Over the past several years, trade shows and expos have evolved to make them more accessible to people around the world. While less personal and a lot less fun than a trip to Paris or Milan, they offer many of the same benefits as traditional shows without the travel expenses. It may have taken a bit longer for the fashion world to catch on, but with so many travel budgets being cut, wholesale fashion clothing buyers are starting to like the idea of “virtual fashion shows.”
One successful venture, the Forward Global Trade Show, is an interactive web site that allows fashion designers to show their products to women’s and junior apparel buyers in a revolutionary new way. By hosting a two-day event on their site, Forward Global allows for unparalleled networking opportunities between designers and wholesale boutique clothing buyers, making it easier than ever for fashion houses to showcase new contemporary apparel trends to buyers around the world.
Thanks to virtual shows like these, consumers will no longer need to wait two seasons to see the clothing at runway shows begin appearing in stores. This meets the immediate needs of a changing market, and allows women’s fashion apparel buyers to stay on top of emerging trends and “buy them while they’re hot.”
Just like a normal trade show, Forward Global allows up to 300 vendors to exhibit their collections in an online virtual environment that mimics an actual fashion trade show. Wholesale fashion apparel buyers from around the globe can register to attend the show, where they can watch runway shows on video, network with other attendees, and place orders on vendors’ web-stands. Women’s and junior apparel buyers such as Fashion Spot LA are expecting this trend to continue in 2010 and change the way designers go to market with their collections.
Tags: Junior Apparel, Wholesale Boutique Clothing, Wholesale Fashion Apparel, Wholesale Fashion Clothing
Teens have a surprising amount of buying power when it comes to fashion, even during the recession. As a result, junior apparel buyers are still placing decent sized orders for the holiday season. Perhaps it is because the price of entry into the trendy junior fashion market is still so low, but what really keeps it going is the pressure teens are under to keep up with what their friends are wearing. After all, no teenage girl wants to stand out in a crowd.
With so much of their inspiration coming from television, movies and magazines, it doesn’t sound difficult to predict the next trend, but it may be trickier than you think. Teenagers are still balancing their need to be different with their need to fit in, but they also want to be trendsetters themselves. This can be impossible to accomplish unless you do a lot of shopping and a lot of buying.
Let’s take a look at some junior fashion apparel trends and what makes them each unique.
* EMO: Also known as “emotional” style is the most extreme form of teen fashion at the moment. Girls are often shocked when one of their friends “goes Emo”. Similar to the punk trends of the eighties, Emo is all about extremes. Bright colors balanced with jet black, Zelda hairdos, pencil thin jeans with a studded belt, facial piercings and of course, black kohl eyeliner.
* Gothic, or “Goth” as it is more commonly known, is more about black than anything else. Slick black hair, black eye makeup, black nails, chunky heels and metal details are everywhere in a Goth group. Add some fishnets, a short skirt, Doc Martens and some face whitener and you’re good to go.
* Hip-Hop is a style that speaks of the streets. Even suburban teens are attracted to trendy junior fashions like baggy pants, t-shirts and body hugging “Flashdance” tanks. And don’t forget the cap. Hip-Hop can be more loosely interpreted than some other styles, and its definitely less predictable than Goth or Emo.
Other styles, like Bohemian, Prep and Jock are less individualistic and more label-conscious; definitely for people who want to fit in with the crowd. While less exciting for the wholesale fashion apparel buyer, such as Fashion Spot LA, these groups account for the vast majority of teens.
Tags: Junior Apparel Buyers, Junior Fashion Apparel, Trendy Junior Fashion, Wholesale Fashion Apparel
If you ask today’s teenage girl what’s on her Christmas list, she will undoubtedly start rattling off a list of labels ranging from typical “mall store” items to designer duds. You can’t blame a teenager for wanting the same things they’ve always wanted. Trouble is, with the economic crisis, it’s not so realistic anymore for these “luxury generation” children to get everything on their list.
Trendy junior fashion is not immune to the changes seen on runways in New York, Milan and Paris. Even junior apparel buyers are adjusting their orders to meet a higher demand for practical yet stylish items.
Athletic apparel like jackets from The North Face, body-hugging yoga pants; baggy sweats and neon-colored Converse sneakers have replaced some of the dressed-up looks of the nineties. But some remnants from the age of excess are still favored by teenagers. Must-haves for some include a Juicy Couture hoodies, micro-clutch bags from Coach, and the ever popular UGGs from Australia.
Retailers looking to purchase junior clothing wholesale are in luck this year. Because so many designers had a lean year in 2009, most are looking to unload their warehouses over the holidays. Prices have never been better on the wholesale junior clothing market, but some retailers are reluctant to pass along these savings to their customers… at least not until the last week before Christmas.
One thing that has changed since last Christmas is that more customers are likely to search for lower-priced replicas instead of the real name-brand item, particularly if the original has a price tag that is out of reach. But expect teenage customers to continue looking for those labels at places like Fashion Spot LA. The only question this Christmas will be whether they (or their parents) can afford them.
Tags: Junior Apparel, Junior Apparel Buyers, Junior Clothing Wholesale, Trendy Junior Fashion, Wholesale Junior Clothing