MAGIC Digital Issue Volume 6

The AW 23/24 season was lavish with MAGIC. We experienced cosmic shifts in Las Vegas, took it to new heights in New York, and are bringing fashion to Music City in Nashville. In the MAGIC Digital Issue Volume 6, we celebrate the MAGIC community in all of its sparkle and shine.

The heart and soul of MAGIC is connecting buyers and brands to do better business at our high energy events across multiple cities, and from there the possibilities are endless. Whether it’s collaborating over cosmic cocktails at our on-site Happy Hours, conversing and sharing innovative strategies at our live education sessions, having a dance party at our Opening Night Party in Las Vegas (this season Busta Rhymes took the stage to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop), or any of the many other opportunities that could occur on-site, we’re packing it all together in the MAGIC Digital Issue Volume 6. Here, you’ll experience what the MAGIC is all about showcasing each city’s unique point of view.

In Las Vegas, the feeling was future-focused taking inspiration from space and time like astro-inspired trends (check out some of the futuristic top picks from the MAGIC Las Vegas brands in our On Occasion feature page 6).

MAGIC New York pulled from the city’s prominence as a Fashion Capital, touting tenets of dressing with presence. A major trend emerged highlighting new perspectives in updated tailoring and we were there to capture it all in our MAGIC Content Studio. Check out our favorite looks and new ways to style this new take on tailoring in the Well Suited editorial on page 18.

And as we return to Music City for the second time, we’re looking forward to bringing you the best of all MAGIC Nashville has to offer. From daily live music from local brands to discovering local Nashville brands, our highly anticipated MAGIC Nashville event is one that can’t be missed.

There’s lots to uncover in the MAGIC Digital Issue, and without a doubt, each MAGIC event has a vibe all its own.

Shine, shape, and personalized style ruled MAGIC Las Vegas as increasing demand for occasion-inspired dressing took over assortments from night to day.

The AW 23/24 collections shown at MAGIC Las Vegas in February not only paid homage to a city known for its dedication to all things sparkle, shine, and glamour, but to a season dedicated to consumers’ growing desire for elevated embellishment and statement dressing, wherever they may go.

SHINE ON

As strength in the market for occasion wear increases, brands and retailers are reacting to the sparkling spirit accordingly. “Everything is extra this season,” says Julie Kuo, Vice President, Qupid. One of the key messages of this trend, she notes, is that this feeling of shine is not limited to typical evening wear; rather, that this inspiration should be considered for styling in all lifestyle commodities as consumers look to dress to be seen. “It’s a maximalist embellishment season where sparkle has taken over from all day to all night daily wear. Dress is coming in strong after years of being quiet. It’s exciting see [the] market shift where women are ready to go out and stand out.” Boutique owners like Alex Sekulic, Owner, Love + Lavender, and Kayley Reese, Owner, Savvy Kay Boutique, agree, noting that while traditional sequin shine is still a sales driver, emerging metallic trends in material interest are critical components of their fall/ winter buys.

Melissa Prato, Owner, Shop at Amandine, says that “in Vegas there is a high demand for sparkle [as] “entertainment capital of the world, so you must be sparkle and shine ready at all times” but that global consumers also share the sentiment of sophisticated everyday dressing. “In Haiti we have a large demand and market for sparkle and event styling,” she notes, crediting customers’ year-round holiday and event dressing as drivers for occasion wear shopping.

“My favorite trend for 2023 includes silver looks whether in sequins, chainmail, metallic, or satin.”

—Alex Sekulic, Love + Lavender

SHAPE UP

“We are usually really strong with dressy looks; feminine and glamorous inspiration, shimmer and shine fabrics, sequins, tulle; but this season, we’re introducing soft materials that will add voluminous dimensions, topped with 3D embellishments and other multi-layered elements,” says Andrew Kwon, Account Manager, Idem Ditto. Noting that attention to detail is critically important in the collection, thoughtfulness in occasion wear design considers not just shape but also function. “Many of our dressy styles incorporate functionality; for example, we add pockets to as many styles as possible. Also, as

the trend for micro miniskirts continues, we add shorts underneath. Customers and retailers are looking to have convenience and comfort everywhere and every day, especially special occasions.” Comfort also enters occasion wear as traditionally expected shapes like dresses and skirts make way for a surge of tailored separates and suiting trends in this category. AK Brown, Founder, The Fashion Connector expects to see bold detailing in these silhouettes taking them from day to night, including “loud colors, unique prints, custom embellishments… blunt cuts and structured-in tulle.”

