Denim, Skateboarding, Golf Brands Attract Interest at MAGIC, Project

LAS VEGAS — Flight delays and triple-digit temperatures aside, the mood was upbeat at the MAGIC and Project shows here.

The shows, which wrapped up their three-day run Wednesday at the Las Vegas Convention Center, spanned both main buildings of the location, which is undergoing a $600 million renovation.

In total, more than 2,500 brands exhibited at the shows, which included Sourcing at MAGIC. At the MAGIC women’s show, some 650 brands were on site, 16 percent of which were new to the exhibition. International brands represented 10 percent of the floor. Project had more than 300 brands, 18 percent of which were new in men’s and 19 percent in women’s. The MAGIC Men’s section had 210 exhibitors while the Sourcing show boasted more than 1,250 exhibitors from 29 countries.

Kelly Helfman, president of Mmgnet Group, formerly known as Informa Markets Fashion, which owns the shows, said at MAGIC and Project, this edition “really played into sports and fashion.” She pointed to a skateboarding area that housed brands such as Nike SB, Adidas, Converse and New Balance, as well as a golf-oriented section, a category that is on a growth trajectory. There was also a dedicated motocross area.

These sections drew buyers, sellers and influencers who interacted as a community during the show. “This matchmaking is really important,” she said, addressing the company’s new focus to create connections since it was rebranded as Mmgnet earlier this year.

Other areas of strength for the shows included denim, a category that drew a large number of brands. 

This edition also saw the test of Style Oasis, a runway show and concert for attendees on Monday night, the opening day of the show. It featured three separate shows from exhibiting brands including Airstream as well as a concert by Macy Gray. The large turnout indicated that there is a demand for after-hours entertainment and Helfman said the response will be evaluated to see if it’s worthwhile to do again or if Mmgnet explores other types of post-show activities.

While final attendance figures were not yet available, Helfman said, “Overall, we’re very pleased” with the brands that presented as well as the retail turnout. Attendees also gave the show a thumbs-up.

“It gets better every time I’ve come since COVID — this show is gaining its momentum back,” said Patty Leto, senior vice president and general merchandise manager of men’s for the Doneger Group. “Vendors are cautious but upbeat and in control from an inventory perspective. Back-to-school has started slow but we’re seeing a pickup as August goes on.”

In terms of trends, she said: “There’s a lot of interest in textile innovation in fabrics, materials and details.” And the “shape shift” to wider silhouettes in denim, which is driving the women’s market, has started to be adopted by men too, she said.

Here are some highlights from the trade show floor in men’s and women’s apparel as well as footwear.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

Brand: Organsk Copenhagen 

Backstory: After focusing strictly on direct-to-consumer since launching one year ago, the Denmark-based brand made its trade show debut at Project as a way to establish a foothold in the wholesale market. With 80 percent of sales coming from the U.S., it made sense to launch this strategy here. Its claim to fame is its sustainability focus — the brand won the Emerging Sustainable Brand award at the show — a mission that is evident in its choice of fabrics, manufacturing techniques and even packaging.

Key pieces: Everything in its men’s and women’s denim collections is made from certified organic and recycled materials. And the jeans are produced in European factories that utilize significantly reduced water use. Even its finishes and distressed details are created by using lasers rather than sand or stone-washing techniques. The bestseller in men’s is the Element Vintage Classic and Element Raw Classic models made from 100 percent organic cotton. The women’s bestseller is the Bracing Wind jean with a high waist and wide leg. Among the most popular models at the show was a V-cut with a high rise in the back and a lower rise in the front. Organsk Copenhagen’s overall offering includes a wide range of options, from classic with straight legs to skinny, wide-leg and baggy models. Lightweight raw jeans are also popular.

Retail prices: The collection ranges from $170 to $220.

Brand: Mavi

Backstory: The company was established in Istanbul in 1991 as a jeanswear brand. Over the years it has proven to be one of the denim pioneers at embracing sustainability by using less energy, water and chemicals to create its collection, an approach it calls All Blue. Its stated goal is to have all of its denim be sustainable by 2030. In addition to its core jeans line, Mavi has branched out into other fabrics for its bottoms as well as a complementary sportswear collection with updated classic pieces that pair back to its denim.

