MAGIC August 2013

Twice a year Las Vegas gets taken over by the fashion industry. Every type of clothing line you can think of, buyers, PR, bloggers, you name itthey are all there for this momentous event we call MAGIC. This is my third time attending MAGIC as an official blogger and I love it each and every time. I love discovering new brands, meeting new faces, speaking on panels and of course seeing all the trends that are about to sweep the industry. I knew I would be covering the show for DB, so I kept my eye out for new denim trends, new denim brands, and also thought it would be great to take you guys inside each of the shows and what it looks like to be in the middle of this whirlwind of fashion.



Basically, MAGIC is the big show of the week making the Las Vegas Convention Center it’s home. It has every category under the sun including Men’s, Women’s, Juniors, Pret a Porter, Swim and shoes. They also have a separate show (that is still attached) for Sourcing which is where designers go to find their zippers, trimmings, fabrics, production etc. to make their clothing line’s possible.

During MAGIC there are fashion shows, blogger panels, this year Extra hosted segments, a DJ and live art installations from artists all over. Each booth offers something different whether it’s just water, a place to relax, a little candy, a TV screen showcasing their brand, or a full blown open bar or food making the buyer as comfortable as possible while they place their order.

Now that you’ve learned a little bit about MAGIC itself there are more shows under the umbrella of the MAGIC name. Project, Pool, Project MVMNT, The Tents at Project and ENK are now all under the MAGIC umbrella, but are all held at the Mandalay Bay hotel. They have shuttles to and from the convention center to all of the shows making it a smooth process to hop from place to place. Project and ENK have a lot of the brands that you all might be familiar with i.e. MINK PINK, Unif, JapanLA, Hudson, Paige, Big Star USA and much more.

Project is the mama bear to Pool which has emerging designers new on the scene that want to make a name for themselves. A lot of street wear makes its way to Pool and accessories are also a big presence at the show.

The Tents at Project are mainly menswear, but have some unisex lines as well. It is a classy, contemporary show with minimal booth designs and very classic clothing.

Some newer shows on the scene that are NOT part of MAGIC are Liberty, Agenda and Capsule. Now, these shows are the cool kids on campus giving you everything from street wear to clothing lines made in the USA, big brands and small brands alike. Some vendors you can find at these shows are Nudie Jeans, The Hundreds, Supra and Krew, Married to the Mob, Civil Clothing and more. One of the cool things about these shows (MAGIC, Project and ENK included) are how the booths are individually designed and executed. Some are simple and clean and others go all the way with a full blown pop up shop made of wood surrounding it.

The shows also have fun, interactive places for buyers and attendees to sit down and regroup or they can grab some food at the “cafe’s” around the shows. Each show is a completely different experience and all have their own personalities which makes it visually easier for a buyer to know where they need to be to get the goods. A lot of these shows are one big social gathering of brands reconnecting with fellow brands they’ve made friends with, buyers meeting yet again with their favorite brands, and PR people networking away with a drink in hand (most of the time).

The energy is contagious and you feel like you’re really at the hub of the fashion industry surrounded by people just like you, with the same interests in the same industry. It’s a very inspiring (exhausting) week and each season offers different trends, parties, people, and events. Vegas is a MAGICAl little place during February and August and I love to be there every time it happens.

(a couple photos courtesy of Jess from Fresh Jess, Ariana from La Catrina De La Moda and Margie from MargiePlus rom the WWDMAGIC Blogger’s guestbook entries.)