“More women are now investing in tailored suits (whether suit jackets or the complete set) in occasion wear, myself included. I’m someone that doesn’t always wear a dress to feel formal and I like the look of a nice suit.”

—AK Brown, Founder, The Fashion Connector

SOMETHING NEW

Brands and retailers unanimously agreed that the excitement of the season was not only driven by its high decoration, sparkle, and silhouette play, but also consumers’ interest to experiment with new and personal styling reinforced by careful curation and merchandising. Reese notes that she was looking forward to shopping brands with a unique point of view in silhouettes like asymmetric hemlines and mini versus maxi lengths, denim, and unexpected styling in casual with tailored

pieces: “I am loving giving it a sort of unsophisticated sophistication.”

High-low dressing was a major trend across the occasion category as consumers, still leaning into casual dressing post-pandemic, seek to mix comfort into their styling. For both herself and consumers, Brown confirms that “pairing occasion wear with streetwear” is the new ethos, for looks ranging from novelty tailoring with jeans to a “dramatic dress” with sneakers.

“My customers are so open to trying different trends and experimenting with fashion. They are mostly looking for inclusivity - they want to feel included, understood, beautiful, and confident. They are looking for clothes that are different and unique; we pick the trend and set the tone and they let us lead them.”

—Melissa Prato, Owner, Shop at Amandine

“MAGIC in Las Vegas is where everybody goes ALL OUT bringing all of their exciting new arrivals for the year. It’s more than just an event, but a community, an opportunity to learn, and connect. The Las Vegas market experience is unmatched.”

—Kayley

Tailored separates and suiting trends gave MAGIC New York a polished and personal style point of view.

For a category traditionally known as classic and sophisticated, the growth of suiting separates and tailoring took a casual cue this fall with inspiration from the season’s spirit of personalized dressing to blend wide silhouettes, bright patterns and palettes, and high/low styling for a new perspective at MAGIC New York.

MIX AND MATCH

As consumers continued to gravitate towards 2023’s embrace of personalized dressing, the traditional styling of fully tailored looks is making way for a mix of high/low, creating a casual meets chic effect in unexpected ways. “While I think we tend to focus on full suits when it comes to street style, there seems to be a wave of more casual baggy bottoms and jeans that are often styled with blazers. That look of casual cool meets sophistication is something we see Gen Z gravitating towards in particular,” says Melissa Moylan, VP, Womenswear, Fashion Snoops. Brands agree, and many have designed their collections into

this styling ethos. “We love to see the “borrowed from the boys” concept returning. Mixing and matching different elements of a tailored outfit, such as pairing a blazer with more casual trousers or jeans, is refreshing for fall as we see more initiative to create a unique and personal style,” says Sinae Kim, CEO, Sage the Label and Sadie + Sage. “What I’m seeing is a trend to combine casual items with suiting separates, such as cargo pants or a skirt with a short, cropped blazer. Vests are also back in a big way; they’re an in-between statement, fashion wise that’s casual with a touch of classic,” says Lambros Potagas, Country Manager, USA, dk company.

“It is all about keeping it interesting” echoes Manny Cabrera, Senior Customer Service Representative, FRNCH. For example: our Serena plaid patterned crop jacket is a less traditional blazer silhouette and paired with our Pia pants (with wider leg and cuffed hem), playfully challenges what a ‘suit’ looks like.”

