The MAGIC Preview: What to Expect This Season on the Vegas Show Floor
Before retailers descend on Las Vegas, we get the inside scoop straight from the source.
We sat down with Emilie Lewis, Vice President of Events at Informa to preview what buyers, boutiques, and brands can expect this season at MAGIC.
We covered the big picture: where the overall market is heading, what's happening inside the trade show world, and how to navigate vendor relationships right now. We cover sourcing and pricing pressures, the buying mood on the floor and the specific fashion trends driving this season: the colors, categories, and key brands. Whether you're heading to Vegas or New York or planning your buy from afar, this conversation is your roadmap to the season ahead.
The independent retailer's guide to knowing exactly what to buy, what to skip, and how to turn these market trends into smarter decisions for your store starts here!
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The MAGIC Preview: What to Expect This Season on the Vegas Show Floor
Dane Cohen: Hello, and welcome back to Indie Insights Live. We are excited today, you know, we really get to talk to some movers and shakers in the industry every week here on Indie Insights Live, and today is no exception. We're being joined by Emilie Lewis, who is the newly appointed VP of Fashion Events at Informa, which of course oversees magic, and project, and sourcing, and off-price, and every show that fashion retailers are attending. So, Emilie, before we bring you into the conversation, and we have a lot to cover today, I just want to remind everyone on here that there's a lot of ways to listen to Indie Insights Live. Thank you for joining live with us to our attendees. As you know, we love participation. Ask questions right in the chat. There's Q&A, there's the chat function. We're gonna answer questions as we go. You'll also be able to watch this on our YouTube channel. You'll also be able to listen to this coming very soon to every major podcast platform. And, as always, we will be sending out the recording. So, without further ado, Emilie, how are you today?
Emilie Lewis: Hey, Dane, thank you for having me. I'm, super excited to be here. What a, you know, not a better way to spend my Thursday morning here in Los Angeles. been talking to you about the industry and what's coming, what we've seen, and then obviously what the portfolio of the Fashion by Informa is really, you know, marching toward the beat of yeah, some change. Some good change, I think.
Dane Cohen: Good, we like change, and we're going to want to hear about all those details.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: You know, as you know, Management One has been a huge partner of Informa over the years. We're gonna be making a big presence this year at the show in Vegas. I can't believe we're flying out. Is it like a week we'll be flying out?
Emilie Lewis: It always comes so much faster than you think. I mean, I literally remember… I think I've been in the role for maybe 11 or 12 weeks at this point, and I remember thinking, oh, we have so… such a long runway, we've got to do so many things, and then, yeah, it's here. We're literally a week away. This time next weekend, I think a lot of people will be descending upon Vegas, including me, and you, and, the whole teams on both our sides. And we kick off a week from Monday. So, the whole of the fashion market in Vegas, which does include sourcing, off-price, MAGIC project, will be kicking off, in Vegas, and essentially, we take over the LVCC, like, we're in town, we're there, there's no denying it, so…
Dane Cohen: Oh, yes, and, you know, before we… I have to do a little shameless plug, I'm gonna do two shameless plugs. The first is, and we're always excited to partner with MAGIC on this, and we really appreciate your support for our clients, for Management One clients, we do have a limited amount of Premier Partnership badges. So, Nico, if you want to put that link in the chat, MAGIC is gracious enough to provide us with Premier Partner Badges for select clients of Management One. Make sure you grab them. It's an incredible thing to have when you're in Vegas and you want that love.
Emilie Lewis: Yes.
Dane Cohen: and you want to take some meetings! So we… it is our pride to be able to offer that to our clients, so make sure you sign up for that. And then there's also many chances to see Management One. We're going to be speaking on the main stage at MAGIC, we're going to be speaking in the Business Solutions Center, we're going to be speaking at Project, we're going to be giving tours of sourcing, so there is a lot to come. But enough about us, Emilie. Let's talk about you. I mean, you said, how long has it been since, you've been in this new role?
Emilie Lewis: Oh, I think I'm going either on week 11 or week 12, so definitely, you know, I would say drinking from the proverbial fire hose, but honestly, I've spent the majority of my career in fashion, so it feels like a bit of a coming home, which is nice. But… but yeah, it… it definitely, you know, was a conversation that, was an interesting one with Informa, and look, at the end of the day, the breadth and the reach of Informa and the fashion group has so many legacy brands in it, but what I… what I will say is, you know, sitting down through the, you know, the interview process and, you know, being in New York, with our North American CEO, Patrick Martell. he and I had such an amazing conversation about the future of this brand, and that's what excites me, is really where are we taking this brand, and where is the industry going? I mean, again, just sitting down with a CEO that has so many different industries and responsibilities. you know, under his guidance, and he really, really is deeply embedded in what's happening in the fashion industry. Like, what are our retailers saying? What are our brands saying? Like, and that, for me, was really one of the selling points, is that was, you know, really one of the first kind of questions and conversations is, like, what are our customers saying? Are we listening to them? And… and that for me is everything, because it's always customer first. Like, I love the Nordstrom mentality, at the end of the day, the customers always come first. I think the hard part about what we do Is anticipating what the customer needs before they know they need it.
Dane Cohen: Mmm.
Emilie Lewis: And that's where the fun… that's where the fun begins, is starting to anticipate what they need before they're asking us for those things. So, yeah, that's what we're doing… doing a lot of these days, a lot of strategy sessions, But, you know, I think… I think you're gonna see some small changes coming up in the August Marketplace, and then, you know, I really, I would say, you know, get on board. 2027, it's gonna be fun. It's gonna be exciting.
Dane Cohen: We are on board. So, Emilie, you said you've been in the fashion industry for quite a while now. Walk us through. You know, I started my career at the trade shows, I don't know if you know this. That I started my career in fashion in… oh, was it 2008?
Emilie Lewis: I know, we're gonna age ourselves when we start to go down memory lane.
Dane Cohen: I know, I know. And I started at Project Menswear, you know, the menswear show, and just such an incredible, you know, kind of… I like to think of it as, like, a boot camp in the industry. So, give us a little bit about your background. Where has this ride taken you?
