LOS ANGELES — It’s a time of transition for the Los Angeles apparel markets.
Both the California Market Center and the Gerry Building, which along with the New Mart and Cooper Design Space form the core of downtown, are up for grabs. The CMC’s sale to Jamison Properties is expected to close by January.
Despite the uncertainty of the buildings’ futures, the show will go on — and then some — for the summer fashion market that runs Jan. 14-18, officials said.
“It’s business as usual through January at the very least,” said Deirdre Mendoza, spokeswoman for the CMC. “Our directive is to move forward with events.”
In that vein, Brighte is again set to show at the CMC from Jan. 14-17. The contemporary show, produced by ENK International, will feature about 100 companies in the CMC’s Fashion Theater. Past exhibitors have included A.B.S. by Allen Schwartz, 7 Slade Apparel and Karla Kay.
New to the market is the launch of Glow, an invitation-only showcase of handpicked companies from lifestyle categories. Glow will run Jan. 17-19, overlapping the fashion market as well as the L.A. Gift & Home Market. Its focus is on products — from apparel to beauty and gifts — geared for yoga, resorts, home and the spa. To date, Kiln Enamel home and fashion accessories, Rebecca Lee fashion accessories and the Signature Scents aromatherapy line have committed to the show, which is expected to draw fewer than 100 exhibitors.
“We want to keep this intimate and attract high-level boutiques to the show,” Mendoza said. “At the same time, we hope to get crossover buyers from the gift and fashion markets.”
To promote the event, the complex will mail out glow-in-the-dark eggs to some 500 VIP retailers, such as Tracey Ross in West Hollywood and Kitson on Robertson Boulevard.
Meanwhile, the market at the CMC will continue to concentrate on contemporary, updated misses’, street couture, urban and juniors’ clothing. About 60 contemporary showrooms on the fifth floor plan to continue with their 0n5 promotion. They’ll host a Pane e Vino lunch and cocktail hour tentatively scheduled for sometime during Jan. 15-17 and offer a buyer giveaway. In November, a buyer won a $150 restaurant certificate.
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Renee Cohen, an On5 committee member, said the building’s sale shouldn’t have a disruptive effect on the market.
“We’re hoping that the building is about the reps and not the owner,” she said. “We go out and market ourselves, so I can’t imagine the ownership will have a big effect.”
Also planned is a cocktail event on Jan. 15, honoring designers (and sisters) Janice Levin Kork and Diane Levin of Poleci. And fashion and interior designer Todd Oldham will participate in a discussion for the building’s “Inside the Designer’s Studio” series on Jan. 18.
What is absent from the January event is the marketing collaboration begun last year among the buildings, known collectively as “the Intersection.”
“There are no big decisions on any new marketing initiatives,” Mendoza said. “That will be left to the new owners.”
Unaffected by the speculation surrounding the CMC, The Designers & Agents Annex, held at the New Mart from Jan. 14-17, will expand across the street to the 11th floor of the Cooper Design Space. Co-producer Ed Mandelbaum projects the show will grow to 120 exhibitors, representing 275 lines, up 53 percent from the January 2004 show. Mandelbaum said the Annex, which typically attracts lines such as Lotta, Notice, Hudson Jeans and Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, is typically a smaller installment compared with the bigger shows held during April and November markets. But, he said D&A will stage its events at both buildings for the five annual markets.
“We had a 50 percent increase in traffic at the November show so we see the momentum is there,” he said.
One draw from the November show that D&A plans to grow at future shows is the presence of foreign exhibitors. Designers from London, Germany and France were in attendance, many for the first time, including Jenny Peckham from London. They hope to tap into the American market, especially since buyers are cutting back on international travel, said Barbara Kramer, co-producer of D&A.
“Americans are shopping less in Europe, and Europeans feel a greater need to explore possibilities in the United States and make sure they don’t miss out on lucrative dollars here,” she said.
Also on the block is the Gerry Building, which doesn’t plan to shake things up much for the January market, according to Larry Hudson, director of asset management for building owner MJW Investments. The two-year-old building is 65 percent leased and home to tenants It Jeans and Hank. “We’re just leasing away,” he said, adding the building plans to host a cocktail party for buyers during market.