GO WIDE

Buyers this season considered the power of suiting and tailored separates as a growth category for their collections, but especially in the must-have silhouettes projected to drive sales. “We saw this category open up really open up last spring, but it continues to trend well as people want to be more polished and put together,” says Joanna Powers, General Merchandise Manager, Von Maur. Top trends of “oversized blazers and dress pants continue to perform,” she notes, and that she’ll explore “newness in colors, patterns, and plaids” to offer updates in these universally appealing up-trending items. “It’s a trend that is covering multiple age groups and target customers, which is always a win for any trend to drive sales.”

Moylan aligns with Powers in naming the oversized blazer and baggy trouser as top styles and anticipated revenue-drivers for fall: “We definitely believe in the boxy power blazer for fall/winter.” Look for “an oversized boxy fit” and “add sophistication when paired with more casual looks from crop tops to low-rise pants,” she notes. “Another favorite is the baggy trouser, which combines volume with tailored aspects such as pleats or crease front details. We even see the baggy trouser embracing new low-rise waists, which will appeal to the young contemporary market.”

BRIGHT ON

Expecting the unexpected — whether through design details, silhouettes, or palettes — is a major theme this fall, as brands offer more color than ever for a season normally noted by neutrals.

“As always we’re loving color experimentation, and this season have beautiful palettes of bronzed browns in our tailored separates that we’re styling back to printed tops for the sophistication of suiting with an unexpected pop of freshness,” says Cabrera. Kim aligns with this idea, noting that “new pops of color in tonal dressing is an update to tailored styling. While neutral colors are classic choices for tailored pieces, we love the trend towards bolder and richer colors, along with variations of patterns including plaids and stripes.”

Modern Sportswear brands have their own take on tailoring: Adding a third piece through creative layering or styling key pieces in multiple ways, these brands are dressing up their sportwear assortment.

MAGIC NY PRODUCTION CREDITS

Jose “Tutes” Tutiven LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER @tutes * Donnell Culver LIGHTING TECH @donnellculver

Michael Andrade ASSISTANT-PA @yxunghermes * Jessica Richards STYLIST LEAD @jessicaxrich

Madi Haney ASSISTANT STYLIST-WARDROBE @madi_haney * Morningstar Jackson HMUA @morningstarashe

Livia Rangel MODEL @liviarangeld * Ty Adams VIDEOGRAPHER @directedbyty

Agents Change

At MAGIC Las Vegas, three brands from the 2023 IMFC Incubator Program made their event debut, bringing a fresh perspective and inclusive designs to the show floor.

Launched in 2020 to elevate and better support new design talent for Black-owned brands, the Informa Markets Fashion for Change’s (IMFC) mission is to foster allyship, inclusion, and equality within the fashion community through programs that nurture and spotlight minority-owned, women-owned, and LGBTQIA+-owned fashion brands across men’s and women’s apparel, accessories, and footwear categories.

CISE AGENCY

CISE Agency, a Black-owned fashion house based in Los Angeles, has created a brand that according to its Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Blake Van Putten, “amplifies the voices of marginalized communities… [and] strives to make a positive impact, one purchase at a time.” Beginning with its first collection, “Protect Black People,” which featured garments with the message “PROTECT US,” CISE draws from inspirations in traditional as well as contemporary design, from nature and growth. “We have put a lot of effort into creating an expanded and well-rounded collection, with a focus on inclusivity and customer feedback, while staying true to our brand,” said Van Putten. “Being able to establish ourselves as a rising brand and having the chance to grow and thrive is what I am most excited about.”

JOHN + JULIANA

TAO + SALOMA

Holistic wellness brand Tao + Saloma debuted its skincare line at the show, in addition to a collection of clinically crafted herbal medicines made for cleansing, detoxification, and repair. “The inspiration behind this season’s collection in both wellness and beauty is ‘coherence in nature.’ When we notice and adapt with the changing rhythm of the seasons, we naturally create a state of flow in our mind and body; something we could all use a little more of right now,” said Cicely Harmon Everson, Founder and Master Herbalist and Formulator. On their MAGIC debut, she noted, “We believe we are better together and more similar than we could imagine. We can’t wait to feel the magnetic energy and good vibes as together we celebrate another year in fashion!’

