For some, the after-hours parties are a draw, while for others, it’s more about the networking on the show floor. But most of the retailers who shop Project Las Vegas agree that they go primarily for the fresh merchandise, the new lines and labels they might not be able to find otherwise.
The trade show, which runs concurrently with its Advanstar Inc. siblings the MAGIC Marketplace and Pool, has become one of the most important shows on the calendar for upscale boutiques across the country. Although Project had its genesis in the denim arena, it since has expanded to offer numerous other categories. Some buyers said that occasionally made Project harder to shop than it used to be, but others said the wealth of merchandise made the trip more worthwhile.
“It’s definitely a show that you shouldn’t miss,” said Shauna Stein, co-owner of On Sunset, a boutique in West Hollywood, Calif., that carries lines such as Roberto Cavalli and Anna Molinari, as well as streetwear and denim collections. “It has a well-edited group of people that show, and the event is well done,” she said.
For Stein, Project is also primarily a way to find out exactly what is happening at the streetwear end of the market. She covers the calendar in Las Vegas, so she allots a full day for each show.
“You have to really hit the pavement today to find anything new, and you can find it in any show,” she said. “You never know what’s going to turn up.” She said she tends to “cherry-pick” at Project, essentially buying just a few items she really loves. And because she takes the actual buying seriously, she says she often doesn’t have time to hit the party circuit afterward.
Still, Project is a great way to meet other vendors and store owners. “Networking today is really important, especially when it’s people who have something great to offer,” Stein said. “But because it’s all about who gets to the lines first, partying is not at the top of my list.”
Even new retailers have made Project a regular stop on their buying circuit. Tracy Murdock, co-owner of the two-year-old Tracy & Alex in Woodland Hills, Calif., said she previously did most of her buying at the Los Angeles shows. Her store sells fashion, accessories, home products and baby items, from brands including Autumn Cashmere and Seven For All Mankind.
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“I had heard so much about Project, so I was curious to see what the difference was,” she said, “and I found that you see a lot of things there that you don’t see locally, including lines that are from outside the U.S.”
Because she now covers a number of other shows, she says her nickname among vendors is the Stealth Shopper. “I can cover a lot of ground and I make decisions really quickly,” she said. “If you’re a retailer, and especially if you don’t travel to New York, it’s a show you must do.”
Daniel Lipkin, co-owner of Fred Segal Trend in Los Angeles, said he goes to Project to find “stuff that’s not necessarily trendy.” His store has a 25- to 55-year-old customer base more interested in stylish classics.
“My customer is more sophisticated, but wants to be cool,” he said, adding that, while he does a lot of his buying in Milan and London, Project is always worth checking out to see what’s happening in fashion. “It’s good for a day, but is not really a big part of my buying,” he said. From sister store Fred Segal Emphatic, owner Diane Ragano said she would do a quick run-through at Project, and was specifically looking for new European lines.
New York boutique Trash & Vaudeville, which carries men’s and women’s fashion and accessories, stocks lines that co-owner Ray Goodman has discovered at Project in the past. “We look for people who are doing interesting things other than denim and printed Ts,” he said.
Of special interest are unusual shirtings and fabrications that have the rock ‘n’ roll feel for which his store is known. But Goodman said the timing of Project didn’t make things easier for him, given that he also works MAGIC and Pool.
“We always leave there after four days thinking that we missed something,” he said. “For shows that size, I personally think they should overlap a little. I found it helpful when Project used to start a day earlier. We could go there, get our shopping done and then have a full four days to do MAGIC and Pool. Especially if you buy all those categories like we do, it’s tough to work it all in.”
Randy Brewer, general manager of San Francisco boutique Villains, saves time by limiting himself to the unknown. He said he no longer makes appointments with lines he already carries, and would rather walk around the floor finding new things. “I can always visit the showrooms in Los Angeles and New York to see the brands I know,” he said.
This year, with the men’s and women’s categories split among three halls, Brewer said he would have his work cut out for him. “It was easier for us when it was all together, because we buy men’s and women’s from any given supplier,” he said. “We preferred Project when it was smaller because it addressed our needs as a specialty store. Now, it’s such a huge show that it’s getting difficult to do again.”
But the fact that this all happens in Las Vegas is a draw. “I love Vegas, and I love going out. Sometimes, though, the music at the show is so loud that I can’t actually work.”