While the rest of the world may know Dallas for its outstanding barbecue, rich arts and culture scene, the Cowboys, and—depending on your age— a particular hit television show from the 1980s, those of us in the menswear industry recognize it for the Dallas Market Center and its twice-yearly Dallas Men’s Show. Since the show has grown and evolved over the past few seasons, we thought we’d check in with three influential leaders from the Center: CEO Cindy Morris, SVP Leasing Jill Cunningham, and SVP Retail Amy Harper. This trailblazing trio discusses their journeys in the fashion industry and the growth of the event. Their insights reflect a commitment to not only enhancing the trade show experience but also shaping the future of retail.
MR: How did you three get started in this industry? Did you come more from the fashion side or the event side? What drew you, personally, to this business?
Cindy: I joined Dallas Market Center more than 30 years ago in a marketing position. I then became head of marketing, followed by COO and CEO. What has truly sustained me over the decades is our relationships with brands and buyers. We have a community.
Jill: I was a buyer for Dillard’s for about seven years, and then DMC hired me to do apparel leasing. I was named head of leasing for apparel and accessories earlier this year. What I appreciate about our team, especially over the last four years, is our ability to attract new brands and help brands reach more buyers in Dallas.
Amy: I grew up in specialty retail, from working in a children’s store to managing a women’s boutique, and later gained corporate experience with a multi-door retailer. For the past 20+ years, I’ve focused on Retail Development and Buyer Delivery at Dallas Market Center, helping connect retailers with the best resources to thrive. I’m drawn to the entrepreneurial spirit of specialty retailers and appreciate the variety of our buyer base—from new businesses to veterans like Rubensteins and multi-generational stores like Ken’s Man’s Shop—they all care deeply for their customers.
MR: Tell us about your current position and your day-to-day. What do you like most about it? What’s most challenging? What’s the craziest thing you and the team have faced with the show?
Jill: What’s most challenging for all of us is to continue to capitalize on our Men’s Show growth. We have made tremendous strides by adding golf, active lifestyle, and outdoor lifestyle. We want to continue to stay ahead of retail demands as menswear stores expand their mix of products.
Amy: Similar to what Jill said, my opportunity is continuing our momentum. In my case, it’s delivering menswear retailers, and there are so many factors at play—location, travel, supply chain, market dates. But at the end of the day, these stores want an efficient, inspiring experience, and we can deliver on that need like nowhere else. That’s why more retailers are choosing Dallas.
Cindy: While I manage all aspects of our business, what I appreciate most is the person-to-person interaction. I spend time each season on the road visiting retailers across the country, and I learn so much from those conversations over a cup of coffee in a store in Tennessee or Texas.
MR: In your opinion, what makes a fantastic trade show? What’s working in the men’s trade show business right now? What’s not? How can we fix it?
Cindy: What’s not working is continuing in the same pattern and structure as in previous years. I have challenged our team to consider the next generation of menswear retail and how to meet their needs today and tomorrow.
Jill: What we present at our Men’s Show is practical and sellable. This is a show dedicated to meeting the needs of our exhibitors, which often means selecting brands that will resonate with our retailers, seeking one location to find a wider array of products for every day, active lifestyle, and getting dressed up.
Amy: Exhibitors want to reach a broader range of retailers, so we’ve reimagined the Dallas show with that goal in mind—expanding categories, building association partnerships, and creating meaningful opportunities for the buyers.
MR: What’s the Dallas fashion industry like?
Jill: Exhibitors recognize that they can easily reach hundreds of top retailers in Dallas, so they need to deliver classic looks but also trending styles that work for better stores.
Cindy: You know, Dallas has long been a critical “editing market” for main street retail. What makes it in Dallas will make it in cities and towns across the country. That’s important.
Amy: When I talk to retailers, they are eager to maximize their time and focused on efficiency. They no longer have a week to spend at market or the bandwidth to attend shows nationwide. Buyers want to walk into market, work appointments, source new product, survey trends, and place orders. They also might want to enjoy some great barbeque or a steak but they are always focused on what is best for their business now more than ever.
MR: Talk to us a little about that crossover between the Western and the fashion markets. Western is very hot right now…how do you see that moving through the fashion cycle? Does the Western market just roll their eyes at us “fashion” people… “Here they come again?”
Cindy: This is so exciting. Hundreds of Western brands moved to Dallas from Denver in 2021 to reach a wider audience and secure more accounts. They get it. They have embraced the opportunity for Dallas to be a hub for Western stores as well as men’s retailers, women’s boutiques, and lifestyle stores.
Jill: I’ve found that Western brands are very open to new channels of sales. For our Fashion Week in January, we had women’s, kids’, Western, equestrian, and men’s. It provided a unique chance for our brands to reach new sets of buyers, and it went great!
Amy: That’s right. And retailers want to create an efficient buying trip. Let’s not forget that in addition to menswear and Western, we also have hundreds of gift showrooms. If a retailer can make one trip to Dallas to source everything they need, then that’s a big win for their checkbook and their business bottom line.
MR: What’s something you’ve always wanted to say to, or ask of, the menswear business, especially to retailers?
Amy: I talk with hundreds of retailers each quarter, and many of them create a typical schedule of appointments at The Men’s Show. But now I have challenged them to take advantage of our fashion week of multiple shows to find new brands, new categories of products. We believe in the strength of our men’s retailers for the long term.
Cindy: Our men’s retailers are some of the smartest and most tenured of retailers. They understand the consumer demands that continue to shift. But what can help is if they make a plan for their time to get the full market experience this July.
Jill: The Dallas show is four to five times larger than it was five years ago. We have tremendous momentum. Our brands have the opportunity to not only capture their core customer but also to market to additional segments like Western stores or women’s stores, which could create a lifestyle destination. That’s a Dallas differentiator.