Key styles: The spring collection always offers lighter fabrics and washes to accommodate the season’s higher temperatures. A Classic Blue group, introduced for fall, is focused on sustainability and features Tencel and recycled fabrics in a wide range of fits. Stretch selvage jeans with a rolled-up bottom are offered along with Super Move colored denim options in easy, classic and contemporary options. An Athletic model that looks like denim but is actually a knit is popular with guys, and new this season are Oxford carpenter twill pants and a Milton classic chino in a wide range of colors. Shorts, which range in length from 6 1/2 to 8 inches, are offered in a City Smart tech fabric or classic options such as seersucker. The spring sportswear line includes an Edition elevated T-shirt, polos, linen button-downs, classic long-sleeve crew necks and a canvas jacket.

Retail prices: Jeans range in price from $118 to $148.

Brand: WeSC

Designer: Joseph Janus, chief executive officer and creative director

Backstory: We Are the Superlative Conspiracy was founded 25 years ago in Sweden as a counter-culture young men’s brand. It has since morphed into a heritage brand with updated classic pieces that appeal to guys from ages 14 to 55. “When you think of heritage brands, you think Calvin [Klein] and Tommy [Hilfiger],” Janus said. “But there are skateboard brands that are 25 or more years old and to a whole generation, are classic brands.” To appeal to that wide range of customers — some of whom wore WeSC when it launched and others who are just discovering it — the brand will open its own stores again next year. The company had long operated its own retail units but closed them during the pandemic. Janus said units will reopen in SoHo in New York, Los Angeles, London and Stockholm. And also in 2025, the company will return to New York Fashion Week with a runway show in a skate park.

Key styles: Fashion denim is making a return and WeSC is getting in on the action with long and wide shorts in a 12-inch length. Other jeans offerings include carpenter-style pants with smile prints, overall shorts with flower prints and a return to knits. Mesh shirts, crocheted vests and canvas shorts with a “workwear vibe,” have “flipped classic menswear on its head,” Janus said. Nylon shorts with matching shirts, modern cropped tops — for men, that means that it sits at the waist — see-through camp shirts and linen options are also important for spring. Hookups in colorful patterned basketball tanks and shorts, and garment-dyed fleece were also key pieces for spring.

Retail prices: Most pieces range from $88 to $200.

Brand: Gola

Backstory: The British brand traces its history to 1905 when it created handmade soccer cleats in a factory in its home country. Through the years it continued to have relationships with the sport, and in recent times, it has embraced its rich history by releasing updated versions of some its more iconic styles such as the Harrier, a suede shoe with the brand’s trademark two-stripe detail. “We go back to Gola through the years and reintroduce them to make them friendlier, but with the original DNA,” said Steven Weinreb, president. “That’s our secret sauce.”

Key styles: The Elan, a modern version of the Harrier, is now being offered in a wide range of fun, vibrant color combinations. On top of that, Weinreb said the brand’s Court shoes, particularly the Hawk style, have found fans with a white and off-white model among the bestselling models of the leather, suede and mesh sneaker. The nylon and suede Tornado is among the newer models and colors ranging from bright blue and turquoise to burnt orange are doing well. With the World Cup preparing to come to North America in 2026, Gola’s Stadium model is finding fans, as is its Daytona, a 1980s-style retro jogger available in nylon, suede, metallics and tonal colorways. Other models Weinreb singled out were the Badminton with its canvas upper and contrast highlights, and the Bullet, which is similar to the Elan but more tapered.

Retail prices: The footwear sells for $80 to $140.

Brand: Mavrans

Backstory: The Miami-based brand started with sustainably produced swimwear in 2018 and has since expanded into a full ready-to-wear collection known for its eye-catching prints. Much of the line today is created from recycled bottles and coconut husks — a fabric Mavrans calls “recocoblend,” that is breathable, anti-odor and wrinkle-resistant with UPF 50. Linen viscose blends have also been included since the first season, according to Michael Szklaver, chief executive officer and founder.

Key styles: The spring collection features a colorful assortment heavy on shirts, including several crocheted pieces such as one in a pieced-together shell pattern. A women’s dress in the same pattern is also offered. Sweaters made from recycled bottles and polos with crocheted collar and sleeve trim were part of the collection. The top seller continues to be swimwear, Szklaver said, such as a matching brief and shirt with steer heads, cactus and stars livening up the set.

Retail prices: The collection sells for $99 to $249.

Brand: JiJi Studio

Designer: Chloé Jin

Backstory: A newcomer to the Vegas trade show scene, the Paris-based label is launching for the spring season with an assortment of modern everyday staples with an elegant twist. One of the brand’s main goals is to utilize sustainable materials, reduce waste and promote product recycling. The collection draws its influence from Jin’s personal experiences, adding references of freedom and feminine assertiveness with a Parisian twist that is evident in the unique prints and asymmetric details of the garments. The brand also aims with its assortment to target the working woman that can transition her wardrobe from day to night with elevated basics.

