Market Report: Los Angeles

By Eliza Gallo -- Gifts & Decorative Accessories, 1/22/2007 6:47:00 AM

January 22, 2007. The Los Angeles market — which spans the California Gift Show, the L.A. Mart and the California Market Center — is experiencing a period of transition. The shift of buyers and vendors from CMC to the L.A. Mart is continuing, as evidenced by darkened showrooms or locked doors at the CMC, or signs reading “Moved to L.A. Mart.”

Undaunted, however, the Market Center is attempting to revitalize with some fresh ideas. This year CMC introduced the Hospital Gift Shop Center, a model hospital shop with a learning center that offered specialized seminars throughout the week. The idea of serving non-traditional gift retailers is a timely one, and Gifts & Decorative Accessories overheard some buyers at the California Gift Show expressing excitement about the new area and saying they were going to CMC specifically to check it out. The concept may need some development, however, as the display products in this first year were sparse and — with the exception of some comfy slippers and baby apparel — not particularly hospital-focused.

The L.A. Mart was bustling and full of worn-out retailers who looked in need of the mart’s brand new on-site Infinity Spa. One vendor recently relocated to the L.A. Mart said he was confident that his company had made the right choice.

Palm Trees and Patterns

Angelenos can be hesitant about tropical, traditionally Southern California design touches, preferring to adopt an East Coast or modernist urban chic. But at this market there was evidence of a warming to native elements. K & K Tabletops debuted a line of silk charmeuse pillows and table linens in rich brown, gold and ivory, with beaded palm tree and pineapple motifs, which the company’s Saro Sepilian says are selling extremely well. The palm pattern continued at Studio Daedre, as an element on wedding invitations and albums. Like the beaded pillows, the wedding stationery had a subtle sparkle.

Simple silhouette patterns were popular at each of the venues, many in the color pairings of the moment: pink and brown, and black and white. Plush Living extended its Plush Living Black Label line, for the first time featuring one side of a silhouette-pattern silk charmeuse fabric on one side of its pillows and then reversing the fabric for the other side. Color extensions included green, “American red” and, in the Florence bedding line, a well received black and white. Evergreen Enterprises also applied silhouette patterns to its Back to the Shore line of textiles and ceramic serving platters. Pink-and-brown silhouette fabric also adorned padded picture frames and small gift items at Suburban Silk.

Another pattern that popped up across the market was stripes, in faded teals, aquas and reds that had a seaside effect. Beachy striped picture frames and accessories could be seen at Chaba Decor, Vendage and Simple Living. Vendage’s wood offerings also included charming children’s furniture with simple Asian-inspired flowers painted on a white background.

Teal and aqua, very popular colors at the market, also made an appearance at Mele, on soft suede-covered jewelry boxes.

Russet Christmas and Woven Wood

The L.A. market had a lot of holiday merchandise to show off, but not in the traditional colors that have clothed Christmas for decades. The favorite colors seemed to be, yes, aqua and green, but also a lovely new combination of russet reds, bronzes and golds. The look, seen in the Maschera della Piazza line at Catherine Lillywhite’s and in Melrose International’s Stag Leap collection, could provide inspiration for retailers’ own displays in their stores. Very deep and multidimensional, it combines the rich color story with layers of different textures — feathers, glass, beads, fabric — for an overall effect that is very “Midsummer Night’s Dream” like.

Also a bit “enchanted forest” were the woven woods wrapping themselves around a variety of objects. At Ararat International Trading, an importer based in Chatsworth, Calif., seagrass was woven into bands that accented square wooden vases and planters. “They’re very popular for the Asian look and orchids,” says Ararat’s Harry Minassian. The company shifted from a lighter stain to the current black finish because of a trend toward darker woods, he adds. Meanwhile, Screen Gems, at the L.A. Mart’s temporaries, offered a range of decorative screens in seemingly every wood imaginable. Some twisted up from the floor as though they had grown there.

Another vendor at the L.A. Mart’s temporaries was Olde Good Things, which is doing its part for the environment by recycling architectural salvage materials. Made from pressed tin ceilings and wooden moldings saved from old buildings, unique mirror frames and wall panels had the character that only comes with age. Consumers longing for the bygone era of The Plaza Hotel in New York can own wooden pieces salvaged during the recent renovation. Metal from the Flatiron Building also found its way into some objects. The company’s Elizabeth Bailey explains that, when possible, each item is labeled with a photo and description of the building it came from. The company has showrooms in several cities around the country, but L.A. is one of its best markets, Bailey says.

Novel Approach

In addition to providing a glimpse at broad trends in colors and materials, the L.A. market also offered a few little items that — because they were strange, or inspired — made a big impression.

A positive crowd of buyers were elbowing each other at the booth of Rose Edition/Jacsonic Group, which incorporated brightly colored dried roses into sweet shadow boxes, heart-shaped wall hangings, boxes and small decorative topiaries.

Juvenile Solutions displayed the Baby Scrub, newborn baby scrubs in pink or blue that seem sure to appeal to nurse and doctor parents, or just those who like to watch “ER.” On the pocket of each outfit is a place to inscribe the newborn’s date of arrival and other information.

Finally, Official Bush Countdown had novelty merchandise that might be just the thing for retailers in Blue States. Their clocks count down to January 20, 2009, the end of President George W. Bush’s term in office, and are festooned with cartoon images of Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney and sayings like “I’m the decider.”

And so L.A. begins the countdown for its next big market in July.

(Editor’s note: Stay tuned. Tomorrow we are back at the Dallas Market Center.)