For John + Juliana designer Eden Aruna, values of faith, love, excellence, and integrity are at the heart of her handbag brand. This season, she featured a bag collection made of African Wax prints and handmade tie dye imported from her home country of Sierra Leone, West Africa. “I have always been intrigued by various prints, patterns, and textures, however, coming from an African background, it was an easy choice to use African prints and tie dye patterns. I often choose vibrant colors and unique patterns because they invoke happiness, youthfulness, and demand attention. The handmade tie dye collection was heavily inspired by my mother. When I was a little girl, I would watch my mom make tie dye and was intrigued by the process. So, incorporating the tie dye collection just seemed natural. My mom is a big part of my inspiration as she is, and has always been, a great role model.”

5 Tips for Building Your Brand with

1. ON KEEPING MOMENTUM

“You have to go into it with the intention of not monetizing right away. It’s slow strategic growth. This has been 13 years that I’ve been building this. This is not any kind of overnight success. I still have a long way to go and you’re going to experience all different kinds of things. But here’s the question you should ask yourself. Would you rather be working for someone else, building someone else’s dream, or would you rather be building [it] on your own terms? Even if it takes longer? To me, it’s worth it and the reward is so amazing. At the end of the day, I’d rather be working towards something that has to do with creating my own future.”

2. ON LEARNING

“It’s like sometimes you have to go through those things so you can have the clarity and it can point you in the direction of where you want to go. So I get people that are like, ‘I regret that. This was a waste of time for me.’ [But for me] it’s not a waste of time to go through all these things because it really helps you refine what you want to do.”

3. ON COMMUNITY FEEDBACK

4. ON CREATING EXPERIENCE

“It’s like you really want to create an experience for your customer. So, for me, if I’m a boutique owner, I want to know what the customer’s looking at before they come in. When they get through the door. I want to know what that’s like from the door to when they’re shopping, when they’re actually shopping. What’s that like? What’s the checkout process? What’s the dressing room like? Is there a social media wall that they can take Instagrams that has your Instagram handle above it in like a light? What is the full experience to when they go home and actually try on the clothes? I would have everything be really beautiful, so the audience wants to go out and be a soldier for your brand. You’re basically having the audience snap all of these things along the way. They’re posting it. I mean, you really don’t need to go hire an influencer or hire a celebrity to promote your brand. It’s right in front of you what you need. You just have to create the experience.”

5. ON GOAL SETTING

Speaking at the February edition of MAGIC Las Vegas, Lauryn Bosstick, the creator of wellness and lifestyle brand The Skinny Confidential, shared her insights on entrepreneurship, creating an engaged, customer-first experience, and how to plan and achieve long-term goals.

“I decided, okay, I’m hearing my audience and I listened to them and really built the product around them and involved them in the process. So, I think if going back to if I was the boutique owner, what I would do is I would create content for the customer that you want to serve. And then I would also run a boutique… I would start listening to feedback, I would ask their opinions, I would have them tell us what they don’t like, what they do like. And I would really curate the whole shopping experience around what the audience wants. I think people get in trouble when they make themselves the hero. It’s got to be what the consumer wants. You have to constantly be listening in your DM’s. I’m always watching. I’m so involved with the community that I’ve created from the beginning that I know exactly innately what they want. It’s very intuitive now. So I think if you own a boutique, start creating content online and really paying attention to what that audience wants.”

“It’s like mobile momentum. What did I do today that moved it forward? I think trying to do that every single day is really great. Instead of looking at the whole thing and being completely overwhelmed, it’s like, what can you do right in front of you right now? And then I’m a big fan of writing all your goals down and creating systems underneath the goals… Instead of like a vision board, it’s so broad, you need to create like an execution board of systems to get to the goals that you want.”

This season, MAGIC is back in Music City for round two. At MAGIC Nashville, you can shop all the trends across apparel, accessories, footwear, and home, gift & beauty, while also tapping into immediates, local brands and get a first look at Holiday. Here is a preview of some of the brands to shop this season.

INSIGHTS: ASHLEY ALDERSON

Key Takeaways from this season’s

EXPERT PANELISTS

AT MAGIC LAS VEGAS

Moderated by and in partnership with Rachael McCord of the McCord List

The panelists speaking at the education sessions at MAGIC Las Vegas shared incredible insights on topics ranging from diversity in fashion to creating brand-right and thoughtful and accessible product assortments.

