Atlanta Apparel is back in February, highlighting Fall/Winter 2025’s top fashions and accessories for retailers and buyers. Similarly to previous seasons, major showrooms from across the region will spotlight their various brands and new collections during the event. Ahead of this season’s market from February 4 to 7, we caught up with LBV Showroom‘s Jennifer McMullan and Kathryn Low and Ambrosia & Co.‘s Lynda Ambrosia to learn about their latest brand arrivals, showroom changes, and stylish predictions..
Jennifer McMullan and Kathryn Low, LVB Showroom
Jennifer McMullen, Kathryn Low (Courtesy of LBV Showroom)
What are some new advancements or updates in the LBV Showroom space this year?
Jennifer: We did a big showroom renovation last year. Within the space, we tweaked the showroom to maximize selling space. We put up a wall in the front of the showroom, and one of my dear friends that I have known since middle school—she is an artist in Charlotte, and she does pop art. She did a custom mural for us for the front of the showroom. It’s a moody Parisian backdrop at the Eiffel Tower, and a really nice way to set the tone in the showroom when we have customers walk in. It’s a really great conversation piece to have at the front of the showroom.
Kathryn: In 2024, we expanded our showroom and brand assortment for the third time in our history. Additionally, we have recently welcome Ripley Radar to our showroom this month.
LBV Showroom (Courtesy of LBV Showroom)
LBV has a wide brand roster. What are some new labels you’re excited to bringing to Atlanta Apparel?
Jennifer: Kerri Rosenthal is one that I am very excited about. We started working with them last year. They came to rent space for a couple of markets, and it’s a way of dating each other to make sure that it’s the right fit. They are brand new to Atlanta, so that was very exciting. And Kerri, first and foremost, is an artist, and she has the signature drippy heart. She’s been featured in The Times, Architectural Digest, and she does home accessories. She actually sells surfboards—it’s a very cool brand. She’s an award-winning interior designer, so she takes custom prints each season from her artwork. That’s been really exciting. That’s something that feels new and fresh in the market. We have Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese, that is a new brand to the showroom as well. Tracy has been around in the industry for a very long time, and is a brilliant designer, but she also has become a pioneer for sustainability. Within the industry, she’s doing some of her production in Detroit, which is a unique place. It’s not necessarily where you think of for manufacturing; it’s not the entire collection, but her office is in Detroit. There are certain styles each season that she actually produces in Detroit. That’s been a great way to bring them into the conversation in the industry. Brodie Cashmere are launching a new capsule this season. It’s called Brodie White Label, and it’s organic cashmere. The majority of brands in our showroom [are] between $100 wholesale up to $300, is probably average. These sweaters are pushing the envelope with price points, so they are $350 to $450 wholesale. You’re looking at around $1,000 retail, which is a nice touch. It’s a really tight capsule. But the appetite is there; customers are looking for something new and fresh. This is the first season we’re launching it, so that is exciting to see what the reaction is. Rowe, that’s one of the brands under Anna Cate. This is a pretty new brand for us as well, and she is a full knitwear collection, but it’s set dressing. There are dresses as well, but it’s a look that hasn’t really been done elsewhere. It’s more polished, but relaxed—this knit set dressing that is great for weekends, travel, comfortable but still polished and put together.
Kathryn: Last year, we added Hope for Flowers by Tracy Reese and Kerri Rosenthal to [both] our showroom and the Atlanta Market for the first time. Both are thriving!
LBV Showroom (Courtesy of LBV Showroom)
What are some trends we can expect to see from brands’ new collections at Atlanta Apparel?
Jennifer: Dresses are still the number one category in our showroom. But you’re still seeing the silhouette, a more tailored look. White + Warren is one of our cashmere brands in the showroom, and they’ve really come a long way with knit set dressing. They’ll have a sweatshirt and a trouser, all monochromatic, but in a very chic way. It’s athleisure 2.0; everyone got so fatigued with athleisure. I think over 2020, we heard that from buyers or from customers. So, everyone is ready to dip their toe back in to that comfortable, cozy dressing, but done in a more polished, structured, chic way. It’s a more put together. For women who are at work, moms, working women, we want to be comfortable, especially when traveling, but feel a little more put together. For colors, we’ve seen red everywhere, all shades of red—bordeaux, burgundy. I think Lilla P in our showroom…for her fall collection, we’ve noticed she’ll choose a red satin, but then pair it back to a chunky sweater, chunky knit, or a sweatshirt. It’s this juxtaposition of a little bit dressier fabric, but styled in a way that is not so specific, a little easier to wear when you pair it back to something more casual. Sustainability and organic fabrics continue with certain brands to become important, and we’re seeing that continue, and we’re seeing that start with some of our other brands.
White + Warren (Courtesy of LBV Showroom)
What do you think makes Atlanta Apparel so special to the wider retail market?
