Fashion industry trade shows are the best destinations for buyers and retailers to source apparel and accessories in all categories and price ranges, with total immersion in upcoming trends and one-on-one access to the broadest reach of media, advertisers and online marketers in the trade.

Entering the final stretch of holiday gift sales — transacted by wholesalers, buyers and sellers by late last summer — it is time to plan for big trade shows in the next two months. These regional and national shows set the mood for urban safari cruise wear, khaki and wheat and neutral tones, the next leisure wear trends and the hottest priced off-price fashion lots.

We’ve even listed a mid-winter Snow Sports Show, a January 08 fashion show that follows up on New York Fashion Week of October 07, and an industry site where you can find smaller, or more specialized, or closer-to-home-base fashion trade shows. Start networking!

New York

Shows overlapping in the Big Apple from January 2 through January 18 include the NY Women’s Apparel Show, Fashion Avenue Market Expo, The Accessories Show and Moda Manhattan. From February 1 through 8, NYC hosts Just Kidstuff and the New York International Gift Fair. From January 6 to 8, New York presents the Designers & Agents Fashion Trade Show focusing on contemporary and young designer women’s sportswear, shoes, accessories and lifestyle clothing. (D & A heads to Los Angeles on January 11.)

Midwest

Chicago Shoe Expo is scheduled January 3 and 4; the Michigan Shoe Market is staged in Livonia from January 6 to 7. Los Angeles Designers & Agents Fashion Trade Show focusing on contemporary and young designer women’s sportswear, shoes, accessories and lifestyle clothing sets up in L.A. from January 11 through 13.

Las Vegas

Between February 10 and 14, Las Vegas hosts an overlapping series of trade shows, starting with Off Price Specialist Show opening February 10 (Men’s and Women’s apparel and accessories), extending to The Kids Show, ASAP Global Sourcing Show and Women’s Wear in Nevada beginning February 11.

Sponsored by the SnowSports Industry Association of America, and open only to the trade, the SIA SnowSports Trade Show opens in Las Vegas from January 29 to February 1. Billed as the largest snow sports trade event, this show presents nearly 1000 brands to a network of 20,000 industry professionals focused on the snow sports industry and the “family business” of snow.

Find a Fashion Trade Show Near You and Network

If you’re closer to trade shows in Munich or Berlin, if you find Billings, Montana more convenient, or if a specialty event like “Start Your Own Clothing and Accessories Company” seminar (Atlanta on February 2, 2008) is of interest, check this fashion trade show calendar site:

Infomat: http://www.infomat.com/calendar/infsi0000164.html

Sort through fashion trade shows all over the world by month and by city.