Key styles: Shirts with contrasting collars paired with a short set done in seersucker; strapless voluminous tops with graphic cloud-like prints; cropped blazers with matching pleated and wide-leg pants, and asymmetric vests with matching wide-leg trousers done in a brown pinstripe are among the most interesting items.

Retail prices: Tops range from $45 to 50, dresses are from $45 to 70, and bottoms come in at $40.

Brand: Maison Anana

Designer: Chloé Jin

Backstory: Another rookie to the trade show scene, the Paris-based brand was founded this year. The lifestyle-driven brand brings a countryside aesthetic into the assortment that mainly consists of prairie dresses, all in vibrant fabrics sourced from India with eye-catching prints, elegant cuts and refined details that capture the essence of urban life while maintaining a bohemian spirit. Jin’s inspiration for the brand stems from the juxtaposition of a bucolic childhood in the French countryside with chic Parisian everyday life surrounded by family and friends, art, music and creativity.

Key styles: A pure white ruffled dress with gathered lace details; colorblocked ruffle dresses in different shades of red; shirt and shorts set with flower embroidery details done in a waffle knit; denim jacket and shorts sets; an array of high collared shirts in floral patterns, and a parade of prairie dresses ranging from gingham plaids to floral embroidery and bright colored paisley prints were among the top pieces. 

Retail prices: Bottoms range from $46 to $56, dresses retail from $70 to $78, and shorts range from $37 to $50.

Brand: New Balance Numeric 

Backstory: New Balance Numeric, the skateboard division of New Balance Athletics, was established in 2013 and has become one of the leading brands in skateboarding footwear. Staying true to New Balance standards, the Numeric line features some of the same technologies found in the company’s performance running shoes, such as Abzorb insoles, NDurance rubber outsoles and RevLite midsoles. The brand also sponsors notable skaters including Franky Villani, Tom Knox and Andrew Reynolds.

Key styles: The 306 style is the brand’s highest volume shoe, and the 440 model comes in second. The brand released the 430 model this season as a new style in an olive green colorway. The shoe range consists of a robust stitching detail and utilizes a thicker material for the upper for durability.

Retail Prices: The range rings in from $70 to $110.

Brand: ASN Hats

Designer: Alejandra and Ilsse Nevarez

Backstory: Launched in 2018 and founded in Los Angeles by two sisters, the accessories brand’s designs draw inspiration from trendy L.A. streetwear combined with leisure and luxury details. Each hat is hand-tailored and shaped. The intricate yielding, braiding, and molding of the straw can take up to 15 days for the development of the Jipijapa and Panama hats. For their wool hats, they use sustainable, cruelty-free, and 100 percent virgin wool that is cleaned, scoured and dyed by artisans. With Western mania taking hold, the brand created a custom piece that was worn by Beyoncé. The hat brand infuses different design details onto its offerings, such as removable charm necklaces, touches of metallics and even beading. The brand currently sells mainly direct-to-consumer and at retailer Anthropologie.

Key styles: Straw hats in palm leaf finished with a water-resistant sealer, virgin wool hats with removable charm necklaces, suede hats adorned with Western belt bands, wool Western fedora style hats with metallic rope trims as well as vegan leather options.

Retail prices: The collection ranges from $100 to $370.

Brand: Williams Athletic Club

Designer: Susi Proudman

Backstory: Hailing from previous stints at powerhouse brands such as Lululemon, Nike and Allbirds, Proudman founded Williams Athletic Club in 2023 with the aim to disrupt the golf sector. The brand offers women’s golf attire that can be worn on and off the course with a nod to the country club chic lifestyle. The assortment centers around traditional athletic wear utilizing fabrics that are breathable and offer wicking technology such as nylons and silk stretch fabrics. This counts as the brand’s foray into wholesale and it’s also sold direct-to-consumer via its e-commerce platform. Proudman’s inspiration stems mainly from the absence of lifestyle clothing in the market for women, and how she can offer classic pieces that are comfortable and timeless.

Key styles: Bodysuits that are engineered for play; water-resistant vests with a merino rib collar and knitted back; classic blazers in white and navy with a country club style patch; fully lined wide-leg trousers, and retro knit polos that give a nod to quiet luxury in lyocell performance fabrics.

Retail prices: Blazers come in at $350, $115 for the bodysuits, $135 for the polos, and $275 for the vests.