“What’s the real why behind our business? The products that we’re selling, it’s a lifestyle brand. So whether it’s home, gift, beauty, whatever, I encourage you to explore different product categories because the crossover is real. It’s a real opportunity.”

ALEX BRADBERRY

CEO + FOUNDER, THE SPARKLE BAR

AK BROWN

FASHION CONSULTANT, INFLUENCER & STYLIST

“I’m grateful that I have my own space and company where I can continue to blaze trails and take my team along where I recognize how important it is to create space and opportunity for others. It is extremely difficult sometimes to continue to feel like you’re always fighting an uphill battle, but I recognize how important it is to partake in opportunities like this and speak on panels and beyond, because I know that for someone behind me it is required so that we can continue pushing the needle forward.”

“There were just a lot of things that I just was tired of trying to change when it was evident it was not. [Companies] did not care to make it an inclusive environment. So now, that’s why I work for myself. I work with companies that want to make it diverse.”

EDWINA KULEGO RUTH LIETZOW

VP INTERNATIONAL & MEN’S, INFORMA MARKETS FASHION

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, INFORMA MARKETS FASHION

“What I’m learning… is that you have to persevere even though you are not being seen or heard. You have created avenues for yourself. And that’s also why I feel like the growth of entrepreneurs who look like ourselves, Black female entrepreneurs are on the rise because they’re not seeing those opportunities within corporations. And so a lot of them are like, instead of fighting every day, I’m going to connect with others that can help me build this business, and then I’m going to take my tribe with me.”

“It’s encouraging to see that we have a platform in the space to be given and be different and be unique. It is tough because, you know, it’s a daily thing to pursue and explain and open up about, but just being given the space to be visible and having others lead that are of color or even diverse, different religions.”

WOMEN OF COLOR IN FASHION FASHION FOR ALL: EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF INCLUSIVITY

DEBORAH METTS MINDY SCHEIER

“It feels like you have a stage, you have the attention, but you don’t have the final say. You don’t have the ultimate power, financially or otherwise, to make the changes that need to be made in every case. And so that’s why we’re here. That’s why I came from New York through a busy schedule to be on the stage, because when you are given the platform, you want to be able to talk about these things. You want to be able to make people more aware and you want to be able to make a difference. Yes. So visibility is huge. And this is this is a part of changing that narrative is us being here is happening right now.”

“People with disabilities need to be involved in every step of the process, every step. And that really does include from the beginning and utilizing focus groups and having voices heard by the population.”

DANA ZUMBO MARI ANDERSON

“It was that feedback from those people in… focus groups that helped those designers really understand. And it’s those aha moments that, oh my gosh, if we just put another zipper down the side of this iconic boot, it would open the door up for more people to be able to wear the boot. And so that and from there on we’ve had multiple conversations and have been able to further the product that is available and options for people with disabilities.”

“Sometimes [it] can be frustrating for people like me who want to change the world in huge ways. But we discovered that changing small things within the brands we already had and offering items that were or were available within the typical assortment was really the right way to go.”

MISTY DIAZ ERICA COLE

MODEL, FOUNDER OF ADAPTIVE BEAUTIES FOUNDER & CEO, NO LIMBITS

“It matters that wow, this has been consulted. This has been vetted through the disability community; like the company has taken the time to have it go through that process of having that seal. We need to have that confidence to be able to pull that product, you know, online or on the shelf and to be able to see that. It’s reassuring.”

“There is a school of thought in adaptive clothing that is centered around caretakers and making a caretaker’s life easier. And it’s not that we don’t love caretakers, but we decided that there needed to be a solution for the person actually wearing the clothes to increase that level of independence of that person and focus on that individual.”

We wouldn’t be MAGIC without you, our tight knit but everexpanding community. Here are some of our favorite moments from the February events in Las Vegas and New York. It’s because of you that we’re MAGIC.

