Las Vegas Weekly

February 16, 2010 · 2:08 PM

Photo Galleries: MAGIC draws celebs, fashionistas, 70,000 to town

By Robin Leach

David Arquette celebrates his clothing line ProPr at Lavo in the Palazzo on Feb. 15, 2010.

Photo: Al Powers/Retna Ltd.

Forget the models of Milan or the catwalks of Paris! This week right here in Las Vegas, it’s MAGIC, one of the biggest annual global events for fashionistas. Some 70,000 people, including designers, manufacturers and celebrities with their own lines, have invaded the Strip as the extraordinary event celebrates its 77th year today. It’s all about cutting-edge designers and trend-setting styles for the fall.

As one of the three largest annual Las Vegas conventions, MAGIC has been growing every year. Now it’s expanded for the first time from the Las Vegas Convention Center to also take over Mandalay Bay Convention Center through Thursday night. All the women’s wonders are at the regular convention halls, and the menswear and new footwear FN Platform exhibits are at Mandalay.

MAGIC, which translates to Men’s Apparel Guild in California, is the largest apparel and accessories trade show for buyers and sellers in America, with more than 1,100 exhibitors and featuring the biggest names in fashion. Among the dozens of celebrities here this week are actor David Arquette, who unveiled his ProPr line last night at Lavo in the Palazzo; Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee, who will entertain at tomorrow night’s King Baby studio opening party at Blush in the Wynn; and Jessica Simpson, who is exhibiting her line in the main fashion halls.

David’s clothing line ProPr, developed in conjunction with musician Ben Harper and former Penguin creative director David Bedwell, features organic cotton, ring-spun denim and cashmere woven shirts, denim and twill pants, shorts and blazers. David designed the line’s popular T-shirt collection.

Our spywitness reported this morning: David wore a limited-edition shirt from the line featuring planets and dinosaurs. He and his group took over the private dining room at Lavo, where he regaled all with stories of his early childhood clothing choices. He chose a magnum of Dominus to pair with a dinner specially selected by chef John DeLoach. He kept the group laughing during the night and revealed that his biggest fear of the trip was that he would lose his wife Courteney Cox Arquette’s niece, whom he had brought along for her first trip to Las Vegas.

This afternoon, I’ll sit down with fashion guru and global celebrity Christian Audigier to chat about his new line The Same Guy, which I can reveal now will be logo and graphic free. Now that’s got to be the ultimate fashion statement! We’ll post that interview here at Vegas DeLuxe later.

Hometown hero Tony Hsieh, the CEO of Zappos.com, will deliver the keynote speech tomorrow at 9 a.m. The Henderson company has grown from $1.5 million in 2000 to a more than $1 billion powerhouse in its latest financial year. President Obama has sent Gail Strickland, one of his U.S. trade reps from the Office of Textiles, to lead a panel discussion on free trade for the fashion industry.

The trade-only shows -- displaying designer goods, contemporary stylings and casual, street and sports fashions -- aren’t open to the public. Many of our Las Vegas models are parading the fashions all week long, so they get to see all the fashions six months before the public.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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