MAGIC Las Vegas Digital Issue 08.22

Queen

Sparkles

From what’s now to what’s next, the MAGIC Las Vegas August event brought together our community of buyers and brands for three days of shopping, educational sessions, and exclusive live performances & experiences that together create the excitement of our Las Vegas market. In the second edition of the MAGICLasVegasDigital Issue, we’re giving an inside look into top trends, collections, experiences, and insights from industry experts & celebrity guests.

What makes MAGIC Las Vegas shine are the brands. And we were so inspired by this season’s collections: from retro-inspired optimism to futuristic material interest and silhouettes, over-the-top embellishment and more. The season’s critical themes were also on display in our trend installations at the event where we featured a curated collection of sustainably conscious brands. Check out our SS’23 Lookbook for a deeper look at styles that align with this season’s young contemporary trends, as well as the In Focus sections, where we hear from exhibitors on the big ideas in Holiday gifting and modern sportswear. We also take a closer look at the main messages and buyer must-haves in Footwear in our Editor’s Picks section.

This season we hosted some of fashion’s most notable experts on the education stage where industry insiders spoke on topics like sustainability, inventory planning, social media, market trends, and more. We gave a special MAGIC welcome to reality star and entrepreneur Kristin Cavallari as she took the stage to share her key tips for building a brand. (Read our exclusive interview with Kristin Cavallari here.)

Although our curated programming on every need-to-know topic in retail makes MAGIC Las Vegas the show to learn, the buzz on the show floor was also one of fun-filled excitement; from singing along to T-Pain’s greatest hits during his opening night performance, to toasting together during daily happy hours designed to help our community of brands and buyers to connect, share, and celebrate.

There’s so much to explore in this issue as we highlight just some of the best of what the August event had to offer; be sure to register for our next MAGIC Las Vegas event, happening February 1315, 2023 to be there for it all.

Daisy Street

SPECIAL SELECTION

As buyers wrapped their Q4 gifting collections, the home, gift, and beauty brands at MAGIC Las Vegas made the top of the list.

For many of the home, gift, and beauty brands at MAGIC Las Vegas, as post-pandemic attention to their categories has shown incredible growth, the show is a unique opportunity to introduce their brands to buyers looking to add these to their assortments; some, for the first time.

LOOKING PRETTY, FEELING GOOD

A number of the brands featured at MAGIC Las Vegas brought cosmetic and beauty solutions with a unique point of view, and almost all with natural ingredients, a clean focus, and centered on self-care. “At the show, buyers were looking for unique, sustainable items that were also easily giftable,” said Taylor Groeneveld, Director of Accounts, Midnight Paloma.“Over the past several years we’ve seen a major upward trend in self-care and wellness. Customers love the idea of a one stop shop where they can purchase apparel, beauty and wellness products.”

For many brands in home, gift, and beauty their collections give cash wraps and store shelves a little something extra to drive multiple item purchases with little space commitment. “A lot of buyers were looking for small impulse buys and stocking stuffer items as they get ready for the holiday season, even if it didn’t really go with the other products they currently sell,” said Elissa Choi, Founder, Bonblissity. “It’s good to try something new. Regular customers get excited to find something they didn’t expect. If it does well, you know that you found another category of products you never considered before and can bring in more since there seems to be a demand,” says Choi.

NAUGHTY AND NICE

Attendees looking for gifts with a bit of a wink, shopped brands like Chez Gagne, whose brand ethos is, “if you can’t make it nice, make it funny” a range of products from candles and mugs to shower steamers with mischievous quips designed for impulse purchasing and gifting. The MAGIC Las Vegas home, gift, and beauty brands gave an opportunity to launch meaningful collections in this commodity and build gifting for seasons to come.

Chez Gagne

EDITORS PICKS: FOOTWEAR

A PERFECT PAIRING

Get ready for a season of extremes in Spring 2023; even with dress styling on the rise (think highly embellished, radical materials, and oversized platforms), at MAGIC Las Vegas, brands showed dress collections that dazzled while also considering that customers continue to shop for casual footwear silhouettes, especially those with comfort features.

Vizzano

QUPID

A MODERN CINDERELLA

In dress, buyers are gravitating toward styling fit for a modern Cinderella: shoes ruled by clear materials, audacious sparkle, and novelty heel shapes for a take on that infamous glass slipper. “A trend that everyone is talking about and is picking up momentum is dress. People are ready to go out and we are seeing dressier silhouettes, heels, and platforms picking up. This will continue to trend going into 2023,” said Julie Kuo, Vice President, Qupid. As this season gravitates towards all that is decorated, a second dress trend keeps customers “tied up” with extra attention to styling with long-length ties that wind up the legs; some having a bit of embellishment or tassel for even more novelty. Says Robyn Levitt, Key Account Manager of Betsey Johnson Footwear, “We are loving Rhinestones and Pearls.” The one rule in dress footwear? More is more.

