Every year, the world’s most influential designers from across the globe gather for three days to celebrate and showcase everything you need to see in fashion. The MAGIC Marketplace is the finest trade event in the international fashion industry featuring buyers and sellers for men’s, women’s and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories and sourcing resources. MAGIC’s goal is to “connect and inspire the fashion community, fuse diverse trends, while offering unbeatable service to its customers” and over the years, MAGIC has earned the reputation of doing just that.
As I sit her typing this – with a collection of business cards on my left, samples on my right and tons of photos on my computer – I’m not quite sure how to start discussing my week at the MAGIC Marketplace. Mainly because I’m still trying to make sense of it all myself! This being my first year at MAGIC, I didn’t know what to expect. For months prior to boarding my plane to Las Vegas I researched everything I could about MAGIC; Who will be there? How to approach the conference? Where to start? The list went on and on. However, once I stepped foot into the Las Vegas Convention Center and The Mandalay Bay, I realized any amount of planning won’t help you once you see exactly how huge of a show this conference truly is.
I bounced from MAGIC Menswear, Project, Pool Trade Show, S.L.A.T.E., Street, Platform and Premium (sorry WWD). Designers from all walks of style, prestige and genres packed both centers wall to wall with their unique and original designs. From young designers like Flip The Bird, Nappi Clothing, Likuid Nation or Flood Watches to the mega brands like TapouT, Ralph Lauren, Mavi, Billionaire Mafia or Rocawear, my eyes knocked around the room like a pinball. Every designer brought what they had to make sure that “pinball eyes” like mine stayed focused on them. And if you didn’t dig the clothes themselves, you had to appreciate the approach; celebrities, models, cars, trucks, big screens, you name it – each line allowed their true personalities and collections to show off at their booths. But then again, it’s Vegas baby!… Would you expect anything less?
The event at MAGIC didn’t stop at 5PM either – clubs held parties for the MAGIC conference as well once again reminding us that Las Vegas is a city that has no clocks. Whether it was hotspots like Vanity Nightclub or Prive, it seemed that the MAGIC attendees and showcasers refused to let the excitement end just because the conference doors closed. And trust me, you never know what incredible and fascinating people you will run into at 2AM. For us, it worked out great because the vibe at MAGIC was “We are here to connect with people”. Wherever I turned there were crowds of people that seemed to know each other for years and really had just met. It was that moment that realized the fashion world is far more aligned than most people would think, you just have to embrace it. Needless to say MAGIC delivered! It delivered on every level that combining some of the most creative artists in the world could provide. If anyone out there cares to see their careers skyrocket in fashion, MAGIC could very well make that happen. For more information, check out www.MagicOnline.com.