INTERNATIONAL BRANDS AMONG KEY HIGHLIGHTS AT MAGIC, PROJECT AND SOURCING AT MAGIC LAS VEGAS

by John Russel Jones


MAGIC, PROJECT, and SOURCING at MAGIC Las Vegas successfully concluded their bi-annual events, which brought together distinguished business leaders and celebrity guest speakers, over 2500 exhibiting brands and companies together with thousands of retailers for three days of community experiences and insightful conversations for the fashion industry at MMGNET Group’s tentpole Spring event.

MAGIC brought over 700 prominent and emerging brands to Las Vegas, with 170 of them—25 percent—being new to show. Brands showcased Fall/Winter 2024 collections to retailers ranging from single specialty boutiques to big box department and chain stores, with Bloomingdales, Fred Segal, Hemline, Urban Outfitters and Boot Barn among select retailers in attendance. This year, MAGIC hosted the return of Kids at MAGIC, featuring brands such as Chaser Kids, Angel Dear, and InCity Boys and Girls.

Highlights from day one on the show floor include MAGIC’s 90th anniversary opening night party hosted by multi-hyphenate Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson and a surprise meet and greet with D’Amelio Footwear founders and social media stars Dixie D’Amelio and Charli D’Amelio.

PROJECT’s NOW Forum hosted a panel moderated by Anthony Mastracci, Senior Commerce Editor at Men’s Journal, with Buffalo Bills defensive ends Kingsley Jonathan and Shaq Lawson, Cleveland Browns linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Keion White, defensive end for the New England Patriots, on the players’ relationships with fashion and creative inspiration.

PROJECT Las Vegas showcased over 500 top contemporary men’s and women’s brands, with Outerknown, Pendleton, and 7 For All Mankind in the lineup of distinguished brands. 17 percent of brands at PROJECT were international, with Canada, France, and Türkiye among the top countries represented. Leading retailers in attendance were Voo Berlin, American Rag, DTLR, Hibbett, and Nordstrom. MAGIC Mens was also housed next to PROJECT Mens on the show floor, highlighting over 230 men’s trend and young contemporary brands, including Barabas and new-to-show Johnny Q.

“Recognizing the decades of impact these shows have established in our ecosystem, we are marking the beginning of a new era as we implement MMGNET’s identity into our program and vision for how these events are experienced in the future. We are here to take this journey to serve as the most trusted voice and resource to our fashion community,” explains Kelly Helfman, President, MMGNET. “This is the start of a massive shift to evolve into a fashion ecosystem.”

Important conversations across all shows on responsible fashion, sustainability and community building were hosted, offering valuable guidance for fashion professionals across all stages of the business. MMGNET also presented findings from fashion consumer research at each show, offering key insights into 2024 purchasing habits to inform buying and investment decisions.

SOURCING at MAGIC, the premier destination for businesses, brands, and sourcing professionals to collaborate, featured over 800 manufacturers and service providers from over 40 countries, with fashion technology and sustainability taking a front seat across education and experiences. The event also hosted 25 verified sustainable exhibitors, including garment manufacturers based in Mexico, Peru, Pakistan, and Türkiye, among other countries. Nike, Kith, Stussy, and Jockey were among the key attendees at SOURCING at MAGIC.

Next stop is MAGIC Nashville, April 3-4, 2024, at the Music City Center. For more information and to register to attend, please visit magicfashionevents.com.