Emilie Lewis: Well, I always say I started at retail. You know, I was on a trajectory coming from a family… first of all, I grew up in the South. I grew up in a very, very small town in the South, in Mississippi. I was on a trajectory, of becoming a lawyer, that's what my dad was. I grew up in a household where, you know, it was like you're either a lawyer, you're a doctor, you're an engineer, an accountant, something. You know, something to the… that makes… since. And so, you know, I was headed to law school and just happened to have a part-time job working in an amazing women's wear boutique, Village Taylor, who I still, you know, visit when I go home, and really just started to see things. So that for me was really interesting. I started to see, you know, buying patterns that were really not working for revenue. I started to see margins that weren't being optimized, and this was, you know, at a really young age, and I was lucky enough to actually be able to go to Coterie.
Dane Cohen: I can't…
Emilie Lewis: very full-circle moment for me. I went to Coterie when I was in college on a buying trip, and that was my first entrance into the fashion industry, and it was immediate. It was immediate, the minute that I went to Coterie.
Dane Cohen: You are in Mississippi.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, yeah.
Dane Cohen: working at a retail store, and they fly you to New York to attend Coterie, which, as anyone knows, is like, you know…
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: mecca of women's fashion trade events, that must have been an awesome experience.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, I mean, look, I've had a few full-circle moments. I think, you know, if you look at my career going to Coterie at such a young age. was really, eye-opening, because I did not realize the business that sat behind a really fun, creative agency. You know, you see the finished product in a store as a consumer, and you don't understand the amount of people, the amount of logistics, the manufacturing, the production, the sourcing, the textiles, the buying, and the pricing, and the margins. Like, you don't understand all that goes into that shirt, and I always come back to this, because there was that moment, you know, and it's a fun kind of moment where a lot of us in the fashion industry, when Devil Wears Prada, the first one, came out, were sitting in the movies, and we're listening to that entire speech about cerillium blue. A cerulean blue gap sweater.
Dane Cohen: All of us have.
Emilie Lewis: in the fashion industry are collectively like, yes! Yes, we get it! You know, there's so much more to that sweater than most people think, so… it definitely was a full circle moment. You know, fast forward about, gosh, 11 or 12 years, and I was, offered a role that was overseeing Coterie, moved me to New York. I lived in New York for the better part of, you know, almost 4 years. and oversaw coterie. So that really, for me, was my first Full Circle fashion moment, where the show that I… I… that really, you know, I'll say, made me trip into the fashion industry, you know, I… I ended up overseeing. And then again, this is another full-circle moment where, like yourself, my first entry into trade shows was projects. And so, my first trade show I ever worked on, after coming out of working with brands, you know, I went to LA, I worked for BCBG, I worked in a visuals department. I worked for a great licensing brand called Junk Food Apparel that was later sold to Delta Apparel, one of the largest license holders. At the time, great t-shirt brand. Everybody has seen them in Gap,
Dane Cohen: I sold a lot of junk food in my day.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, and so, you know, I had some really amazing, few years in-house with brands, really learning about the industry from a licensing standpoint to a production standpoint, to a wholesale sales cycle standpoint, and then my first entry into trade shows was project as well. And so then again, another full-circle fashion moment for me is now coming into the company that owns the whole of this portfolio to really nurture and evolve this portfolio of multiple brands, including Project and including Coterie, and what that means. So, yeah, it's been a fun ride.
Dane Cohen: And I think that this is really important, why I wanted to kind of set the stage a little bit, is I think sometimes, and I used to get this in the trade show world as well, that there's this feeling that the trade shows, you know. how understanding are you of what's happening on the ground? And to hear your experience, right, and to hear that you've worked in the retail store, you've worked with brands, you've worked at the shows for years, you know, you are really coming from a perspective that understands what the your customer needs, who are the boutique owners, who are the buyers, who are the department stores, what's going on, and what they really need in order to be successful. Okay, so now, looking to… the shows that are coming up, and I think why we're here today is because we want to have an understanding of not only what's happening in the shows, right, but how the shows are evolving with the industry right now, and I could just say that this was back in 2009, 2010. Even back then, it was, in a few years, the trade shows aren't going to be here anymore, it's all gonna be over. I mean, every year we hear this, right?
Emilie Lewis: We've been here! Three years, yeah, yeah.
Dane Cohen: So, what does, you know, we're getting on planes, we're gonna be there, you know, in just a little over a week from now. What can people expect from MAGIC this year?
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, so going back to your, you know, your question of, you know, the trade shows and, you know, are they still going to be here? I mean, my definitive answer is yes. Always. Yes. There is no replacement for… touching and feeling a finished product. But I'll go a step above that. There's no replacement for actually being in the same room with over 16,000 other industry friends and colleagues that are doing something similar to you and networking and learning together. There really is no replacement for that, because I think that, you know, as an industry. You know, and I will say, like, in the past, like, there's been, you know, it's very cyclical. Fashion is very cyclical. What comes around goes around. Oh, speaking of a brand, that was a great one.
Dane Cohen: Yaka.
Emilie Lewis: Right? Like… Yeah, that was one of my favorites back in the day, but I do think that everything is very cyclical, and I think that we're seeing a moment in time Across every, every industry, where every single industry is questioning what's next. So, this is not unique to fashion, but I think what is unique to fashion is that there… there is power in numbers. There… there is power in the community that is the fashion industry, knowing the internal dialogue and the struggles, and bringing that community together. And I will say that That is really an area of expertise for me in my career, is connecting the dots and bringing the communities together for them to have the conversation. So that's what I would say, that I think you're gonna start to see more and more, is that We, as trade show organizers, want the community to shine at our events. It is about the community. It's about what is top of mind for you, it's about what is your brand struggling with. what, you know, the retailer, you know, 40 miles down the street is doing that is helping them grow and scale, that maybe as a retailer you could learn and glean some of those insights. I think the veil was up for quite some time with fashion. There was this very elusive veil of how things got done. You know, it was… look, it was sexy, it was intriguing, it was mysterious, everyone wanted to know how the runway got put together and how the brands landed. That veil's… it's gone now, at the end of the day. We've got social media. We've got whistleblowers that, you know, call out bad practices and bad actors. I think we have more transparency for our customers. I think our customers have demanded more transparency. So, would that veil gone now. I think what the industry is starting to do is actually come together. Like, I'm excited to see, you know, in the future of our retail world and our brand world, more collaboration, more connecting points, more of the mentality of If I do well, you do well, versus if I… I can only do well when you don't do well. And I think that that's the shift that I'm seeing. So… In a tangible way, there's one thing that you're gonna see at the August marketplace that we will continue to build on, and that's a concept called meetups. It's a concept that… that I've, you know, seen be successful across multiple other industries, and no doubt it will be successful in fashion. Essentially, it is a space, a time and a space for people in ministry to come together and talk about a like-minded subject. So I'll give you an example. Small boutique owners. So in MAGIC, there'll be a space and a time for a small boutique owner. We've chosen hosts that, you know, obviously have, paid their dues in the industry and or are influencers or, you know, they're very well respected in their own right because of the businesses they built, to be a host. That host could have a roundtable discussion, they could do a panel discussion, they could just do a networking event, but what you're going to see is, whether it's 30 people or, you know. 75 or 80 people, you're gonna see the community of small boutique owners come together and sit and chat together about what's working, what's not working, what they're doing, tricks of the trade, and that's what we want more of in this industry.
