CHICAGO — Bigger is better at Chicago’s Merchandise Mart in 2006.
Organizers kick off the year on Feb. 4 with a new StyleMax, the largest women’s apparel show in the Midwest, which will overlap with the Chicago Men’s Wear Collective, Feb. 5-7.
“We hope this will build business for everyone,” said Susan McCullough, vice president of apparel for Merchandise Mart Properties Inc.
The new February StyleMax on the Mart’s seventh floor will replace the traditional January Women’s and Children’s Apparel Market conducted in showrooms on various floors at Chicago’s Apparel Center because buyers enjoy the ease of shopping all in one place, McCullough said.
And scheduling the dates to coincide with the men’s show on the eighth floor meets a growing need among many retailers.
“I think it makes a lot of sense on a variety of levels,” McCullough said. “A lot of new stores we see open, like [Chicago boutiques] Jake and Shane, carry both men’s and women’s. We see a lot of opportunity there, and a lot of manufacturers carry both as well.”
Mart officials said the convenience of one-stop-shopping might also provide an advantage to retailers who carry men’s and women’s merchandise. “We hope they will come here as opposed to someplace where they have to go one way or the other,” McCullough said. “Maybe they’ll spend one more day here and get it all done rather than making another trip.”
The atmosphere and focus of both markets will remain the same, McCullough added. “Each show needs to have its own identity and keep its integrity,” she said.
The shows overlap again in August, when StyleMax runs the 12th to 15th and the Chicago Men’s Wear Collective runs the 13th to 15th.
StyleMax, which began as a biannual market in spring and fall, will return in April and October, making 2006 the first time the Merchandise Mart has hosted four StyleMax shows in one year.
“We always knew we wanted to go to four with StyleMax; it was just a matter of getting there,” McCullough said.
The market, which has had double-digit growth since its inception about five years ago, was an immediate hit with retailers.
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“It’s a really easy show to shop,” McCullough said. “Everything is in one place. It’s not all spread out. It’s edited. It’s got more product that anyone needs, but it’s not overwhelming. With the trade show setup, it’s just so easy to walk down the aisles and see what’s new. There’s not as much commitment as going into a showroom.”
At February’s StyleMax, retailers are invited to
attend an introductory 15-minute seminar, “How to Navigate the Show Floor,” at 9 a.m., on Feb. 4, in conference room C in the seventh-floor market suites. Later that day, “The Collections” fashion show begins with cocktails at 6 p.m., followed by a runway presentation featuring better, bridge and designer resources at 6:30 p.m. in the eighth-floor special events atrium.
Stylewatch, an informal modeling session and complimentary lunch for buyers, will also run from 12:30 to 1:30 p.m., Feb. 4-6, in the StyleMax Café in the seventh-floor market suites. Additional refreshments will be served on the show floor during the Mix & Mingle hour on Feb. 5, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m., and during a Buyers’ Break at 2 p.m. on Feb. 6.
For sports fans, Hart Schaffner & Marx are sponsoring a Super Bowl party at 5:30 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 5, on the eighth floor during the men’s show.
In March, the Mart hosts its National Bridal Market, featuring some 300 exhibitors, March 5-7, on the Mart’s seventh floor. Show highlights include a 15-minute session, “Maximize Your Shopping Experience,” at 9 a.m., March 5, in conference room C on the seventh floor as well as the “Le Jazz Hot” market party and bridal fashion show beginning at 6 p.m. in the eighth-floor special events atrium.
On March 6, Susan Glick, managing director of marketing and fashion for Merchandise Mart Properties Inc., will present “Quest for the Best in Special Events,” a seminar addressing the behind-the-scenes elements of fashion show production and special events. The program kicks off with a continental breakfast at 8 a.m. in the Merchandise Mart conference center on the second floor pedway.
Retailers and manufacturers will find out the nominees for the 2006 DEBI awards, which honor excellence in the bridal industry. Winners are then named at the National Bridal Market in Chicago in October.
Come April, StyleMax returns for a holiday-resort-spring 2007 preview, April 1-4. This version of StyleMax should feature an expanded selection of contemporary resources and may span both the seventh floor and part of the Mart’s eighth floor.
“We believe that contemporary is an important area that’s really performing at retail,” McCullough said.
In turn, the floor may be remerchandised to create more space for contemporary lines and StyleMax may spill onto the eighth floor. “One way or the other, we will have a larger contemporary area and we hope to have a premium denim area,” said McCullough, who estimates the space devoted to contemporary resources should double or triple.
Plans also call for more amenities, such as the Red Bull bar and DJ featured in the young contemporary category during the October 2005 market.
“That area needs to reflect that lifestyle,” McCullough said. “We’ll be doing more things like that when we have this new area.”
Other market highlights will include a 15-minute “How to Navigate the Show Floor” seminar at 9 a.m., April 1, in the seventh-floor market suites and a
6 p.m. “Montreal Collections” fashion show and cocktail party in the eighth-floor special event atrium.
The “Stylemakers” fashion show will begin with a continental breakfast at 8 a.m., April 2, in the eighth-floor special event atrium, followed by “The Collections” fashion show and cocktail party that evening at 6 p.m. in the same location.
The Mart also will host its Pulse urbanwear market featuring men’s and women’s apparel from Jan. 24-26 and again March 14-16.
Pulse, which features mostly men’s merchandise and includes about 20 to 25 percent women’s apparel, showcases top lines such as Baby Phat, Apple Bottoms and Akademiks.
In June, retailers attending the Women’s and Children’s Apparel Market will have a chance to do business in a more intimate setting in showrooms at the Chicago Apparel Center. The Fall II and Holiday Preview show is set to run June 2-5.