The August edition of Atlanta Apparel closed with reports of solid business and strong holiday and immediate order writing across young contemporary and contemporary categories throughout the four-day market, July 30 – Aug. 2 at AmericasMart Atlanta.
“August is one of the most important markets. It allows retailers to close out their end-of-year orders, restock current needs and prepare for upcoming holiday and resort needs,” said Caron Stover, ANDMORE senior vice president of apparel.
The August Atlanta Apparel market, which overlapped with Formal Markets’ semi-annual showcase in Atlanta, welcomed attendees from 28 countries as well as 47 states with 75% of overall market attendees visiting from the Southeast. Nearly 20% of Atlanta Apparel attendees were first-time buyers to the market.
The show presented nearly 3,300 brands across showrooms and temporary exhibits on 11 separate floors in Building 3. Both showrooms and temporary exhibits noted the importance of a reliable Southeastern-based market.
“Atlanta is the show that helps us maintain our Southeastern clients, one of our largest clientele,” said Doe & Rae Sales Representative Linsey Ta-Luong. “We come back and see both new and returning clients at every single market, and they always know they can find us here as well. The August market was a good one for us, especially since we sold our largest order of the market in the first hour on opening day.”
Tina McMillen, owner of contemporary loungewear brand and showroom PJ Harlow, added, “It was here in Atlanta where we exploded. This August market has been really good for the brand, and we can see the excitement in buyer shopping and looking for new products again.”
Apparel buyer, Brooke Thomas, owner of Ginger Bee Boutique in Aiken, South Carolina, posted on Instagram about her trip to Atlanta Apparel, adding new Fall and Holiday trends and noting that she plans to come back in October to source more for the next season.
Alongside apparel and formal, Atlanta Apparel presented its semi-annual showcase of Children’s this August, with 270-plus brands across permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits across Floor 13 of Building 3.
Children’s buyer, Jordan Califf, owner of Toads & Teacups Children’s Shop in Valdosta, Georgia, said, “We scheduled our time really well this market, didn’t have to rush to shop and were able to see all our vendors for Spring and Easter apparel. We come to market twice per year to source Children’s and it is the only market we come to source. We are looking forward to coming back in February and seeing what’s new for the next season.”
As an added benefit to buyers this August, ANDMORE’s Formal Markets crossed over with Atlanta Apparel from July 30 – Aug. 2, presenting an additional 200 collections in temporary exhibits on Floor 5 and in permanent showrooms on Floors 10, 12 and 14. This provided four days of cross-sourcing opportunities for attendees.
ANDMORE reported that daily market activations and events were well attended, increasing the positive energy in Building 3 and introducing buyers to experience new brands, celebrate sourcing and enjoy their overall market experience.
“The embroidering event in our showroom, partnered with Atlanta Apparel, was fantastic,” added McMillen. “It brought so many people to the showroom who showed a genuine excitement with the market and our product, not to mention, it was a blast.”
The next Atlanta Apparel market, featuring the season break and trend education for Spring/Summer 2025, runs Tuesday, Oct. 15 – Friday, Oct. 18 at AmericasMart Atlanta. Permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits will be open every day from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., except on Friday when temporary exhibits close at 2 p.m.
