Wrap-Up: The Best of MAGIC Market Week
MAGIC Market Week and WWDMAGIC might be over for the season, but this season's event has left its mark on the fashion, footwear and accessories industry.
FN Platform at MAGIC Market Week
Leslie Gallin, president of footwear for Advanstar Global, which produces MAGIC Market Week in Las Vegas, said she spotted several top trends at FN Platform at MAGIC Market Week, February 18-20. FN Platform focuses on footwear. Trends that buyers were raving over included 70’s-inspired Italian wooden bottom heels from Charles David; Golo boots with a Western-meets-Rock-n-Roll theme; whimsical ballerina flats with animal faces from London Sole’s Tokidoki collection; and classic styling in a single sole reverse D’orsay velvet pump from Ella Moss.
“There’s a real emphasis on comfort with the ‘casual’ category being a big trend this season,” Gallin said. “It’s also nice to see so many shoes with real personality. Designers aren’t playing it safe this season and that’s refreshing.”
Seasonless footwear is also a strong trend. “Think booties that go from winter to summer, or the perennially-appropriate pointy-toe heel. Consumers aren’t letting the seasons dictate what they can and cannot wear anymore, wearing white after Labor Day for example. This mindset is also moving into footwear,” she said.
Kitten heels are back. “After countless seasons of wearing stacked heels, consumers are really embracing the smaller, lighter kitten heel. It’s simply an easier shoe to wear and very flattering on the feet,” she said.
And, “We’re seeing new versions of the Mary Jane this season in silhouettes that range from flats to pointy-toe,” Gallin said.
ENKVegas and POOLTRADESHOW
ENKVegas was a three-day event at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center that ran concurrently with MAGIC Market Week at the Las Vegas Convention Center. ENKVegas included contemporary collections, denim and accessories.
There were 550 brands participating in ENKVegas this year, including 150 new brands. One of the new attractions was the launch of Co.Lab which featured co-designed and co-branded products, said Joe Yang, spokesman for the event.
Participating brands included: Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, Stefanie Biggel, Miguelina, Jennifer Zeuner, Theodora & Callum, 01 by Johan Ku, Fiveunits, Calvin Rucker, Arden Wohl x Cri de Coeur, Christopher Sauvat, Hanky Panky, The Base Project, Darling Magazine, Erin by Erin Fetherston, Trina Turk, Rebecca Minkoff, Splendid, Maison Scotch, Ted Baker, Genetic Denim, Liebeskind, L.A.M.B., Wildfox, Givenchy Scarves and McGuire Denim.
Six brands, Sam & Lavi, Jennifer Zeuner, Miguelina, Stephanie Biggel, Grace Hats and Kim & Zozi, participated in the project and designed products that were inspired by the event. “Brands who participated in the ENK OA*SIS designed pieces that evoked a feeling of Resort ‘destination’, while brands on the main floor took inspiration from the ENKVegas show artwork—- a take on the simple complexity of positive/negative space found contemporary art,” Yang said.
And as for trends, a few that came out of the event, Yang said, included “jumpsuits, matching ensembles, sweatpants/sweatshirt ensembles, bold prints, plaid, the color burgundy, backpacks and mirrored sunglasses.”
At POOLTRADESHOW, there was a pop-up store atmosphere at the lower-level of Mandalay Bay. This show is for emerging art and design driven brands. This year’s promising new brands included MNKR, Curbside and The Poster List. Previous participants include Jeffery Campbell, Motel Rocks and Tiffany Kunz and these brands are now positioned among established brands at the other MAGIC Market Week shows.
At the POOL show, there were all sorts of brand-sponsored ways for designers to mingle and strut their stuff. The Sprout Watches Lounge included a Design a Watch competition, while the Sock Exchange at the Sock It To Me Lounge allowed guests to trade in their socks for a new pair by the brand. At the Curbside Lounge, there were artists making live art, and a living wheat-paste mural by Jfeather was unveiled by Industry Bastards.
There was even a Computer Lounge sponsored by Store Envy so that retailers could learn about a special collection of brands exhibiting on site, and the Fashion Business Accelerator created a Brand Therapy Lounge where designers received expert advice from industry pros on everything from sourcing to production.
PROJECT Las Vegas and BloggerPROJECT
With all this talk about womenswear, it's easy to neglect menswear. But over the years, menswear has evolved to become an important segment of the week and is part of PROJECT Las Vegas. The most influential online menswear bloggers participated in the second annual Blogger PROJECT. The event included real time updates from the floor at MAGIC Market Week and was curated by Marcus Troy. The Blogger AWARDS went to the following bloggers:
Best Collection: @billy_reid
Best Denim: @jeanshop
Best Footwear: @walkovershoes
Best Accessories: @gentsco
Best Grooming: #RPLmaison
Best Athletic Footwear: @lacoste
Best Emerging Brand: @outclass_attire
Best of The Tents: @sirhardyamies
Fan Favorite: @fredperry_1952 #moetmoment
The next MAGIC Market Week is Aug. 17-20, 2014, in Las Vegas. So make your plans now for these can't-miss events.
Read more about MAGIC Market Week and WWDMAGIC.
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