Sep 25, 2020

October Atlanta Apparel prepares retailer for spring selling

International Market Centers’ (IMC) October Atlanta Apparel Market is setting up East Coast fashion retailers for success with comprehensive apparel, accessories and shoe resources staged in both permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits and an all-new trend report developed by the Atlanta Apparel Fashion Office.

“During this unique time, retailers need to be as prepared as possible for the next selling season. Atlanta Apparel is set to give them the market they need with education about upcoming trends and the resources to source them,” said Bob Maricich, CEO for IMC. “We are eager to reinstate our temporary exhibits and continue to present the robust market experience that buyers expect. We continue to implement the necessary protocols to present a safe and productive market for all.”

New and Next for Spring/Summer 2021

Spring/Summer 2021 styles offer a fresh, new vibe of patterns and fabrics with a bright, but refined color palette, explained Atlanta Apparel Fashion Director Morgan Ramage. The Fashion Office has identified Bermuda shorts, boxy shoulders, daisy motifs, “milk maid” bandanna accessories, scarf tops and tie and rope details as key trends.

Key prints include:

• Bali/earthy tones
• Barely there / natural motifs
• Blooming florals Retro-inspired patterns

Top textures for Spring/Summer 2021 include:

• Cord/rope/net
• Embroidery, macramé and woven

The Fashion Office will showcase these trends and more in a series of videos on Atlanta Apparel’s IGTV channel throughout market. Fashion Insider features the Fashion Office’s favorite finds from the market, Trend Insight showcases Spring/Summer 2021 trends on three models and Snips & Snaps are runway show videos.

Temporaries Get Back to Business

Atlanta Apparel’s temporary offerings return for the October 2020 market after a hiatus driven by buyer and exhibitor sentiments during the COVID-19 crisis.

“The Atlanta Apparel temporaries are a key element of our markets as a destination for trend incubation and product discovery. As such, it was vital that we tackle the challenge of presenting the collection in a safe, yet accessible format,” explained Caron Stover, senior vice president leasing, apparel for IMC. “Guided by input from health experts and our own experience hosting markets this summer, we are confident that we can produce the experience that buyers and sellers need now.”

To date, Atlanta Apparel is expecting about 60% of its usual temporary offerings this October. Some 230+ companies are set to showcase 350+ lines during the three-day market. Top brands including Mainstrip (young contemporary women’s clothing), Mono B (fashion-forward and functional activewear and performance wear) and Special A Jeans (denim plus casual tops, dresses, skirts and pants for women) are expanding their spaces at the market to show their full lines. Additionally, 26 new companies will show at their first Atlanta Apparel Market this October.

The October Atlanta Apparel temporary exhibitors will be staged across four exhibit floors with an adjusted floor plan that allows for social distancing with significantly wider aisles and larger booths with posted capacity limits The high-end Premiere collections and Resort will be on Floor 2; Jewelry & Fashion Accessories, Ready to Wear and Shoe Studio will be on Floor 3; and the largest collection, Young Contemporary, will be split across Floors 4 and 5.

“The brands are ready to be back,” explained Stover. “In a year that has been marked by cancelled shows, they trust Atlanta Apparel to help them get back to in-person business.”

In addition to the temporaries, the majority of Atlanta Apparel’s 300+ women’s, men’s and children’s apparel, accessories and shoe showrooms will be open for the market showcasing some 1,000+ brands. Opening in October 2020 are four new showrooms: Bed Stu and Inspired Designs on Floor 9 (handcrafted jewelry made in the USA), Matisse Shoes, and Stated Apparel on Floor 8. The full list of temporaries and showrooms is searchable on AmericasMart.com where buyers can filter the list by category.

Atlanta Apparel will continue its commitment to the safety of all participants by following IMC’s Together Safely plan. Together Safely measures in place for the market include the required used of PPE, temperature checks, contactless registration and enhanced cleaning of the building.

In accordance with safety protocols, all programming will be presented virtually via Atlanta Apparel’s IGTV channel to allow for social distancing. Attendees are invited to tune-in for four sessions with topics including a “where are they now” check-in with influencers who have appeared at past Atlanta Markets, retail marketing, influencer marketing and a look at how retailers are adding diversity to their stores.

For the October 2020 Atlanta Apparel Market, showrooms are open Oct. 13  16, 9 a.m.‐ 6 p.m. and Oct. 17, 9 a.m.‐ 3 p.m. Temporaries are open Oct. 14 –16, 9 a.m.‐ 6 p.m. For more information, visit AmericasMart.com/October. Pre-registration, is required and is available online.

Atlanta Apparel’s markets feature the latest looks in contemporary, young contemporary, ready-to-wear, fashion accessories and more, plus specialty categories such as children’s, plus-size, bridal and social occasion. Market information is available online at AmericasMart.com/Apparel.