All About Branding

From the moment we stepped out of the airport, we realized that here, image is everything, and everything has an image. Even the hubcaps carried advertising for upcoming TV programs and movies. The LA Mart took the lession to heart, with messages covering every elevator door, and greeters handing out goodies.

Fashion was a key influence at the California Gift Show, held in the Staples Center. The Boutique focus area showcased a small selection of high-end apparel, jewelry and accessories, and brought new vendors to the gift market.

Fashion accents also had a strong presence, making up at least half of the Staples Center's LA Contemporary and Handmade sections, as well as a large Fashion Accessories category featuring handbags, jewelry, upscale message t-shirts, workout wear, and even head wraps presented with gifty sensibility and packaging.

We saw a trend toward the audaciously girly — retro, iconic, feminine but not demure — in everything from a new line called Saucy Girl, debuting at European Soaps in the LA Mart, to reproductions of oil paintings of nostalgic Barbies.

There was also a trend mixing girly with gritty: hood ornaments on a gold lamé bag, a Harley-Davidson slip skirt and pink peace signs on camouflage fabric.

The biggest news at the CMC was the new GLOW show, featuring temporary exhibits that combine gift and home product with fashion and fashion accessories. This first GLOW market had about 120 exhibitors, but the market center expects growth. CMC plans to run four GLOWs per year; in January and July to coincide with the gift shows, and in March and October with the apparel markets.

John Kim, general manager of the CMC, explains that the show's concept is “lifestyle,” a concept that's been adopted by several high-end retailers such as Anthropologie, Fred Siegel and Urban Outfitters.

The concept also leverages the building's strong presence as an apparel mart. The CMC is planning more lifestyle events in the future, including a showcase showroom that will probably be located on CMC floor 8 of building C.

“There's a reality check we have to face,” said Kim. “We drive a lot of traffic, but we have to have more products.”

Traffic at the LA Mart was bustling, and everyone reported at least cautious optimism. “I'm happy with the show. There's been a nice combination of our customer base and new customers,” said Dianna Welton of 18 Karat.

Suji Meswani of Skeem Inc. agreed. “The show's going great. I've heard a lot of people say they had an excellent end of the year.”

Barry Morin, vice president of sales and licensing for Amscan, said, “We're coming off a very successful holiday for most of our retailers. There's been universal feedback that everything they purchased from Amscan sold through, so they want to buy more.”

In home decor, there was a lot of “seaside cottage” — the weathered, salvaged look that is so prevalent in the cottage and shabby chic styles, but here presented in blues and greens instead of white.

Cindi Olsen, Amscan's director of gift product development, told us, “The color Mushroom is going to be really popular in home decor. We've seen it in upscale home decor and kitchen accessories, so we've tried to incorporate it in tabletop. Traditional is another trend, rather than whimsical; and so are European, wine and food themes, angels and garden.”

18 Karat's Welton said that bronze is strong right now, and other vendors mentioned a similar color under the name pewter. “Fashion and home decor are one now, and they didn't used to be,” Welton told G&DA, echoing the prevailing theme. She also cited trends in woven, pottery and metal. “It's all about texture,” she added.