Source California Apparel News - Love him or hate him, the man to beat in Las Vegas during the recent run of fashion trade shows was Christian Audigier.

The marketing blitz began on the way into town from the airport, where a billboard featuring a much-larger-than-life Audigier greeted Las Vegas visitors. As the 2008 featured designer, Audigier and his labels were prominently displayed on the cover of the MAGIC Marketplace guidebook. The designer also sponsored the “official after party” on Feb. 14 at LAX nightclub at the Luxor.

Then there were the swirling crowds inside and in front of Audigier’s booths at MAGIC and at the Project Global Trade Show, where buyers turned out in droves to see the latest looks from Audigier’s labels: Christian Audigier; Ed Hardy by Christian Audigier; Smet; Crystal Rock; and the company’s newest labels, Paco Chicano and C–A.

Indeed, Ed Hardy T-shirts seemed to be the unofficial uniform of MAGIC and Project, worn by many attendees circulating the aisles at the Las Vegas Convention Center and the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

The 1,500-squarefoot Project booth gave the company ample room to show all six collections as well as its licensed footwear and accessories lines. In front of the massive booth, the Los Angeles– based company erected a huge sign that read “Simply the Best: Christian Audigier.”

Daily runway shows were held in the booths featuring Ed Hardy and Christian Audigier apparel, as well as several of the company’s other lines, according to Fashion Director Raymundo Baltazar, who produced the shows with Creative Director Angelique Mas.

Audigier turned up the star power on Feb. 14, when attendees at the Christian Audigier runway show at Project also caught a surprise mini concert by hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg. (Word at the show was that Audigier has been working on a new project with the Grammy Award winner, but the company would not confirm any details.)

The catwalk looks were dripping in details. Hoodies and tees with tattoo- inspired graphics were layered over printed and embroidered jeans or bohemian-print skirts and dresses. Candy-colored puffer vests topped printed scarf tops or tie-dyed T-shirts. And Audigier’s tattoo-printed swimsuits shared the runway with trompe l’oeil versions created with expertly applied body paint.

The runway looks spilled over into the crowd during the Snoop Dogg show when Ed Hardy fans wearing Audigier’s designs packed the trade-show booth to be part of Audigier’s party.

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