LOS ANGELES (November 2, 2007)—Local retailers officially became members of the Los Angeles Breakfast Club on Friday morning at an event hosted by The WSA Show’s Retail Relations team at the Hotel Angeleno. Guests dined on pastries and scrambled eggs while networking, and enjoyed presentations by PromoStyl trend consultant Nathalie Fausty and Beth Whiffen, the owner of Santa Monica boutique Il Primo Passo.

Candra Palmer of Artyce Designs and Amal Harakat of Amal B talk shop.

Photos by Kelly Fajack

WSA COO Diane Stone opened the festivities by welcoming the group. “We’re thrilled that you’re here,” she said. “[We want] to present you with resources and information more than just eight days a year.”

Candra Palmer, owner and designer of Artyce Designs, which she describes as a “Build-A-Bear for high-end shoes,” was excited to meet people that she could relate to. “I want to get more involved with the footwear industry,” she told WSAToday.com. “I’m always looking for opportunities to network with people who understand footwear jargon.”

The event also attracted retailers interested in expanding into footwear. Amal Harakat, designer and owner of Amal B, a bridal boutique in Beverly Hills, says her brides are looking for comfortable shoes. “I’m trying to build a line of shoes,” she explained. “[I’m here to] network with people who own all these stores.”

Beth Whiffen, owner of Il Primo Passo

In addition to meeting other retailers, attendees were also able to hear one store owner’s experiences. “I thought it was important to come meet other retailers and be supportive of each other,” Il Primo Passo’s Beth Whiffen said. “It’s good to be aware of other stores in the L.A. area.” A former editor of Cosmopolitan magazine, Whiffen opened her shoe boutique nine months ago. “It was a natural extension to open my own store,” she said. “There was nowhere in Santa Monica to get a great pair of shoes. There wasn’t anything that I felt was really unique.”

Il Primo Passo carries shoes by designers such as Rupert Sanderson and Barbara Bui, labels that, according to Whiffen, “you can’t find anywhere else in L.A. What was missing from the marketplace was a store to give these designers a chance.” But in carrying more obscure designers, one challenge she’s had to overcome is brand recognition, or lack thereof. “I tried to put brands that no one had heard of in context with those they have. I try to educate the customer when she’s trying on the shoe,” she said.

PromoStyl trend consultant Nathalie Fausty

Trend consultant Nathalie Fausty gave guests a sneak peek at upcoming style trends for fall/winter ’08/09. Although Fausty’s area of expertise is fashion forecasting, she reminded retailers that “to know the future, we need to know the past.” In fact, it is styles from previous decades that are making a comeback with modern updates.

According to Fausty, key colors to look for next fall will be deep wine and orange hues that will pop in details. The ’70s influence will be felt as footwear will have open toes, metal heels, embroidered uppers and platforms. The ’20s will make an appearance in the form of ankle boots, rounded toes and spool heels. Under the Deconstructed theme, menswear will dominate with vests, spectators and structured silhouettes. Romance will reign with square toes a la Alexander McQueen, with studs and metal details—though Fausty cautions, “It’s a very romantic trend, not goth at all.” While flats will remain strong, embellishments will become stronger. “A fun way to go with flats is to accessorize them with shoe clips. Add a pom-pom, stars, moons, crescents, any fun, whimsical way to update the flat for fall,” she said.

Celeste Boehm, WSA’s director of retail relations encouraged guests to use her team to their advantage. “Retailers are one of the most important assets we have at the show,” she said. “We are creating services, programs and tools for you to use throughout the year. We are here for you. If there’s something you’re not getting, let us know.”

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