MATISSE

GO WEST

Where the attention to detail of dress styling meets the comfort of more casual styling is in the continuing Western-inspired trend. “The biggest hit of the show was obviously Western theme. We had a feature section showcasing all the Western looks we had on booties and tall shafted boots, and it was a hit with all the buyers,” said Kuo. Echoing that sentiment, Brittany Hernandez, Digital + Content Marketing Coordinator, MIA Shoes, said that “The top trends at MAGIC Las Vegas were Western boots for sure and clogs as always.” Top styling details included contrast stitching and shaft material interest on boots, and nail head embellishment details on clogs. Color continues to be a driver in the category as well.

CASUALLY COOL

Cute casual translates into silhouettes both bold and subtle. In sandals, fisherman-inspired uppers paired to one of the continuing construction trends of the season, with Kuo noting that after Western inspiration, “lug bottoms are being picked up” by buyers in the casual commodity.

With a consideration to the rise in slippers at consumers work from home, Dooeys founder Jordan Clark said that her styles acknowledge the importance of footwear that stays indoors. “We make stylish house shoes made from plant-based and recycled materials, so we were showing the stylish “housewear” trend as well as sustainable footwear. Our House Loafers were the biggest hit as they’re the perfect combination between a slipper and a sneaker and go with any outfit at home.”

Brands are aligned in their goals to align comfort features with trend-right styling, a pre-pandemic market consumer trend that skyrocketed post-lockdowns. “Our typical customer has style but is definitely looking for comfortable but always fashionable shoes and that’s what we are about,” said Hernandez. Clark agrees, noting that “Our typical customers spend time at home whether that’s working from home, hosting family and friends at home, or just like to feel comfy and cozy while relaxing at home. She is looking for supportive footwear that doesn’t sacrifice style.” Kuo echoes this trend: “Our styles reflect all the latest fashion, but we recognize that comfort and affordability are must haves in today’s market.”

TIME WARP

INSPIRED BY THE FUTURE, THE PAST, AND ALL THE SUMMERS IN BETWEEN, THIS SEASON, THE TOP TRENDS MIX WHERE WE’VE BEEN WITH WHERE WE’RE GOING NEXT.

WHETHER STRAIGHT FROM THE SPACE AGE OR Y2K, THESE STYLES, CURATED FROM THE MAGIC LAS VEGAS SHOW FLOOR, ARE ALL ABOUT WHAT’S NEW.

Editorial Team

Milton Hernandez, Director of Content + Community Elise Cucchiarelli, Content Marketing Manager

Nicole Gray, Content Marketing Coordinator

Jules Coch, Brand Manager, MAGIC

Production Team

Jessica Richards, Market Editor & Stylist

Hailley Howard, Producer Evan Duning, Photographer

Jeffrey Fountain, Lighting

Madi Haney, Assistant Styling

Miriam Thom, Set Director

James Ridley, Assistant Director

Lauren Urasek, Hair & Makeup/Studio Stylist

Amy Lynn

INSPIRED BY MAGIC’S HOME CITY, BRING THE GLAMOUR OF CLASSIC LAS VEGAS BY CELEBRATING SPRING’S LOVE OF OVERTHE-TOP EMBELLISHMENTS. REMEMBER: MORE IS MORE, THEN ADD FEATHERS.

Amy Lynn

Sondra

EASE

For the Modern Sportswear brands at MAGIC Las Vegas, a season of soft silhouettes and coordinating separates lead for spring’s best sellers.

Buyers shopping the modern sportswear collections at MAGIC Las Vegas came to the show hoping to convey a bigger message in their curations for Spring 2023: optimism. With a fresher outlook for 2023 in the consumer mindset, overarching trends of vivid palettes, oversized print and pattern, novelty embellishment, and breezy shapes and silhouettes were the biggest trends to shop on the show floor.

SUNNY SIDE UP MATCH, GAME, SET THE SOFTER SIDE

The top trend to see and shop in modern sportswear was bright, colorful palettes; naturally lending themselves to boldly creating an overall outlook of optimism. Brands like Carla Ruiz, anchored in citrus tones and accented with leafy and lime greens and pops of pink, were directional in the sorts of colors that buyers were looking for in creating warm curations for Spring.

PRINTS, PLEASE

“Buyers seemed to be very into matching sets,” said Anneke Barrie, co-founder of Isla de Oro, whose debut season at the show proved positively aligned with the coordinates trend. Inspired by vintage textiles, vibrant colors, and unique prints, the collection’s cheery point of view through an ethos of easy dressing was a natural attraction to buyers looking to bring this feeling into their stores.

As trends of dressing with presence move from 2022 into even more decorative and exaggerated ways in Spring, buyers were especially drawn to prints of all kinds: large-scale animal, bright florals, and retro-style graphics topping buyers’ top picks for the season. Brands noted that the prints feeling newest for Spring had punchier color combinations or a bit of unexpected embellishment; details that took styling to the next level of novel dressing.