This season at MAGIC Las Vegas, we launched MAGIC Social Club, our first-ever ambassador program, designed to empower, connect, and inspire our community and beyond by bringing content creators and business owners together to experience MAGIC in a new way.

These individuals were invited to MAGIC as official MAGIC Social Club ambassadors and use their content creation talents to connect with each other, as well as our wider fashion community. The MAGIC Social Club comprises five boutique owners who have grown their online communities via their small business themed content as well as two creators with strong online communities specializing in fun, fashion and lifestyle content. It was important to us to bring together people of diverse and authentic backgrounds, with exceptional skills in creating innovative content. At the Las Vegas event, our brand ambassadors had the opportunity to shop their favorite brands

for their businesses, discover new brands through our Brand Curation Lounge, and meet with MAGIC President Kelly Helfman. To celebrate their first time in Las Vegas as MAGIC Social Club ambassadors, we hosted a Galentine’s Day Pink Party at The Vanderpump in Caesar’s Palace. The MAGIC Social Club program is designed to create connection and community between our buyers, brands, influencers, and more. We choose our ambassadors based on their current content, so if you want the chance to be a part of the club, we encourage you to share your boutique owner and lifestyle content under #MAGICSocialClub.

Abelyn Salazar IG @abelynalexa TikTok @asapabes

Alex Sekulic IG & TikTok @shoploveandlavender

Alexa Jay IG @alexaaajay TikTok @flexylexxxy

Kait Yoniski IG & TikTok @voguesocietyboutique

Kayley Reese IG @savvykayboutique TikTok @thesavvykay

Nat Konopka IG & TikTok @darlingauthority

Selene Mendez IG @simply_selene TikTok @smply_selene

Trish Monroy IG & TikTok @patriizzle

Every season we look forward to seeing how our Las Vegas community shows up. Check out the style inspo from our always on-trend community.

POP THE BUBBLY

MAGIC LAS VEGAS BOOTH AWARD WINNERS

Best in Trend: Day + Moon

Best in Young Contemporary: Vero Moda

Best in Modern Sportswear: Barefoot Dreams

Best in Footwear: CCOCI

Best in Home, Gift, & Beauty: Opal Road

Best in Accessories: The Darling Effect

Best in Sustainability: Daze Denim

Best Woman-Owned: Roaring Angel

Best New to Show: Lioness

POP THE BUBBLY

THE JORDY HAPPY HOUR

Whether we’re in Las Vegas, New York or Nashville, we always take a moment to catch up over a “Jordy” cocktail aptly named after MAGIC Vice President Jordan Rudow.

MAGIC NEW YORK BOOTH AWARD WINNERS

Best in Trend: Salty

Best in Sustainability: ICHI

Best in Accessories: Nikki Smith

Best in Young Contemporary: Articles of Society

Best New to Show: Apres Actif

Best in Footwear: Cougar

Best in Modern Sportswear: Beach by Bistro by Sigurd Olsen

Best Woman-Owned: Luxxel

MAGIC AT THE WEAR HOUSE AND SXSW 2023

MAGIC brings good vibes only to the first edition of The Wear House hosted by WWD, FN, and BeautyInc at SXSW 2023. This fashion inspired warehouse created an interactive and immersive space for enthusiasts and experts alike to connect in unique ways with what’s of now and of the future in the wider fashion industry. This 2-day pop up offered everything from innovative education tracks to product demonstrations, and in true MAGIC fashion we helped kick off opening night by connecting all attendees over crafted cocktails and conversations, exclusively styled by MAGIC product giveaways, and creative photo instillations leaving the community feeling inspired.

Thank you to our sponsors

in Las Vegas and New York

THML Clothing

The Boutique Academy

Blue Blush

Gilli

Day + Moon

Skies are Blue

Current Air

Mustard Seed

Elan

Vibrant M.I.U

Emory Park

Blu Pepper

Papermoon

Mono B

Pearlle

Ichi + b. Young

St. Louis Fashion Fund

The Pinch

Idem ditto

Angie

Lucy Paris

Skies are Blue

Emory Park

AUGUST 7-9, 2023

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