Fubz working his magic at MAGIC last Fall, 2010.
Fashion trade shows continue to evolve in order to keep pace with the changing dynamics of the fashion, footwear, and accessory industries. While there remains a strong niche for new shows in various youth and street culture markets, two of the largest, MAGIC and Project (both owned by Advanstar) have announced some interesting new developments that can be expected in Vegas from February 14-16, 2011.
First MAGIC has added a new focus on skateboarding with RIDE Unltd. Joining forces with Maloof Skateboarding and Skate-Hub.com, they’ve created the Maloof High Ollie Challenge event that will highlight a new skateboarding area dedicated to skate apparel, footwear, and hardware brands. There will be a pro-am High Ollie Contest and a California Skatepark-designed street course on the RIDE Unltd. show floor at MAGIC at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. This area of MAGIC tends to be where Label Networks spends the most time as there are several shows within the area including S.L.A.T.E., street, a section formerly known as The Edge, plus Workroom, and Project.
Lip Service booth from Fall 2010 show.
According to Chris DeMoulin, MAGIC’s International president and Executive Vice President of Advanstar’s Fashion Group, “MAGIC has a strong presence in action sports with the S.L.A.T.E. and STREET Unlimited areas, and we are excited to have found the right partner in Maloof to take our commitment in the action sports industry to the next level.”
MAGIC has also partnered with Teen Vogue and top bloggers to create a new destination area in the WWDMAGIC show at the Las Vegas Convention Center called the Teen Vogue Blogger Lounge. This area will host 30 emerging fashion bloggers and writers reporting live from the WWDMAGIC show floor, creating real-time reports and video.
Aviator Nation at Project, Fall 2010.
At Project, they’ve created another interesting theme, this time it promotes “togetherness.” The concept is to “create a truly unique fashion experience by helping to launch emerging talent and fulfilling its responsibility as an “industry steward”, an educator, an advocate for conscious and sustainable practices and a business development resource.”
Project Highlights include:
– WORKROOM Expansion – The WORKROOM concept has expanded to include not only the industry’s most progressive emerging brands but also the most directional, global advanced contemporary brands.
– PROJECT 10 – A platform designed to support new talent and emerging brands that we feel are influencing fashion through creativity, passion and individualism. (Check-out Label Networks’ review of this area last year.)
– PROJECT Love – PROJECT Love is PROJECT’s way of giving back to the global fashion community.
– MOLLASPACE Pop-Up Retail Store – Get immediate gratification and shop at PROJECT Las Vegas’ first pop-up store featuring emerging industrial designers from Japan and Asia.
– PROJECT Planet – A PROJECT initiative to support sustainability and conservation.
– PROJECT Digital presents GANT by Michael Bastian Showroom – PROJECT is showcasing its first ever digital showroom to demonstrate how brands and buyers can connect and conduct business in the virtual world.
– PROJECT Reel – PROJECT’s multi-media center, in partnership with STYLECASTER.com, will feature live video interviews with STYLECASTER editors and PROJECT’s first-ever correspondent Marcus Troy, blogger and fashion industry insider.
We’ll be on site at all the shows February 14-16, tweeting live, and reporting from Vegas.
