DALLAS MEN’S SHOW: IT’S ALL ABOUT FRIENDSHIP
Visiting the Dallas Market Center (and the city itself) for the first time back at the very end of January for the Men’s Show was an excellent opportunity to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. As soon as I stepped off the elevator, I ran into Mary Beth Walsh-Schmiege of Emanual Berg and her fantastic photographer husband Gus Schmiege (we’d all worked together at Robert Talbott), then Floyd Nathan of McPherson’s in Nashville (Floyd and I worked together at Raffi). I knew were were off to a great start.
Later in the day, the team from the Dallas Market Center gathered in the lobby of the Mart for a glass of wine and a fashion show. There’s something about seeing clothes on a body in motion that tells a story a collection on hangers just can’t beat. This defile was beautifully produced, included just about everybody on the show floor, and was a perfect way to end the day.
On Sunday, I had the pleasure of hosting “Uniformly Speaking,” which ended up being more of a conversation between friends than an actual “panel discussion” with Bugatchi‘s Richard Gualtieri and Dallas-based fashion writer Gordon Kendall. The talking points were based on the fabulous fashion story that Michael Macko put together for our February issue. We discussed how the modern man’s uniform has evolved into a modern mix of tailored clothing and sportswear that works for all occasions. We talked about how a tonal outfit that mimics a suit can provide a level of formality but, most importantly, adds flexibility that can get customers through hybrid workweeks, evening activities, and right into the weekend. Neckwear seems to have evolved: yes, neckties are slowly creeping back into men’s wardrobes, but a tied bandana or scarf adds the same flair and looks a bit more casual and contemporary. (We all agreed we’re ready for bowties to return!) Finally, we talked about modern proportions: although the runways are showing more voluminous silhouettes, it doesn’t seem like that’s happening in a big way at the cash register just yet.
Later that day, I caught up with Kelly Leimberg at Christopher Lena (watch out for a big announcement here soon) and with Rodney Rosal at Paul Betently, not to mention Michael Duru, who showed me his exciting private label development program.
After I stopped to check out these great bags from Boconi, I realized that I was standing right next to another old friend, Megin Spivey, who is working on an artful collection of tie bars in conjunction with Left Coast Tee.
On Monday evening, I had the pleasure of having dinner with a crowd of Peerless’s top retailers at Terry Black’s BBQ restaurant, where I was introduced to the delicacy of burnt ends and some of the raunchiest jokes I’ve ever heard in mixed company. (Please don’t tell Human Resources.) We ended the evening chatting about retailing in the South, and well…let’s say that if you don’t see a story on the best stores in the Southeastern Conference here on MR, then Whitney from Hinton & Hinton in Oxford, Mississippi, may be making me the butt of next year’s jokes.