Dane Cohen: For our listeners here today, or listeners watching, or… listeners listening, how do we get involved… how do they get involved in a meetup? What does that actually… you know, do they have to sign up? Do they register? What is this like?
Emilie Lewis: You just show up! So definitely, you know, those that are coming to our show, I will always say download our app. Our app is where you can, just like every other event, it's where you can navigate your calendar and your schedule from, you know, meeting with, you know, if you're a brand, you can get, you know, retailer appointments if you're a retailer, setting your appointments with a brand. But then beyond that. attending the different learning and content sessions, whether it's a content session and project, like you were saying, Management One, you guys are doing, you know, sessions across the whole of our marketplace, so every marketplace, every brand under the marketplace has different stages. So, get on… jump on the app, look at all the different offerings, and just show up. That's all you have to do. There's no price to entry with these. This is meant for the community. If you're a small boutique owner. Jump on the app, see when that meetup is, and show up and be ready to collaborate and ready to chat. And I think just come with an open mind. Again, this notion that if another retailer is succeeding, that means you can't. Those days are over. another retailer's doing something really well, learn from that. And if you're doing something really well, teach another retailer how to learn from that, because the more that we all succeed together, the better we are as an industry.
Dane Cohen: Yeah, I like to think about it in terms of… you know, there's a collective power to the independent retail industry doing well, and it allows us both to compete with the big box and the new threats and, you know, the Amazons, the Targets, but it also gives us, you know, when independent retailers share with each other, I think it does give power to that community, especially when dealing with vendors, right? And so I think that that's… Super important.
Emilie Lewis: Right.
Dane Cohen: Okay, I wanna start with… I'm gonna work backwards right now.
Emilie Lewis: Okay.
Dane Cohen: And so, I want to start with what I think is a gem of a show, and sometimes I think it gets forgotten about. It's a newer show to the,
Emilie Lewis: Know where you're going here.
Dane Cohen: Let's talk off-price, and I want to talk specifically… about why a retailer that doesn't think off prices for them, because I have my opinions here, but I want to get it straight.
Emilie Lewis: There you go.
Dane Cohen: Why… Why should they go to off-price?
Emilie Lewis: Such a good, good question. I'm glad that you bring up off-price. It is, within the last few years, it is a newer acquisition for the marketplace, but really a completion of our marketplace. Again, you start with the sourcing side, and you can… and it almost is the life cycle of a product can end with the off-price side. So, why should a retailer go to off-price? Well, I would ask any retailer. Do you want to improve your bottom line? I would imagine that answer is yes. As a retailer, I want my margins to be better, and I want to make more revenue. Like, it is really, again, I'll use the word, it's really sexy when you're a business owner, and you're making a lot of revenue, and you, you have really healthy margins. And we all know, in retail, that margins can be very tough. So, why to go to off-price? That… period, hands down, is the reason, because what you're gonna do is you're gonna find product there that has seen, you know, a span of a life cycle, but that doesn't mean that your customer wouldn't be interested in it. And I think that that is the misconception, is that most people think of off-price as, you know. it's the goods that people don't want, and that's simply not true. A lot of times, it's the goods that sometimes just Because of bad math, we're overproduced! Sometimes because of… Factory minimums were overproduced. Sometimes because of simple location and marketplace of maybe where they were sitting did not sell. That does not mean that it would be something that your customer isn't interested in. So, what I would say is, you know, most retailers coming to the show have a very good grasp on who their customer is. So, you can find some of those point-of-sale purchases that really can help build those margins, or that one specific category that you know you sell very well. If you are the retailer that sells tank tops. And you cannot keep them in your shop, and that is your… your girl is always coming to you for tank tops. Go to off-price, and find the off-price guy that has the tank tops that, again, got overproduced simply because a factory minimum had to be met. And you're gonna get them at such a better price, and you're gonna have better margins on them. So, don't discount it. Look, I think at the end of the day, a lot of people discount it because maybe you know, I get it. You walk into the show, and vendors are still using grids. I get it. Like, you know, as someone in the industry, like, we don't love to see things hanging on grids and booths. We want the really beautiful presentation. We all have creative in us, otherwise we wouldn't be in this industry, but Don't discount the show because of that, because at the…
Dane Cohen: wha…
Emilie Lewis: You know, at that show, they're really serious business people.
Dane Cohen: Yeah, and here's what I've found with off-price, because over the years, I've shopped at off-price, and, you know, with, over the last few seasons, I've actually given tours of off-price. Yeah!
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: And here's where I think that, in my personal opinion, where retailers miss out here.
Emilie Lewis: Okay.
Dane Cohen: there's discovery there, and…
Emilie Lewis: 100%.
Dane Cohen: you know, one of the questions I always get, especially from, like, contemporary women's stores, kids' stores, a lot of kids' stores have this question, is like, well, my margins are set, right? My vendors set the margins, there's not much I can do, I have a 55% you know, markup, that's the most I could get, and I don't have opportunities to really operate outside of that. And…
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: it's the… and just… I don't want to use this word, but it's one of my favorite words, it's the tchotchkes there, right?
