In the summer of 2015, SHERENE MELINDA attended our first trade show in London. This March we are embarking to the west coast of America to exhibit at the brand new trade show Source British.
The event takes place in the California Market Centre (pictured below) from 13th to 14th March, in the heart of LA’s fashion market and is exclusively dedicated to British brands. Los Angeles is penned as the world’s next fashion capital, with Saint Laurent recently moving their HQ there and designers Tom Ford and Louis Vuitton choosing the location to showcase their latest collections.
“The Los Angeles fashion movement has been bubbling for a few years, part of a large creative renaissance that includes art and design. It’s exciting to see the movement continue to grow, especially as taste makers make the move west”
Who What Wear’s Editorial Director, Kat Collings (as seen below)
The complexity, competitiveness and saturation of New York’s fashion market has inspired more and more buyers to move west. If Los Angeles were a country, it would be considered the 6th largest economy in the world, with a culture that encourages entrepreneurial spirit and expressiveness in business.
This commercial approach combined with California’s growing population of 38 million is creating twice as many jobs in fashion compared with anywhere else. It has also attracted the biggest brands in technology, with Google, Facebook and Apple choosing to make base in San Francisco’s Silicon Valley.
LA’s economy is not the only reason why British brands are showcasing here. 97% of west coast buyers have said they want to see British fashion brands with 50% claiming they were interested in specifically stocking them. The reason for this is America’s admiration for British design techniques and quality. US customers love British brands and products because they have a tradition of good craft and secrets, passed down from generation to generation.
In March Source British will run alongside the LA Fashion Market, LA Kids Market, Capsule, SELECT Better and Emerge at the California Market Centre. The eventful week will create a hub in LA that will be full of buyers from across America. Having the chance to meet them face-to-face, introduce them to SHERENE MELINDA and create brand awareness is an opportunity we just couldn’t say no to! The chance to meet other designer brands and experience LA’s street culture will also be a fantastic source of inspiration.
We look forward to sharing more news from Source British with you soon. To stay up-to-date, follow us on social media using the links below.
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Image Source
Earlier this year I was inspired to create a leather tote bag which was different to the typical style handbag that I normally create. Generally, SHERENE MELINDA’S handbags focus on the hair-on-hide feature. However, in this case I wanted to create an extra-large soft and versatile shopping bag using some beautiful, glazed leather.
