occasion sportswear and related separates as consumers seek alternatives to overly relaxed looks.
Dresses in a range of lengths, from baby dolls, shirtdresses and kimonos to knit jersey career looks, referenced the Eighties in various degrees, including bright colors, geometric and animal prints and lots of metallics.
A prom, quinceañera and special occasion fashion show drew big crowds, as stores looked ahead to the fall, holiday and early spring party season. Budgets ran from tight and flat to 25 percent ahead.
“Attendance was even with last year’s successful show, as we continue to broaden our reach across all geographic areas of the U.S.,” said Cindy Morris, chief operating officer at the DMC.
The DMC also noted a 4 percent increase in temporary exhibitors and a boost in orders in many Western-inspired showrooms.
Sales representative Charlie Brown said his sales were up 15 to 20 percent based on a strong response to dresses that connote value, with novelty detailing, including sheer fabrics, ruffles and competitive price points.
“Women want to look polished and pulled together again,” Brown said.
Jane Webb, owner of The Webb, a specialty store in Oklahoma City, said she was impressed with the salability of the early spring styles at the show.
“The spring styles were very refreshing,” Webb said. “I think my customers are really going to respond to the shirtdresses, long tunics with belts and the brighter color palette, including lots of red and green.”
With a budget that was up 25 percent, Webb bought Badgley Mischka’s short and elegant beaded or metallic dresses, Lafayette 148’s separates and Suzi Roher’s leather, elastic or chain belts with metallic finishes.
Bruce Goodman, owner of Bruce Paul Goodman, a Milwaukee specialty store, visited FashionCenterDallas for the first time, liked what he saw and vowed to return. For spring, he bought DeSentino’s dressy social occasion suits and dresses in luxe fabrics with embroidery and details such as novelty collars and unusual buttons, and Magaschoni’s related separates in earth tones.
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“We just moved into a new store that’s almost double the size of our former space and we need more merchandise to fill it,” said Goodman, who has been in business 25 years. “Dallas has a lot of the styles that appeal to my upscale customer base.”
Gerald Bergman, owner of Dorothy’s, a Lubbock, Tex., specialty store that is 40 years old, raised his budget 12 percent as he prepares to move into a new 12,000-square-foot space in January, almost double the size of his current shop.
Bergman shopped for dressier spring styles from Joseph Ribkoff with subtle embellishment and bright colors such as red, blue, green and orange; coordinated sportswear; knits; denim and blouses from Wind Ridge, and fashion items including tops and capris in animal prints from Jendo.
Caren Watson, owner of The Jean Connection, a Dallas denim emporium, sought holiday and spring styles with an even budget. She bought Da Nang cotton T-shirts, dark-rinse denim jeans from Jet Lag and back pocket-detailed jeans from Infusion.