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dane Cohen: And I'll give you a perfect example, beach bags, right?
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: There is, like, an incredible assortment there, and these are things that you could layer into the store. So maybe you're a really high-end women's boutique, and you, you know, you just want a nice, easy beach bag that someone can grab. At a pretty good cost, and you're buying it for $5, $10, and can sell it maybe for, you know, $45, $50.
Emilie Lewis: 100%.
Dane Cohen: And it's good product, right? So, you know, maybe you're not going there for apparel, maybe you'll find some sleeper hits in the apparel side, but there is so much good accessories to layer into the business. And the.
Emilie Lewis: 100%.
Dane Cohen: And these things build up, right? It's not like… Yeah. you know, okay, you know, it's just one beach bag, right? You buy some accessories, some margin drivers, even stuff like stickers and candles, and all of a sudden, you're building margin. And it's good product, right?
Emilie Lewis: Yeah. Yeah.
Dane Cohen: You have to be discerning, and you have to have a good eye, but there's good product to be had.
Emilie Lewis: 100%. So, what you call tchotchkes, I call the point-of-sale purchases.
Dane Cohen: Yeah.
Emilie Lewis: Those are the margin builders, and for any retailer to say that they don't have control over their margins, I would absolutely challenge that. Like, there are ways to improve on those margins. I think it's like anything else, go in with a plan, go in with what you really are looking to discover. To your point, it is about discovery, but what is that item and that seasonality or that… You know, you know, certain celebration that's coming up that, you know, you're not going to buy deep, maybe, into that one item, but you need the point-of-sale purchase that's gonna keep that's gonna keep the store fresh, and keep that girl coming back, honestly. Like you said, in summer, those beach bags, maybe you're not getting, you know. 10 of the exact same beach bag, but maybe you're getting 10 very different bags at a really amazing margin that keep your store exciting and fresh. So, 100% agree with you. Those point-of-sale purchases Come in with a plan so that you don't get overwhelmed, is what I will say, because it is easy to walk in, look around, and just be like, oh, this is not for me. So you have to come in with a plan and with an open mind, knowing, really, what are those discovery pieces that you're looking to find. But all price is such a hidden gem, and I would challenge any retailer that disagrees with me, email me. I'll walk you through there, and we'll find.
Dane Cohen: Ugh.
Emilie Lewis: I promise we will, yeah.
Dane Cohen: Alright, you heard it here first, folks, that's a private invitation from Emilie.
Emilie Lewis: Private invitation.
Dane Cohen: Alright, now let's shift back over to the LVCC. By the way, where is Off Price gonna be located this year?
Emilie Lewis: Our price will be in north, so our campus map is, sourcing is in south. South Lower. All of MAGIC is in Central this season, so MAGIC was split a little last season. We're all in Central, so everything from accessories to footwear to Young Contemporary to Trend to Contemporary, all in Central under, one haul. And then Project. and off-price are in north, so project is, N1 and N2, and off-price is in 3 and N4.
Dane Cohen: Okay, so we have project and off-price in North, we have MAGIC the entirety in Central Hall, and then in South Hall, we have sourcing. Okay, so now, I want to ask a question, because… and I think this is fair game, you know, in the past.
Emilie Lewis: It's been… it's.
Dane Cohen: gotten a little, you know, there's been some changes to what's the product mix at MAGIC, what's the product mix at project, and I think you guys have done a tremendous job at refining that. Where do we stand this year? You know, what types of product categories can we expect at MAGIC? Is there trend? Is there women's contemporary? Give us the lay of the land.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, look, I think that, as the industry changes and evolves, we have to as well, so definitely, I think you'll see a shift season over season, because we know that this industry moves faster than ever, that's what I will say, especially with technology. AI, influencers, content creators, the Amazons of the world, like, we all have to move very fast, but what I'll continue to say is that over 63% of our attendee base are exactly what we've been talking about, these specialty boutiques across the country and across the globe. And so, those boutiques for a lot of our brands, they're really hard to reach a lot of times, so that's really the plus of our marketplace, is that you get the exposure to, those boutiques that… that you want to do business with. Regardless of what the category is, I think MAGIC… the way that I think about it is MAGIC continues to be the women's hub in Vegas. Project continues to be the men's hub in Vegas. Sourcing is sourcing. It's where it starts. It's where you find your manufacturers. It's where you can actually affect your margins for those retailers. out there. It's where you learn about how to do private label and white labeling. It's, it's where you grow and scale on a different level. And then off-price, again, is really, again, where you can kind of maybe bust some of those margin myths, that you might have. But, in terms of MAGIC, I mean, yeah, you're gonna see everything from trend to young contemporary to contemporary to footwear and accessories across all those spans, from trend, young contemporary, and contemporary. And then, you know, we do have one newer initiative this season, which is, you had mentioned earlier on the call, our Business Solutions Center, BSC. This, I think, is where I'm really most excited about where the future of our brand and our marketplace is going. It's going beyond a booth. interaction. That will always be the core of our business. It is to get retailers and buyers together to do business, and do real business. But I think what we're finding and what we're hearing from our retailers is that more and more, they want to know how to operate better businesses. They're really smart, and we were talking about this, you know, on… a separate call, this notion that small boutique owners somehow, it's a hobby to be a small boutique owner, or it's more of a fun thing to do… no, no, I will challenge that all day long. Small boutique owners are some of the most persistent dedicated, devoted, hard-working, individuals out there, because it is really hard with the margins, to make A small boutique, not only successful, but to make it… drive really, you know, increasing revenue year over year, which is what any business wants to do. You want to grow and scale. So, the Business Solutions Center, I think, is a really exciting, aspect. So, this is really where the… both the retailers and the brands can meet with businesses that are on the periphery of… of the buying and the selling aspect. So they're in our industry, they're very important in our industry, but they're on the periphery of maybe the creative, side, which is the buying and the selling side. They're POS systems. So, it is virtual try-on, it is AI companies, it is retail consultancies, it is, you know, 3PLs, it's logistics and manufacturing and warehousing. So, all of these things that it takes for a retailer and a brand to grow and scale This is where you get to have a face-to-face conversation and demos on their product to learn how you can bring these things into your operation to grow and scale. Again, might not sound exciting to most, but to me, growing and scaling your business and making more money is about the most exciting thing you can do as a business owner, so…
Dane Cohen: Well, I think it's exciting, because none other… none other than myself will be.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: a product demo.