Jennifer: It’s really unique in that we are still seeing so much growth in the southeast. We hear from a lot of our showroom partners in other cities, a lot of boutiques are closing and are not seeing the type of growth that we’re seeing in the southeast. It’s very much a way of life. It’s just become such a community within some of these smaller towns. Designers are paying attention and listening to feedback, specifically from the southeast market. They recognize the business opportunity that there is, because there is still so much growth, especially within the boutique and specialty store category, which is unique. Business is tough in a lot of places, but you’re seeing some of the New York, LA showrooms having more of a presence in Atlanta. They’re catching on to what we have to offer. Then the city as a whole—accessibility, community, there’s an incredible culinary scene here, from casual to fine dining. It’s always a great place for that, both within the city of Atlanta but also the surrounding areas. Some people stay in downtown, midtown, but then also further north. The accessibility makes it easy for stores and brands to to get to us.
Kathryn: Atlanta is a convenient and easy place for all retailers to shop. Having all the brands under on roof makes shopping easy. It also allows us to make retailers comfortable in our showrooms and expose them to brands they aren’t familiar with.
What are you most looking forward to doing when you’re in Atlanta for February’s upcoming market? Any fun plans or outings in the works?
Jennifer: We typically have a fun dinner planned, either with stores or our brand partners. We try once a year to get all of the brands in our showroom [together] for a fun night. We try to do that at one market a year, just let loose and take the work component out of it, and chat with each other. We enjoy eating, we enjoy martinis, we enjoy champagne. Work hard, play hard is always our motto for our team.
Kathryn: We love seeing all our brands and retailers during the show. We always provide lunches and happy hour!
Lynda Ambrosia, Ambrosia & Co.
Lynda Ambrosia (Courtesy of Lynda Ambrosia)
What are some new brands you’re excited to show at Atlanta Apparel?
For the first time, we have picked up a shoe brand, which I’m really excited about. It’s based out of Naples, called D.Lacquaniti; they’re absolutely beautiful. It will be interesting to see how that goes, and the owner is just so fun to work with. Taj by Sabrina, which is beautiful, flowy dresses—and they have a second division, which is Severe de Luna. All three of those brands will be new for us for this show coming up. We’re very excited about those, as well as all of our tried-and-true brands that we’ve had for many years. We like to have something new and exciting for every show!
Ambrosia & Co. (Courtesy of Lynda Ambrosia)
What are some of Ambrosia’s latest developments in the new year?
For this first show of the new year, we’re actually teaming up with the [AmericasMart] with an event, “Outfit of the Day”. We have a lot of vendors donating items for buyers to pick and choose from for their outfit of the day. It sounds like a fun event! They did it years ago, but they hadn’t done it quite some time. Our social media coordinator has been working with the [AmericasMart], so that’s something that’ll be fun going on during market. It just creates some excitement for the buyers. Some buyers just shop the lower floors that don’t even make it up to the showrooms, so it’s a way to hopefully create some excitement on the floors so that the buyers will come up and see all the showrooms.
Ambrosia & Co. (Courtesy of Lynda Ambrosia)
What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned after being in business for over 30 years?
Most importantly, in my platform for our business, faith, family and health always come first—and fashion just makes it more fun! We we work hard, but we have a lot of fun doing it. As far as the customers, my main goal is that everyone that enters our showroom feels welcome, treated with respect, and comfortable being there. We have a lot to see, so we offer as much as we can, from music to food to keep everybody happy and as comfortable they would be in their own home.
Ambrosia & Co. (Courtesy of Lynda Ambrosia)
What are your predictions for what buyers are looking for in the spring season?
The jacket is making a huge comeback, which is great. Not even just jackets; suiting, even, because it fits from casual to elegant. As far as price point, we try to have a little something for everyone, from affordable to luxury. On the more affordable side—but still very fashionable—is JOH, out of Los Angeles. Her sets, especially the ones with pearls, sell like crazy—everybody loves them! As far as luxury, Diomi has beautiful silk skirts and blouses, as well as Catherine Gee out of LA—she’s got some beautiful, beautiful silks.
Ambrosia & Co. (Courtesy of Lynda Ambrosia)
What do you think makes the Atlanta apparel market so unique in such a high energy environment for buyers. Every season, it’s really become so popular?
It’s an easy building to shop, and between all the showrooms the variety of brands under one roof makes it so convenient for so many stores. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve seen so many more stores outside of the southeast territory, from New York, the Midwest, some came from California. It’s nice to see how it has grown that way. It’s just a mixture of everything the [AmericasMart] provides, as far as entertainment, and of course they’re there to buy clothing. The mix of brands makes it such a great place to shop.
Ambrosia & Co. (Courtesy of Lynda Ambrosia)
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1 comment
Nice spread, ladies.