With comfort dressing here to stay, brands showed a number of new ways to style easy silhouettes for casual yet sophisticated dressing. While maxi-length dresses remained a top pick, buyers were also looking for wide leg pant silhouettes and pullover blouses in wovens from brands like Peace of Cloth, whose collection featured a range of mix and match soft silhouettes across a palette of neutrals. Knits ruled for brands like Dressed 2 Kill who shared newness in this category with top picks including ribbed sweater dresses and separates.

LAS VEGAS

Magic las vegas is the place to see and be seen. And this season was no different. Our community showed up wearing all of this season’s trends. So we’re highlighting two standout styles that span the spectrum from black & white to pops of color across apparel, footwear, and accessories. Here are some of our favorite looks for the august event.

TREND: BLACK & WHITE

TREND: POPS OF COLOR

The Interview:

Photography by Evan Duning

Kristin Cavallari, the star of MTV’s Laguna Beach and E’s Very Cavallari, spoke at MAGIC Las Vegas about her jewelry brand Uncommon James and skin care line Uncommon Beauty. The entrepreneur discussed the steep learning curve during her first few years as CEO, as well as the challenges being a new mom and a divorce added. She also gives insights into building the right team, the benefits of following your gut, and why and how taking risks can pay off.

“The first collection is not something I’m necessarily proud of, just as far as quality goes, because at the time I didn’t know the right questions to ask. So, everything is a learning process. But I do think that ultimately you have to just do what speaks to you and you have to just go. I’m a big believer that we all have that gut instinct and it’s just a matter of tuning in to it or not. But we really have to trust that.”

“It was challenging for a while and it just felt like I was constantly trying to come up for air and it was just nonstop. But you do get to the other side and it’s a really beautiful thing.”

“Everything is a learning process—it really is. But that’s also why it’s important to hire the right people, too. I think that, honestly, that’s half the battle is who you hire. It’s who you surround yourself with.”

“Authenticity is key because ultimately that’s the only thing we really have. I think it’s important to pay attention to who your com petitors are, but not to put too much weight on it because there’s room for all of us, right? There really is.”

“Well, I think it’s really important to instill in your company and your employees that it’s okay, it’s okay to take a risk and that not every thing is going to work out. Because I do want my team, especially marketing, to take risks, try new things, see if they work, they’re not all going to and that’s okay. I want it to be a safe environment for that.”

SESSION | SOCIAL MEDIA SIT-DOWN

BRANDI FLOWER

Fashion and lifestyle host, editor and writer for InStyle and Cosmopolitan

“If you don’t have a publicist, it’s okay. It’s about getting the attention of the editor. So, a good way to do that is to find the editor that writes the section that you want to be in.”

SESSION | SOCIAL MEDIA SIT-DOWN

TAYLOR JONES

Owner & Social

“I always tell people, if you have a story, if you’re comfortable sharing it -do it. You would be amazed by the amount of people that can relate to you.”

SESSION | SOCIAL MEDIA SIT-DOWN

LALA KENT

TV star and entrepreneur

“When it’s genuine, and that influencer genuinely loves your product, your conversion of sales is going to be so much higher.”

SESSION | THE JOURNEY TO SUSTAINABILITY: HOW TO GET THERE WITH YOUR BRAND

DR. CINDY LIN

CEO and Co-Founder, Hey Social Good

“As a brand, choose one practice and make that part of your mission statement, because that [guides] and directs where you go along your path of building your brand, but also your sustainable journey.”

SESSION | THE JOURNEY TO SUSTAINABILITY: HOW TO GET THERE WITH YOUR BRAND

LISA LAWENDA

CEO, Blue Planet Eyewear

“It’s [about] always being aware of what you’re taking and then giving back to the environment to ensure that those footprints are lightly padded, and then ensure that you’re looking back and tracking what you’re doing and how you’re doing it.”

SESSION | THE JOURNEY TO SUSTAINABILITY: HOW TO GET THERE WITH YOUR BRAND

JEANNIE BARSAM

CEO + Founder, Gifting Brands

“[Brands who] want to make a difference but [may not] have enough cash to donate to a charity can do it with their inventory. We call it inventory philanthropy.”

SESSION | TIPS FOR RUNNING A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS AMIDST REAL LIFE.

ASHLEY STOCK

Founder, Little Miss Momma

“You’re not going to be for everybody. And, from a business perspective, you don’t want to be for everybody—that’s impossible. You know who your client is, who your customer is, and staying true to your brand means always having a really clear picture in your mind of who that customer is [while] not losing sight of that when you’re here, not losing sight of that when you show up on social media, not losing sight of that, when you’re recognized in public, that’s going to just be an essential element.”

VivaLas

Our incredible fashion community brought so much MAGIC to Las Vegas. Check out some of our favorite moments from this season’s on-site special events.

MAGIC MOMENTS

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Thank you to our incredible sponsors who hosted happy hours, provided product giveaways, lite bites, show bags, manicures, and more.

Fashion Index Afterpay Hayden La Adrienne Skies Are Blue

Emory Park Blue Blush MIA Shoes Rae Mode Pretty Garbage

Edgeu Little Words Project Easy Spirit & Earth Voit