Emilie Lewis: Yes!
Dane Cohen: our newly rolled out Retail Orbit, so that will be on day one at 11 a.m. in the Business Solutions Center. So I know that we are excited about that here, and listen, I think that there's a, you know, and just speaking from a very biased perspective, but, you know. you come to an event like this, and obviously there you're there to do buying, but if you are investing the time, the money, the energy to come to a marketplace like Las Vegas. Which is, you know, still the epicenter, right? I really view it like that, and there are a lot of regional markets, you have regional shows, but when you really want to get immersed in the entire industry, and listen, service providers are a big part of that, right?
Emilie Lewis: 100%,
Dane Cohen: And these are the kind of game changers that can really refine and elevate your business. Okay, so that's awesome. So, just to kind of rephrase, we have MAGIC, which is going to be the entirety of women's.
Emilie Lewis: Priority of women's, yep.
Dane Cohen: project was… which is gonna be men's Focus, Back to the roots of project, very exciting, co-located with Off Price, so we can… they're right there together. Yep. And then we're gonna have sourcing as well, sitting, independently in the South.
Emilie Lewis: Check it out, yeah. And the one thing that I will say before you, really quickly before you move on. I think that there is a misconception in the industry that to take on a solutions provider, you have to be a big guy and have the big… the big checkbooks. I want to bust that myth a little bit, because I think that there are some really amazing smaller, from the startup stage to the mid-size to the large stage. You don't have to bring in, you know, if you're not a Salesforce person, you don't have to go all the way to Oracle or Salesforce or IBM. There are so many providers that can cater to different budgets, and different types, and different styles of businesses. So, you know, that's the thing I hear a lot, is like, oh, we're too small, we couldn't bring in a POS system, or an inventory, you know, system, or logistics handler, or whatever, you know, we do it all ourselves. We're still working on Excel spreadsheets, you know, the list goes on and on in our industry. you know, just to say that about, you know, some of these solutions providers, it's not about the budget. It is really about what you need, and I guarantee you'll find someone that can meet you, and provide what you need based, you know, regardless of the budget.
Dane Cohen: Alright, awesome. And listen, that goes for us as well, right? We're working with emerging retailers all the way up to.
Emilie Lewis: There you go.
Dane Cohen: independent retailers in North America. So I think people would be surprised, you know, having a consultant, which sounds like, oh, only, yeah! Not true.
Emilie Lewis: It's… exactly, not true, not true.
Dane Cohen: Alright, let's have a little fun. Let's shift gears a little bit. Not that we're not having fun already, but…
Emilie Lewis: I was like, I thought we'd been having fun for the last 30 minutes.
Dane Cohen: We are, we are, we're vibing, we're vibing. But I do want to talk, some trends. I want to talk some trends, so, I think…
Emilie Lewis: creative stuff.
Dane Cohen: Yeah, and you guys have been producing some awesome webinars, and, you know, you've put out some great buyer's guides, which, actually, I'm gonna put this right here so that everyone can see. I'm gonna put this in the chat. And by the way, anybody here? Oh, we do have some questions in the chat.
Emilie Lewis: Amazing.
Dane Cohen: Oh, okay. Hi, Robin Cohen, Robin Cohen's back. We love Robin. I'm gonna link to the Informa fashion trends, and Emilie, I'm just gonna roll back to see if there's any questions in here.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: Okay, we got some questions.
Emilie Lewis: Let's go.
Dane Cohen: Okay, Monica 100% agrees with our assessment of needing to attend trade shows. Thanks, Monica.
Emilie Lewis: We love you, Monica!
Dane Cohen: As is Robin. Robin asks, will the off-price show be in New York City?
Emilie Lewis: That's a really good question. This season, no. So the answer for this season is no. What you will have in New York in September is sourcing. MAGIC and coterie. But it is a really, interesting topic, and one that I will say has, has been, circulating, during the strategy meeting, so… I like to hear loud.
Dane Cohen: So maybe coming soon to New York. Maybe.
Emilie Lewis: We'll see, we'll see.
Dane Cohen: Monica asked, what are some trends we can expect in clothing colors and styles, and what are the most surprising? We're gonna get into that in just a moment. Monica, you are… Same, same page. Oh, Robin actually started her business as off-price 15 years ago, and then expanded into full price. So, I think that just shows there's…
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: to play here. Rita Mitchell, Rita, a big friend of Management One, says Off Price has terrific ideas for gift-with-purchase items at Grayscale. That's lovely.
Emilie Lewis: that.
Dane Cohen: Great way of thinking about that. Giveaway.
Emilie Lewis: I love that.
Dane Cohen: purchases, like, I'm, like, I'm really… by the way, I'm not being paid to say… to say.
Emilie Lewis: Look at this.
Dane Cohen: just really… I enjoy off-price so much. And again, because it… and listen, I'm that type of shopper, I love to find a deal, I love to find, you know, the kind of needle in the haystack, so it… it is there. Thank you, Rita, that's a great idea. Right, Monica says you'll find some gems, and okay, I think… I think that is where I definitely have to check out off-price. Okay, we got some excitement, around off-price, so that's great. Oh, and by the way, can I tell you another off-price strategy? Okay, if you have end-of-season sales, right?
Emilie Lewis: Hmm?
Dane Cohen: And listen, a lot of retailers are moving through, you know, overstock, and that's all you can handle, right? Just moving through your overstock in July, in January. But let me tell you a little secret, right? If you have a big clearance, sale events in July and January for fashion retailers. I would actually buy off-price merchandise to refresh those sales, and keep them going. So, you know, it's… yes, Robin says yes. So, like, that is a strategy, too. Like, there is a customer who's your full-price customer, who's always coming in for newness, there is your markdown and clearance customer, it's the cycle of life, it's the circle of life. So, I used to actually buy into off-price goods to bring into the clearance events and still get great margin. So, that's another off-price opportunity. Love it.
