Apparel designers and retail buyers will descend on downtown’s Fashion District on Oct. 17 to scope out upcoming trends for the spring 2017 season and place orders to stock their stores accordingly. It’s L.A. Fashion Market, a trade event that takes place five times a year to preview upcoming apparel and accessory designs.
A far cry from the runway-filled days of traditional, show-focused fashion weeks from New York to Milan, Italy, the downtown L.A. event, which will run to Oct. 20, is all business.
“It really is a comprehensive marketplace for retailers and boutique buyers to come and source new product,” said Yvette Beltran, spokeswoman for California Market Center, one of the central venues for the event.
For the first time, the L.A. market will include Capsule and Axis, two prestigious showcases well-known in both the New York and Las Vegas fashion circuits, said Beltran. The L.A. event will also introduce a new plus-size show called Contemporary Curves as well as a series of free seminars on topics ranging from window merchandising to social media and marketing.
Organizers wouldn’t say how many people are expected to attend.
The Market Center, which will host more than 1,200 brands in its space alone, will be joined by the New Mart, the Cooper Design Space and the Gerry Building in showcasing designer collections for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. Spread across multiple showrooms will be an array of apparel retail, from maternity and kids’ clothes to leisure wear and men’s brands. The event is intended solely for brands and buyers, said Beltran, functioning mostly as a forum for retailers to place orders.
The attendees will be buyers from department stores, chain shops, boutiques, and online retailers, she said, including big names such as Revolve, Nasty Gal and British e-tailer ASOS.
“The retail landscape is definitely changing and we are seeing a major increase (in online vendors),” said Beltran.
The designers, ranging from newbies to seasoned vets, will be separated into different showrooms such as Coeur, which is for accessories, gifts, home, and lifestyle, and Transit, a shoe showcase.
At Emerge, a section featuring up-and-coming designers with marketability, Joe Arellano will make his fashion market debut with his new brand, Caydence Arellano. A vast departure from his job as a freelance footwear designer, Arellano’s line features jewelry, handbags, and art.
The designer’s goal for the event is simple: “Get press, get buyers, get noticed.”
Arellano said he hopes L.A. Fashion Market will help give his brand a boost by bringing him together with bloggers, buyers, and possible future collaborators.
