Compass Shoe Show
Given that sneaker culture and footwear in general is such a vital part of fashion particularly when it comes to street and contemporary fashion, it’s amazing to us that the old-school trade show, WSA, hasn’t gotten a facelift in years. Now, however, it’s got competition: Compass is the new directional trade show for high-end sneakers and top tier footwear created by BPMW, the founders of another very cool, intimate trade show in NYC called Capsule.

Compass will take place July 28-29 in Las Vegas at the Alexis Park Hotel and will feature only the best of brands—40 tops—including Alife, Clae, Berhard Williams, Red Wing, PF Flyers, Converse, Creative Recreation, New Balance Legacy, Fred Perry, Gola, and Lacoste Stealth, among others.

Keeping it small and upscale, BPMW hopes that the show will be far easier to work through and avoid the pitfalls of deadspace as often witnessed in the sprawling layout of WSA.

MAGIC’s ECOllection Launch
MAGIC Fashion Trade Show announced last week the launch of their ECOllection area to take place during their Fall Show from August 25-27, which will feature not only eco-friendly fashion brands, but provide a community area for activist/artists, musicians, and industry in the environmental fashion industry.

Of course this sounds like a great idea given the direction of fashion and the green generation of consumers, however we wonder if this means s(ECO)nd from Pool will be a part of this, or if this is actually s(eco)nd made bigger. The difference it appears, based on MAGIC’s latest announcement is that it will provide a more interactive platform for brands, as well as manufacturers, industry experts, and partners such as the Organic Exchange and MusicMatters. Brands that have confirmed so far for this area, to be located in the Central Hall, include: Alternative Earth, Jonano, ONNO, bgreen apparel, Beckons Organic, Dash Hemp, Escama Studio, Spiritual Gangster, Z-Ply’s Earth Co., Ecoland, Tika Merino, Intertec’s Suria. MAGIC anticipates 60-80 brands within their ECOllection.

Bread & Butter Barcelona
It’s not surprising really that Bread & Butter in Barcelona, which does an amazing job at creating a beautiful and engaging trade show for top denim brands, sneakers, contemporary fashion, sports styles, and street would be the new “key” location for American street fashion labels, but it’s tight policy of getting in, has made it even more desirable, as indicated by the frenzy of streetwear labels attempting to jump the pond July 2-4 to Barcelona. The recent induction of Lemar & Dauley, for example, (among many others) is proof that many streetwear labels from the States are hoping to engage in a larger, and richer European audience by showcasing their wares in the ever-growing area of Bread & Butter called Sports + Street.

However, while we love this show and tend to cover it in detail, word of warning to street fashion labels who are unfamiliar with the European trade show way: Many times, orders are NOT written but rather the shows act as a meeting place and cool-factor indicator for brands and retailers. Instead, it takes a European troupe of reps and distributors to follow-up after B&B to make sure any orders are confirmed by European stores. So even if you do get into this amazing show, you’ll have plenty of work afterwards to make it worth your while, especially given the state of the U.S. Dollar to the Euro. But for many brands, the risk may be worth it, as B&B provides the entry point into many desirable retail stores and boutiques.