The latest edition of MAGIC Nashville wrapped on October 3, 2025, after spending two days at the Music City Center, reinforcing its role as one of the Southeast’s key fashion events.
The two-day show brought together hundreds of brands, buyers, and retailers to preview Spring/Summer 2026 collections, and the southern influence was felt in every corner of the floor.
After launching in 1933 as a menswear trade show, MAGIC has since grown into one of the most recognizable names in fashion. With the help of WWD, MAGIC now highlights women’s apparel, footwear, and accessories through events nationwide.
This fall marked the second Nashville show of the year, and the first time it’s ever been held twice in one year, a move that shows the city’s growing importance for retail and fashion, according to MAGIC Vice President Jordan Rudow.
“There’s a lot of local stores here that are up and coming. What’s really unique about this market is it’s a little bit more intimate of an experience, and a lot of people enjoy that,” says Rudow.
Western was the obvious winner of this season, reflecting the Music City’s deep roots of music, culture, and style. The result was a modern western revival: embellished denim, sparkly cowboy hats, and fringe everywhere.
Courtesy of MAGIC/Informa.
Courtesy of MAGIC/Informa.
Courtesy of MAGIC/Informa.
Courtesy of MAGIC/Informa.
Courtesy of MAGIC/Informa.
Local brands like Easton Elle, Tribe Kelly, Vincent Jewelry, Mary Kathryn Design, and Nash Grey leaned into unique, high-quality pieces, while names such as Elan, Skies Are Blue, and Old Gringo Boots gave it a polished edge.
Denim was another major category, with brands like Hidden Jeans and Judy Blue showcasing wide-leg, barrel-leg, and high-rise styles.
Gameday fashion was also an increasingly popular category in southern retail. Brands such as Gameday Social drew crowds with vintage-style graphics, coordinating sets, and accessories designed for stadium life. Think clear crossbody bags and varsity jackets.
Top brands included Matisse Footwear, Lines of Denmark, Fame Accessories, English Factory, Mod Ref, Flag & Anthem, Poppy & Pout, Line + Dot, By Together, Prince Peter Collection, and Things Between.
On the retailer side, attendees from Altar’d State, Pink Lily Boutique, Kittenish, JCPenney, Palmetto Moon, Apricot Lane, Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, and TJ Maxx Canada reflected MAGIC’s wide reach across both boutique and major retail stores.
Beyond the fashion itself, the show’s design encouraged connection from the MAGIC Hub, which offered complimentary refreshments, touch-ups from local stylists, and small interactive experiences like a patch bar and permanent jewelry station, to the DIY workshops where guests could personalize accessories like trucker hats and charm jewelry.
Educational sessions throughout the event provided industry insights for business owners and buyers, covering topics like live selling, cash flow management, and customer conversion. Networking events, including the opening night reception and MAGIC Social Club cocktail party in collaboration with lip care brand Poppy & Pout, gave attendees a chance to unwind, enjoy good food and specialty themed drinks, and connect outside the showroom.
The show returns to Nashville next spring from April 28–29, 2026, and if this fall edition was any indication, it’s only going to get bigger.
We spoke with Rudow about the show’s expansion and why Nashville is a major hub for growth in fashion.
The Knockturnal: MAGIC first launched in 1933. I wasn’t aware that it was initially [made] for men’s apparel, but today it’s become a leading platform for women’s apparel, accessories, and footwear.
Jordan Rudow: Yes. So, MAGIC actually stands for Men’s Apparel Guild in California. It started in Palm Desert, and just over time, it kept evolving. It went from Palm Desert, then it grew to San Diego, then we outgrew that area, and then we were in Las Vegas. And about 20 years ago, we partnered up with WWD, and that’s when we launched our women’s division. Now, if you look at our Las Vegas assortment, we have everything across men’s, women’s, kids’ accessories.
And then over time, you know, the women’s portfolio continued to grow. And the past five years, when we really look at everything we’ve done, the MAGIC brand has really just been listening to the community.
The Knockturnal: MAGIC Nashville is debuting its first-ever fall edition this year. What do you think makes Nashville a premier location for fashion?
Jordan Rudow: In 2021, we launched MAGIC New York. So, we really have our East Coast offering that’s co-located with Coterie, and this event came out of listening to the community.
You know, Nashville is definitely a booming city. It’s the music city. It’s a fashion capital. You see a lot of people, especially from California and Texas, moving over to Tennessee. [Its] really attractive to Generation Z and a lot of millennials as well. Because so many stores and boutiques were doing so well, and it has a really close proximity to a lot of the states from the Midwest, we decided in 2022 to launch our first iteration here. It really taps into a new market.
It allows retailers, you know, who may not be able to travel all the way to Las Vegas or all the way to New York to drive in for the day, maybe come and stay just for one night, check it out. There’s a lot of local stores here that are up and coming. What’s really unique about this market is it’s a little bit more intimate of an experience, and a lot of people enjoy that.
