LOS ANGELES — Contemporary buyers visiting Los Angeles for fall merchandise need to redo their calendars.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week at Smashbox Studios, seeking to become “more relevant,’’ is moving up its show by 12 days to March 16-20. Riding on its coattails will be the Los Angeles Contemporary Market, a new event launching March 20-24. The moves are in response to concerns that contemporary markets here were late compared with European and New York shows.
“We just needed to make it more relevant, give it more newsworthiness so it doesn’t feel like an afterthought,” said Fern Mallis, executive director of 7th on Sixth, producers of Mercedes-Benz, which had been slated for March 28-31.
Ed Mandelbaum, co-producer of the Designers & Agents contemporary show with Barbara Kramer, was one of the champions of the new market, saying that it would open the doors to more European lines and retailers, which work on earlier schedules. By comparison, the Los Angeles fashion market runs April 8-12.
“This is a good way to further the move from a local market to an international market,” Mandelbaum said. “Buyers will have more dollars and European lines will have a chance to capture dollars here. In the past, their lines went off sale by the time our market came around.”
He said D&A will take place March 20-23 both on the third floor of the New Mart building and on two floors at the Cooper Design Space.
Production issues also weighed in the decision, since several leading contemporary lines manufacture overseas.
“A number of my lines can’t wait until April 8 to produce in time for July deliveries,” said Betsee Isenberg, who represents Diane von Furstenberg, Catherine Malandrino, Joie and Vince at her New Mart showroom 10-Eleven.
So far, the major stakeholder, including the New Mart and Gerry buildings, appear willing to go along with the switch. Even the Brighte contemporary show at the California Market Center plans to change its event to March 20-23 to coincide with the Los Angeles Contemporary Market, said Elyse Kroll, president of ENK International, which produces the show.
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Many permanent showrooms said they will participate in the March and April shows.
Market center officials said they were evaluating the change. The building is considered the showroom heavyweight in downtown Los Angeles, where floors include contemporary, misses, updated misses, juniors’, urban and street clothing along with gift and home accents. It’s unclear how the new calendar will affect the other apparel categories during the April market.
Officials at the Cooper Design Space couldn’t be reached for comment.
However, the Chicago apparel market, called StyleMax, runs March 19-22. Susan McCullough, vice president of apparel for Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., which produces StyleMax, said the dates wouldn’t change.
“Our show is practically sold out so it stays put, but we don’t anticipate much impact,” she said.