Fashion Week Rival Reveals Plan for Downtown Event

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A new fashion event in downtown Los Angeles has popped up, and it will compete with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in Culver City.

IDG World Expo will produce Reveal Los Angeles twice a year at the same time as the IMG-produced Fashion Week.

Mary Dolaher, chief executive of IDG World Expo, described Reveal as a primarily “business-to-business event,” designed to translate runway and fashion showcases into serious business for designers, buyers and manufacturers.

IDG World Expo is a subsidiary of International Data Group, a Massachusetts-based media company. It produces tech convention E3, among other events.

IMG is a New York-based media company, and runs Fashion Week in partnership with Davis Factor’s Smashbox Studios in Culver City.

Reveal was announced recently at Sue Wong’s unveiling of her fall collection at her Los Feliz estate. The competition comes amid criticism of Fashion Week, which is staged at Smashbox’s property as well as some other locations in L.A.

While Smashbox’s Fashion Week gets local media coverage, some designers and manufacturers have said it doesn’t drum up enough dollars. The event has been criticized for lacking the buzz generated by similar shows in other cities, such as New York or Paris. Downtown boosters believe L.A.’s Fashion Week should be staged downtown.

“Currently we have fashion shows but not anything up to par in terms of what other cities do,” remarked Janin Blain, who heads the West Coast division of Doneger Group, a global retail consulting firm.

“For a company of IDG’s scope and caliber to see and believe in the city’s talent is a big statement,” Blain added.

Both IDG and IMG expressed the idea that the two events should complement each other.

“We have believed in L.A. as a market and in L.A. designers for years now and are excited about any event which will bring more attention to this wonderful city and its very talented design community,” said Zach Eichman, director of communications for IMG Fashion.

Davis Factor of Smashbox Studios, declined to comment on the new plans.

Dolaher said IDG agreed to produce Reveal after 18 months of due diligence, including talks with the city, local fashion groups and media.

Reveal is set to launch next March and will take place in the California Market Center, L.A. Live and other venues downtown.

Reveal will include a marketplace expo, runway shows, an evening gala and scholarships for local talent.

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