So, Vegas is our biggest event. This [Nashville] event still has all the categories of business, but in a more curated sense. We have everything from trend apparel, which is that moderate price point, to young contemporary. Then we have modern sportswear, and that category caters to someone a little bit more like my age, right? 40 plus, a little bit more conservative styling. We have footwear.
We have home gift and beauty. If you go on our app or right when you go outside, we also have our block map. So that could kind of showcase how we divide up the inventory, but essentially, what we do.
The Knockturnal: What inspired the decision to expand to two shows in Nashville?
Jordan Rudow: There was a big ask to be in the South, and so many people were wanting more Nashville. People enjoy coming out here. Retailers enjoy being in the city. So, a lot of people, no matter what, are putting budget to come out here, because they also enjoy the food and the nightlife.
Being able to really shop the show floor in one day, go up and down the aisle, spend a little bit more time with the customers, and getting that personal attention with the retailers and vendors is what brought it to life. This is really the last chance people could buy for Spring 2026.
So, if you were a retailer and you weren’t able to come to our New York event, we are [in Nashville] and they’re showing a lot of the same inventory here to make sure they’re set up for 26.
The Knockturnal: What are some trends that you think will be a big focus this season?
Jordan Rudow: Game day has been really popular, so we of course leaned into Taylor Swift, [us] being in music city, and recreated her, her engagement moment there. It’s everything from those clear accessories that people wear out on the game day to the varsity. We got really fun with it.
You’ll see like there’s a lot of t-shirt companies and trucker hats, and you know, totes and backpacks that have really fun sayings. So definitely when you’re walking the show floor, be sure to go over there. Denim does really well here.
Cowboy boots. We have old gringo here. We have fringe skirts, bags, and jackets, and that Western Boho has been trending. I think really ever since Beyoncé launched her album [Cowboy Carter.]When she dropped the song [LEVII’S JEANS], of course they, they did amazing. You have Lainey Wilson collaborating with Wrangler.
Barn jackets are very in style right now. And when I think of Western Boho, it’s really kind of a mix of your glam girls. You have everything from like a metallic boot to fringe to embellished jeans. In terms of denim, we’re still seeing a lot of barrel jeans. We’re seeing high-waisted jeans, boot cut, split, and wide leg slouch jeans as well.
And then you also have more of that, like Boho [style], you would see at Stagecoach or Coachella. So, people are really leaning into like earthy tones, a lot of dark denim washes.
The bucket bag is making its way back. And they’re really pairing it with like peasant blouses and lace sheer, as you know, has been around for a long time. It’s still here to stay. It’s just a lot of different layering and kind of pairing this, like sweet, romantic, flowy type of fabric with a high-waisted jean.
Some people are saying the skinny jeans making its way back.
The Knockturnal: I hope not.
Jordan Rudow: There’s a lot of controversy around that.
The Knockturnal: How do you decide which trends to spotlight?
Jordan Rudow: When you go to a department store, when you go to Nordstrom’s, it’s curated by price point. So, if you’re a retailer or you’re a consumer and you’re walking around, you could understand, “Okay, when I’m in this section, I’ll get this type of look and this type of price point.”
There are a lot of retailers that shop Magic Nashville. Some do crossover and shop other markets, but also some don’t have an opportunity to do so. We’re trying to get a wide assortment.
When the sales team is working with different showrooms and accounts, what does really well here is all of those trends that I’m talking about. We probably wouldn’t go to a dress line that is, super fitted bandage style, or a really high heel. That would really resonate a little bit better with Vegas or when we had our Miami show.
So, we try to lean into the heritage here [in Nashville] and the culture here, but we do have an array of product. I think no matter what your style is, you can find a little bit of everything, which is [what’s] so unique about magic and definitely sets us apart from our competition because. There’s a really fun mix of [what] people lean into and what’s really resonating here in the South.
The Knockturnal: MAGIC events are known not just for fashion, but also for their immersive experiences. What new activations can attendees expect at this show?
Jordan Rudow: So, in the hub, you can get tinsel in your hair, you could get your hair done.
You could get glammed. We have a charm bar [where] we’re doing custom charm jewelry.
We have a swag bag where we’re doing a giveaway according to each category, to celebrate the brands on how they showcase their inventory, their new collections.
There’s a record display, which is our Magic Hall of Fame. So those are all of our booth award winners, which really just helps the community because the retailers could see, you know, who is here, who won. And it really just creates a nice sentiment here.
I have eight shows that I’m responsible for. And, again, everything I spoke to with the ease of shopping, the people that are here. It is just, it’s so much fun.
For more information about upcoming MAGIC events, visit www.magicfashionevents.com.