Emilie Lewis: Love that, strategy. That's a really good one.
Dane Cohen: Yeah. Mark Denkler is here from the, NSRA. Mark, good to see you.
Emilie Lewis: Hey, Mark!
Dane Cohen: Some shoe dogs on the call. And Mark says. MAGIC is more than meeting your existing vendors, but to see off-price for new margins, and now see the other resources for your business. Plan on 3 days. Yes.
Emilie Lewis: Yes, agreed.
Dane Cohen: Okay, so let's get into some trends. I think everybody always wants a little preview of what's happening, and I'm gonna tell you, Emilie…
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: Trends this year were a little esoteric, so I think you have to walk us through a little bit. We'll start with… I think you guys did a really interesting job of creating a through line through the men's market, the women's market. and even sourcing. So, we have Awaken, Space for Solace, Ritual. Give us just the pulse of what you're seeing walking into this market.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, I think, you hit the nail on the head when you say a little esoteric, because I do think that it is a reflection of what's happening in our world. Trends always are, at the end of the day. I think that it's also a reflection of maybe what the customer is telling us, that, you know, and I will… I will relay this to another Informa event, Cannes Lions. Which just happened a few weeks ago, and the one thing that… the team there and the media that was coming out of Cannes Lions, you know, the amount of creators that descend upon, that event, you know, in the course of a week, we're saying is that We found the events that were the 20 to 30 people dinners where everyone was sitting around a table and actually having a meaningful conversation. They were so powerful versus the massive, big box, showy spectacles with, you know, the 10 Instagram moments that you walk through. not to say that those… those elements are ever gonna go away, because there's a place and a time for all of those, but I think that goes back to the trends, where people are craving something a little bit more simple. They're craving something a little bit more, that feels… a little bit like home, a little bit like themselves, versus this big, showy, okay, well, you know… and look, I'm a big fan of Western. We've already discussed that I came from Mississippi, I grew up riding horses, so you will find many a cowboy boots in… in my… in my closet, because I ride. So, for me, Western was never a trend, it was a lifestyle. But I think people are starting to get a little, a little tired and exhausted of the trends being so… it's Western, and now it doesn't matter what kind of person you are, you have to wear a Western hat, you have to wear boots, you have to, you know… and so I think… I think you see that in our trend presentations, where things, again, are a little softer, a little bit more simple, a little quieter. Maybe that's a better word, a quieter style of fashion.
Dane Cohen: Can I give you a word that I see when I…
Emilie Lewis: I… please do.
Dane Cohen: grounded. I think that the trends this year…
Emilie Lewis: Good one!
Dane Cohen: That's a good one. Very grounded. And so, you know, in… let's take Awaken, you know, I'm seeing a lot of… You know, there's kind of these buttery yellow tones, some neutrals, yeah, I see…
Emilie Lewis: I was gonna say, I didn't do this on purpose today, but buttery yellow continues to come up on every conversation, and it's… it's interesting that I, you know, I chose this today without thinking about that, but it's soft. It's quieter, softer, grounded, that makes more sense, because I think what you're seeing is that people want to shine through. When you… when you wear the quote-unquote trend, it is more about the person wearing it versus the actual trend in the clothing that's on their body. It's more about the per… the person, the personality, versus the trend. And I like that. It's a little bit of a renaissance, I feel like, of… of maybe… You know, and this goes back to, of course, living in LA, there's a part of this that Hollywood and culture sets the tone for, but, you know, going back to, what everybody was raving about, you know, just what was it, 5 or 6 months ago, Love Story, which was the JFK and Carolyn Bessette, you know, the 90s revival. I mean… I'm… look, I'm an 80s baby, so I'm gonna age myself on that one, but I lived through teenage years in, you know, in the 90s, teenage and early adult years in the 90s, and it was so refreshing to just see a good pair of jeans, a good white t-shirt, and that's it, you know? It was like, yes, this… this is what, you know, I think people have been craving. And so, what comes with that I think will be quality. I think quality, craftsmanship, small details. So, if that white t-shirt tucked into the good pair of jeans with a, you know, simple bandana, or, you know, a simple, like, really nice belt. And loafers, if that's the appeal, then as a brand, or as a retailer, when you're choosing the bike, how do you choose the white t-shirt that has really amazing quality, or some unique detail that's subtle? to set yourself apart. I think that's really where the difference is gonna shine through of who really succeeds in this quieter, more grounded era, and who maybe gets left behind.
Dane Cohen: Yeah, and I… it's funny, because even, like, bodycon is one of the trends on… on the list here, but even, I mean, when we think of, you know, as millennials, we think of bodycon as the.
Emilie Lewis: Releger! Yes, as a former BCBG employee, Herve Leger, yes.
Dane Cohen: But it's… it's different now. There's even, like, there's bits of flowiness to it, there's more, kind of, ephemeral elements to it, so I… I think you're right, that kind of… softer, grounded, okay, so here's… and then there's… there's the Ritual, which feels a little bit more… I would say, kind of, you have a little bit of the prairie vibe, but it's more in a… it's not.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: it's like a bow… like a modern boho, which is always… how would you describe ritual? Like, what's going on there?
Emilie Lewis: I mean, I always… I always go back to Chloe, and this is what I always say about trends, is there are brands that if you look across every single trend across the past 10 years, you could do an analysis of this. Chloe has been Chloe for years. Chloe has not shapeshifted into you know, something that was not at the heart of Chloe, and Chloe's who I think about, you know, when I… when it comes to, like, the soft boho. That soft, feminine, flowy boho. So, again. I love trends, I just always tell people to be… cautiously optimistic about them, and definitely tailor to your region as a retailer, to your region, your demographic, your customer, and what you know sells. So, again, going back to that, if your customer is the denim and t-shirt girl, just because structured… fitted suits are coming back in style doesn't mean that you automatically need to start selling structured fitted suits. What that means is, how do you translate a structured, fitted suit into who your girl is that might be more casual? Is it a structured button-down that she can pair with her jeans, and it's of a linen, you know, fabric that's more… that's soft, because your girl's gonna wear that, and she's not going to want to be uncomfortable. So again. In my mind, taking these big box ideas and trends and making sure that you're dissecting them and putting them through a bit of osmosis to fit for your… your person, your client, your region. We have a… we have a regional show in Nashville. Look, cowboy boots are never going to go out of style in Nashville. They've always.
