WEST COAST LINES: A RETAILER MAGNET
Byline: A.D.
NEW YORK — Buyers at the new West Coast Collective trade show here this week shopped for knit designs, hip-huggers and novelty dresses.
The show, which offered 200 lines from the West Coast, ended its four-day run Tuesday at the Waldorf Astoria. It was produced by the California Mart in Los Angeles, looking to provide a New York showcase for contemporary and better-price collections.
The promise of fresh looks in spring and summer merchandise drew buyers.
“Cute, summer things, like low-waisted pants and stretch T-shirts” were on the shopping list of Barbara Weiser, executive vice president of Charivari, who had just snapped up some novelty pants from Madison Brown and sexy T-shirts from Tease Tees and Brainwash.
“I am looking to buy novelty dresses with some sort of interesting patterns,” said Mina Lussier, owner of Zenna, Amherst, Mass.
Among the vendors, Dina Cottrell — who, with her mother, Myrna Entwistle, owns D&M Sales showroom in Los Angeles — said she was getting orders for silk shantung party dresses by Moila either with square necks or V-necks in light blues and greens. Another line, Syg, which is in its third season, did well with brick-red knit dresses and V-neck shirts as well as long straight black skirts and slinky black slipdresses, said Cottrell. The line wholesales for $30 to $99.
The Bryan Wilson showroom, Los Angeles, was touting lines from Lisa Anne, whose stretch peau du soie suitings and Ultrasuede dresses were getting a response from buyers, and Marie Claire Fiala, whose black and white leather vests and skirts were booking well, according to Suzanne Tent, sales manager.
Little Man Clothing Co., Los Angeles, was showing off Seventies looks, like white stretch twill jackets shown with seersucker plaid shirts, as well as sailor vests with white twill stretch pants. The line, which wholesales from $40 to $135, also featured houndstooth suits in aqua and banana.
“The traffic has been good, especially on Saturday,” said Herbert Steidle, president.
Officials at Lifestyles, which represents Modern Romance, My T and A La Mode, also said they were pleased with buyer traffic.
“The attitude is very up,” said Claire Patterson, a sales representative. “We are really busy. People are leaving lots of paper.”
A La Mode’s bias-cut skirts in either damask or fine knit rayon booked well, while My T’s basic T-shirts with sweater sleeves checked nicely, she said.
As for Modern Romance, its two-piece dressing with rayon rose jacquard detailing pulled orders, Patterson said.