A Whole Lot to Love at KIDShow Vegas

Last February’s KIDShow Las Vegas showed me a lot to love. The event continues to be the largest collection of children’s fashions and accessories west of the Hudson River, and offers a wide assortment of mid-tier to high-end apparel in a comfortable setting where buyers can review lines and write orders to assure well-stocked shelves and strong sales. Here are some of the brands and people that caught my eye and renewed my interest in the children’s business: We The Beautiful, Jo Ann Farese and all the brands she represents, GlitterTots Sparkle Screen and Ultimate Apparel, well represented by Karen Grasso.

The next KIDShow Las Vegas will be held August 18-20, 2014 and KIDShow Miami on September 14-15, 2014.

We The Beautiful: Choreographing Comfortable Elegance for Girls

Tatyana Makarova captured me with her welcoming smile and kept me enthralled with her fascinating family history, creativity inspired by the similarities between the art of ballet and fashion, strength of spirit, and her We The Beautiful children’s fashion collection that combines European design, all-American comfort, and made-in-the U.S.A. value.

Born in Siberia, Makarova settled in Cincinnati, Ohio about 20 years ago with her family, where she has long been a ballet teacher. Last August, with the help of two other European designers, she introduced her apparel for girls. She told me how “the grace, beauty, composition, art and balance of the ballet” is a lot like how she sees the equally visual art of fashion. Her American dream is unwavering and she made me a believer that “success is her only option.”

www.wethebeautiful.com or www.facebook.com/wethebeautiful

Jo Ann Farese: Everything I’d Want in a Sales Rep

In the children’s business, I admire professionalism, enthusiasm, positive energy, honesty, and good humor, all backed by experience and a proven record of success. All these traits I find in Sales Representative Jo Ann Farese. With almost 40 years of experience running her own rep agency in San Francisco, she and I can easily swap tales about the “remember whens” of the kid biz, which is always fun and surprising. However, Jo Ann is a veteran firmly planted in what’s happening today.

At KIDShow, Jo Ann showed me what’s new in her showplace. She is as excited about what she does as anyone I’ve ever known. She has a rare snappy sparkle that is so important. The love she has for “her” brands is infectious, and she has a grand, efficient and practical flourish as she displays possibility after possibility from her seemingly endless assortment, that favors fashion-driven, eco-friendly organic lines. Most impressive is that she creates a sales synergy with her brands. Everything belongs, while still keeping distinction and variety. She has the talent to know what shows well together, which is such a help to retailers.

Jo Ann puts the “friendly” in the growing eco-friendly category and buying from her includes her value-added experience in merchandising, mix-and-match magic, and commitment to help retailers become more successful. The brands she presented at KIDShow included Girl and Co., Limeapple, Jaxxwear, Origany, Paper Cloudz, World of Eric Carle Catepillar & Friends, New Jammies and Wugbug Organic. Plus, she recently picked up Babysoy.

Sparkle Screen Dazzles in Sunny Delights

I think the energy from Texas firecrackers Meredith Madsen and Dianna Akers was enough to power the bright lights of Vegas during the KIDShow as they presented their Sparkle Screen sunscreen with natural ingredients and glitter that kids clamor to wear!

Entrepreneurial passion has long fueled the success of mom-invented products in the kid biz, but Meredith and Dianna certainly impressed me with their enthusiasm, confidence, determination and sales savvy that easily made me a believer that their sunscreen by GlitterTots will be on every retail shelf and on kids’ skin for all the ski and sun seasons to come.

They have the goods and packaging to back up their show style too. Sparkle Screen is made in the U.S.A., smells great, is SPF 30+, paba and paraben free, and FDA approved. Add to that the glitter, and it’s good to go fast. I also saw them demonstrating Sparkle Screen at ENK Children’s Club with equal dynamics, energy and, of course, their sunny dispositions.

For more information to get in on this best of the innovators, visit www.glittertots.com

Ultimate Apparel Turns on the Sales Heat

Karla Grasso has been a sales executive at Ultimate Apparel for about six months, but she brings to them a world of experience that I believe sets the revitalized children’s outerwear and swimwear brands on a faster track to success. Karla joined the Ultimate Apparel team because they wanted much more than a sales person; they wanted her keen eye for fashion and her candid wisdom about what retailers in different regions want and how to help them succeed.

Now the company’s Northpoint, Mint Girl and Maui Waves brands combine designs that don’t mimic mass merchants’ and also allow retailers in different regions to experiment with markups that reflect both demand as well as the apparel’s quality. It’s a combination that specialty retailers need and deserve.

For years, I have preached that more manufacturers should listen keenly and rely upon ongoing input from their regional sales representatives throughout the process of designing their collections. Ultimate Apparel knows the value and Karla is on board to help lead the way. Her enthusiasm, experience and hands-on know-how are a perfect fit.