Dane Cohen: Yes.
Emilie Lewis: It was never a trend. So, if you're a retailer that's, you know, not on board with, you know, that in Nashville. No, like, is it gonna be a hard road ahead for you? Maybe it will be, but maybe you take that and you dial it into, you know, the Franklin customer, you know, and I'm… because I'm from the South, these regions, Franklin just sits right outside of Nashville, and it's, you know, where most people know a lot of the country music stars. live, but it's a very different customer in Franklin than it is in downtown Nashville. And so, who's the Franklin, you know, the Franklin girl versus the downtown Nashville? So again, I… I always say, pay attention to them, but put it through osmosis for your, your, your customer.
Dane Cohen: Yeah, and actually, I was… Robin kind of beat me to it in the chat, but I was gonna say, you also have to be hyper-aware of where you are on the trend wave, right?
Emilie Lewis: Very good point. Are you at the beginning? Are you at the end? Are you in the middle? Like, where are you gonna capitalize? Yeah, good point.
Dane Cohen: Right. Because, you know, are you a trendsetter? Is your customer a trendsetter, where they want to be, you know, ahead of everything and kind of understand, you know, what's hitting right, you know, what's about to hit? I want to be on the cusp. Like, let's take barrel jeans, right? That took a while to filter down. It's kind of like your Cerulean blue example.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, yes, yes.
Dane Cohen: you know, all of a sudden, the trendy girls in New York City are wearing the barrel jeans, and a girl maybe in another part of the country is going, like, what is that wide-legged, silly jean that I'm seeing? Like, I don't want anything to do with that.
Emilie Lewis: in the South are saying that to me every day when I have on a pair of barrel jeans, just FYI. So yes, yes, there's truth to that.
Dane Cohen: and then 6 months to a year later, and, you know, all of a sudden, it's kind of trickled down. So I think understanding where you are, so maybe you're coming to this market, and you're seeing what's going to be next for your customer, right?
Emilie Lewis: Yes.
Dane Cohen: So I think that's very important. You know, one of my favorite things about being at a physical trade event is you could walk in, if you're a good merchant, if you're a good buyer, if you love the industry, right, you could walk in and usually, in a matter of minutes, be able to say, this is what's happening, right?
Emilie Lewis: 100%.
Dane Cohen: Feel it on the floor.
Emilie Lewis: 100%.
Dane Cohen: And it's so interesting seeing the waves of vendors that, you know, aren't conspiring with each other, but you'll see that pattern, you know, permeating. So, I have two questions for you on trends. Okay, we're gonna play a little lightning round here. First is, because this is always a, you know, any boutique owner out there will know, it's always the denim conversation is denim in. out. So, I want to talk denim versus fashion pants. What's your… what's your take?
Emilie Lewis: I… look, I grew up in the… the school of hard knocks when it comes to denim. I don't think denim ever goes out of style. I'm sorry. I… look, I have… I have in my closet denim and fashion pants. I have them both, but I… will never be of the mindset that denim is going anywhere. It's gonna come in waves, maybe… maybe sometimes the trend is the really tough, you know. nudie or naked and famous, Japanese selvage denim that, you know, doesn't move, and then other times, maybe it is the, you know, spandex-infused, very, you know, form-fitting, denim. Maybe it's the baggy, maybe it's the loose, but… You know, I think our customers honestly have whiplash with the denim trends, too. Like, I see it all the time on the social… on different social media channels, where our customers are like, okay, I'm so tired, I just… bought the baggy denim, and now you're telling me that the straight leg cigarette style is back in, and which is it? You know, can I just wear what I like, and what looks good and fits for my body type? So, I don't think denim is going anywhere. I, you know, I think… I think both fashion pants and denim have been around for a long time, and I think they both have a place in my closet. Denim will always have a place in my closet. Always.
Dane Cohen: Well, I want to give a hot tip, and I'm gonna give a shout-out to Mark Denkler again. Because we gotta think of footwear as well. But here's where I think there's a huge opportunity. Because I think that the… I mean, listen, the explosion in the wide-leg pant trend is just palpable. Like, you could feel it, people are back to wearing, you know, we're not wearing a skinny jean, we're not wearing a… even leggings, you know, of course, everyone's wearing a legging, but it… Doesn't feel as… you know, ubiquitous, right? People are experimenting with cargo, and wide leg, and different fabrics, and I think it's a… That's a great opportunity for a footwear retailer, or whether you're a fashion retailer that sells footwear, or you're a footwear store, because with a different pant style, you need different footwear, right?
Emilie Lewis: This is very, very true. So, yes, with different pant styles, you absolutely need different footwear.
Dane Cohen: all of a sudden, you know, you're wearing a bigger baggy pant, maybe you need a dad sneaker that's really chunky, or the opposite, which we're seeing now, which has been crazy, like the ballet flat sneaker, right? Those…
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: Super, super,
Emilie Lewis: Yay.
Dane Cohen: low price.
Emilie Lewis: Need it!
Dane Cohen: aisle.
Emilie Lewis: They… they… they did it so well. It was hilarious seeing the runway shows with all the mockery around, you know, the models with, like, half a shoe on, you know, coming out of the runway shows. And then to see what that said into how it translated with Adidas, and their small ballet flat with the back open, you know? And you're just like… That's Adidas. That's… it's genius, it's great. How long will that trend last, to your point? Are we riding a very short wave? Is it gonna be around for a while? That's the part where I think, again, you have to know your customer, and you have to know your girl, and what they have the appetite for. Are they the trendsetter? Are they somewhere in the middle? Are they really, like, at the end of that spectrum, where if you introduced that, it would be an absolute flop? Everything is about timing and knowing your customer, so…
Dane Cohen: like you said, and which I love, what just becomes… a new… not a trend, but a new standard, right? So…
Emilie Lewis: I'll be the first to say dad sneakers, I thought they were going away. I'm just gonna be honest, I was kind of hoping. Sorry, guys. Sorry, guys, I was kind of hoping they were going away. But they're… they're… they're not. They're here to stay, they… I mean, every… I just came back from New York, I, you know, got off a flight late last night, and it's… it's interesting, because from New York to LA, when you're in New York, I see… every girl in a feminine, you know, a feminine top, or a feminine flowy dress, or, you know, like, a really basic tank and, you know, fashion pant, but she always has on the big, chunky fashion sneakers, you know, that… and that is such a New York thing. In LA, you don't see that as much.
