China with largest representation dominated Sourcing at Magic show

Sourcing at Magic, a 4 day event that was held from 14th August to the 17th August 2016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, United States Of America had manufacturers from Vietnam, India, China, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Guatemala, Nepal, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mauritius and beyond.

A sea of 2,000 booths filled the North Hall, where the apparel and textile companies were set up, and the South Hall had about 600 booths dedicated to shoe manufacturers.

Sustainability was the show’s theme this year with featured participants such as Eileen Fisher, Beyond the Label, Jeanologia and Levi Strauss & Co.
Exhibits of 3-D printing were front and center with seminars showing how one can print small panels that are stitched together to form a dress or make a spiky necklace.

There was even a burst of fashion when the Shenzhen Underwear Association set up a small catwalk where models displayed the latest intimate wear from China.

Vietnam beefed up its pavilion to include 12 manufacturers from that Southeast Asian country, which is the No. 2 clothing supplier to the United States.

The country with the largest representation at the Sourcing at Magic show was China, which filled more than 80 percent of the booths. The show has been good for manufacturers such as Zhifei Lyu, who said the majority of his business at his woven shirt factory in Yiwu, China, comes from the Sourcing show. Every show, 40 to 50 people visit the booth, said the representative from Yiwu Tailor Apparel Co. Ltd.

Scores of Latin American factories were at the show, trying to take advantage of the various free-trade agreements in place between the United States, Canada and other regions.

Mexico was particularly well represented because of its proximity to the United States and the North American Free Trade Agreement, which has been in place since 1994 among Canada, the United States and Mexico.

From Peru came Creditex, a vertical operation that makes woven fabric and manufactures clothing in Lima. The company used to attend the Sourcing show on a regular basis but then gave it a four-year break while it worked on lowering its prices and minimum orders to compete with Asian manufacturers.

Having a particularly successful show was MLK Exports from Lucknow, India. MLK Exports makes a lot of hand-embroidered tops and dresses.

People were drawn to MLK Exports’ corner booth because of the blaze of white clothing that practically glowed under the bright fluorescent lights.
By the third day of the show, brothers Sharad and Shishir Kapoor had orders for 35,000 pieces from their vast selection of cotton dresses, tops and nightgowns made for children and plus sizes. It has been supplying nightgowns for the Soft Surroundings catalog for years.

MAGIC is the world’s largest fashion marketplace, comprised of eleven unique communities showcasing the latest in apparel, footwear, accessories, and manufacturing. Every February and August the retail industry convenes in Las Vegas to spot and shop the latest trends in men’s, women’s, juniors’ and children’s apparel, footwear, accessories and resources.