MAGIC happens when plaid, elegant looks collide
LAS VEGAS —In a fragile market, good fashion sense carries a lot of weight for retailers struggling to retain customer dollars. “Right now, more than ever before, you better know absolutely everything that’s going on in fashion because there is no room for errors as we go forward into, what the economists are telling us, is going to be a challenging year,” said David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group.
About 120,000 attended the MAGIC Marketplace, held in the Las Vegas Convention Center, to view some of the newest trends in the mass-market arena. “MAGIC is the incubator: It is where new trends are born and eventually grow,” said Chris DeMoulin, president of MAGIC International and evp of the Advanstar Fashion Group.
In addition to a plethora of multicolored plaids, rustic vignettes inspired by the countryside, industrial silhouettes, vibrant colors and mountaineer ensembles, quite a few styles skewed toward elegant, classic looks.
Simple designs are enhanced with defined shapes and silhouettes suited for Grace Kelly. The use of bold colors creates a stunning, modernized effect and rich jewel colors easily substitute for black. Customers more demure in their fashion choices can opt for bright accessories that will be filling shelves throughout the marketplace.
Both classic pieces and color will touch on men’s wear as well. Watch out for traditional textiles like flannel, cashmere and tweed that will highlight this revival. A single colorful piece in a men’s wardrobe will spruce up an outfit considerably.
Inspired by men’s wear, plaids dominate in the prints department. “These are not the expected back-to-school plaids. These are all re-colored, resized. Very exciting,” said Wolfe
The use of metallics has continued from the spring lines, most likely because the shimmer embodies a certain sense of luxury that people are so drawn to. “You can feel the audience wake up [at fashion shows] when they see a silver jacket,” added Wolfe.
Neutrals are also staying. White maintains its allure but also gets a twist with dollops of tinted color. Women’s collections will continue with pinkish tans, yellowish khakis and taupes. As for men, true neutrals will reign.
According to de DeMoulin, ‘innovate, motivate or it will be too late’ buzzed on the floor. Hence, clothing manufacturers and brands did not shy away from showcasing the merchandise to scouring retailers seeking trend-right items to lure customers back into stores. Especially attention grabbing was the Streetwear section, home to ‘garage bands’ and street fashion legends and a growing number of high-profile celebrities like Beyonce, Eve, LL Cool J and Travis Barker.
An environmental focus on the fashion industry also continues to flourish at MAGIC, especially at the sourcing level. Seminars on organic fibers, innovation and compliance, choices in sustainability and sustainable manufacturing strengthened the affinity toward eco and organic fashion, said de DeMoulin.