Dane Cohen: Mmm.
Emilie Lewis: You just… you just don't. So again, region really matters here. And that's, you know, two of our, you know, largest and most influential cities as it… as it relates to our industry, and they… they are very different. So… you know, there's trends that last, and then there's trends that don't, but I think, again, knowing your customer.
Dane Cohen: We love that. Okay, we have just a few minutes left, so I'm just gonna quickly say, If we can put back in the chat the link to sign up for the Premier Partner Lounge, we want to make sure that if you are a Management One client, and you want to be in the Premier Partner Lounge, please, use the link in the chat.
Emilie Lewis: It's a good perk.
Dane Cohen: It's a good, great partner.
Emilie Lewis: Park, yeah.
Dane Cohen: And then, again, MAGIC, we will be attending MAGIC. You could find us on the Project Main Stage, the MAGIC Main Stage, the Business Solutions Center, our sourcing tour, which we will send out the sign-up for. But I want to leave with one last question, because this is my fa… it's my favorite topic of conversation right now, and I think. as millennials, because I am, like, a dead center millennial, right? Like, I am…
Emilie Lewis: Okay. I'm an elder. I'll take… I'll take the title. I heard that title, and I was like, I like that. I… I'm at the very, like, top of the top, so I… I'm… I ski with the older millennial, but let's go.
Dane Cohen: So, my… and yeah, I lean a little bit on the older millennial, but I'm, like, a real tried-and-true millennial. I think we have to concede that Gen Z is now The buying. Gen Z is the buying path.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Dane Cohen: the buying power right now. And one trend that I have seen, and it is just amazing when I walk on the floor, and I think it is such a shift from 5 years ago, 10 years ago, really pre-COVID, it's just rocking my world. sexy, Feels like it's out. I see, when…
Emilie Lewis: I was waiting… I was waiting on what you were gonna say. I'm like, are we going for the low-rise jeans? Are we going for the juicy Couture tracksuits? Like, what are we bringing back? But that's a really good, high-level way to say. It's sexy…
Dane Cohen: It's not… listen, sexy is always gonna sell, but there… there doesn't seem to be this emphasis. I mean, when you used to walk the floor, it was tight and, you know, short.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: And now you see this mixing of silhouettes, right? So maybe if you have a… I mean, one thing that I saw last show was, you know, the kind of tight bodycon dresses are more tight, with a big kind of grandpa sweater over it, or a big…
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: cardigan, so it's like this… this interplay, and I think it's Gen Z driven, of this, especially in women's fashion, like, we're not about just, like. How short could it be? How low.
Emilie Lewis: Yeah.
Dane Cohen: I think there's been a really big shift, and I think that's why the wide leg pant and the… and I kind of like it, it's just really interesting.
Emilie Lewis: I love this shift. I was about to say, as a female who… you know, we'll get a little bit more personal, but as a female who feels very comfortable in her own body at a certain age, and… and… and… I mean, obviously, we all want to look a certain way. I have always had a rule where, and this has been my whole life, where if I'm gonna wear a short skirt, I'm gonna wear a long-sleeve top. If I'm gonna wear a revealing top, I'm gonna wear suit pants. I'm always trying to balance. So that it's not overtly sexy, that it's… it's classic. And sophisticated, but still, I feel like a woman, you know? So I think in women's wear, I agree that… I would agree that overtly sexy is out. I think what is in is… sophisticated, maybe sophisticated sexy, because like you said, like, the jacket over the tight, revealing top, because you know, you want a little bit of that, but yeah, I never want to go back. I'm sorry, as a millennial, I never want to go back. to… and very fond memories. I never want to go back to the Paris Hilton, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan days, where the phones were hanging out. And I did see a little bit of that on the runway in the past few seasons, where I was like, oh.
Dane Cohen: No, like…
Emilie Lewis: That is one… that is one cycle I'm not going back to. But… but I… I like… I think… you know what? I have to give Gen Z credit on this one. I think Gen Z is… more comfortable with themselves, maybe, than our generation was? Like, maybe we were trying to be something, or trying to… I love this idea of individuality, and in your fashion, and being comfortable in what you wear. Like, you can be comfortable, and you can still be sexy, and that's what I love. Again, for me, a good pair of jeans, a good white top or tank, there's nothing sexier. So…
Dane Cohen: Love it. So, by the way, my rule of thumb is always baggy on baggy, yes. Tight on baggy? Yes. Baggy on tight? Never. Tight on tight, 50-50. That's my… that's my rule of thumb.
Emilie Lewis: Okay, okay, are we going from… I imagine the order is top to bottom.
Dane Cohen: Yes, baggy on baggy, tight on baggy, so that's my little…
Emilie Lewis: Baggy on tight, I would challenge for a woman, because that's actually one of my favorite looks, is I love a good oversized sweater.
Dane Cohen: Diana?
Emilie Lewis: I love a good oversized sweater with a tight, short skirt. Nothing better for me, so… It's all reasonable. I'll challenge that one.
Dane Cohen: It's all regional. Okay, well, Emilie, this was absolutely fantastic. We are so excited to once again partner with Informa, to be at the shows, to see you in Vegas. We'll see you in New York. We're so excited that you are at the helm of the fashion direction of Vegas and Nashville and MAGIC, so thank you so much for being with us here today on Indie Insights Live, and I'll see you in just a week and a few days.
Emilie Lewis: Thank you so much for having me, and again, I could not be more excited to have you guys as a partner with all that you guys are bringing to the marketplace, so thank you guys for that. And my new mission in Vegas is that we will walk the show floor together, and I'm going to find an example of baggy and tight, and show you that it can work.
Dane Cohen: You're on.
Emilie Lewis: Alright.
Dane Cohen: Alright, thanks, Emilie, and everyone, we will see you next week on Indie Insights Live.