Four-Wheeled Style at the 2002 SEMA International Auto
Salon
DIAMOND BAR, Calif. (April 2, 2002) - Fashion can dictate our choices, whether
we're purchasing the latest spring collection from Milan, selecting stationery
or simply making a decision to slim down for a healthier look. Fashion can
drive all facets of our lives, including how we choose and accessorize our
vehicles.
The newest automotive fashions can be seen at the 2002 International Auto
Salon (IAS), produced by SEMA, the Specialty Equipment Market Association, and
Vision Entertainment, founder of Hot Import Nights, the highly fashionable
social and automotive scenes for many automotive enthusiasts these days.
IAS -- the high-excitement consumer and trade automotive show -- will feature
the latest fashions in tricked-out, souped-up performance and customized sport
compact and import cars, trucks and wagons. It opens at the Long Beach
Convention Center in Long Beach, Calif., on Friday, April 19, to people in the
industry only. Consumers are invited to attend the show on Saturday, April 20,
from 12-8 p.m. and on Sunday, April 21, from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
"Styling and design initially attract consumers to automotive showrooms. And
many people change the 'fashion' of their vehicles after the purchase, just as
they 'fashion' their appearance and their wardrobe," says Chris Horn, SEMA
vice president of communications. "Last year, people spent nearly $1.5 billion
on accessories for their sport compact vehicles, so these vehicles could
better express their personal sense of style." Horn said that the sport
compact market niche is the fastest-growing segment within the $25 billion
automotive specialty equipment market, and women make up nearly 25 percent of
this niche.
How do people celebrate fashion through their vehicles?
People buy specialty wheels and tires like women buy shoes and socks. A
vehicle's stock wheels, those that come from the factory, are designed to do
the job, just like a good, sturdy pair of shoes. Fashion, however, dictates
that we individualize -- so purchasing a set of larger chrome, colored or
polished rims, as well as color-coordinated tires or tires with a cool-looking
tread pattern, is as necessary to many car, truck and SUV owners as filling
their closets with everything from a pair of Manolo Blahnik pumps to black
leather boots.
People purchase neon kits to brighten their vehicles for many of the same
reasons women buy makeup. Drawing attention to oneself is an integral part of
flaunting fashion know-how. Rainbow colors, whether worn on the eyes and lips
or displayed under a vehicle's fenders, are all part of fashion's sparkle and
shimmer.
Fashion-conscious drivers equip their vehicles with the same fervor and in
many of the same ways that they change their appearance. Custom paint and/or
graphics is the automotive equivalent of changing one's hair color or adding
highlights. Lowering kits, body kits and pinstriping are akin to toning and
firming thighs and abs, improving the overall appearance. Spoilers and ground
effects wrap around a vehicle the way distinctive ties or scarves accessorize
an executive's outfit, or a white silk scarf identifies a pilot.
Just as jewelry can dress up a simple black sheath, such shiny polished
accessories as grilles, side steps and muffler tips can enhance a plain-Jane
vehicle.
Coco Chanel, fashion maven and designer said, "Adornment is never anything but
a reflection of the self." That explains why people in Los Angeles wear fur
coats -- because it's cool, not because they're cold. It also explains why
owners of sports cars re-cover perfectly good seats with two-or three-tone
leather -- or a combination of leather, suede and neoprene. Or why owners of
commuter cars outfit them with the concert hall acoustics of dynamic audio
systems or elaborate theater-quality entertainment systems.
SEMA's International Auto Salon, the three-day automotive fashion
extravaganza, will feature more than 300 exciting displays of tuner cars, race
cars, exotic street machines and wild customs, as well as nearly 200 accessory
companies exhibiting their latest products -- all geared to the red-hot sport
compact and import performance market.
IAS tickets are $10 for professionals in the specialty equipment industry who
register before Friday, April 5, and $15 after early registration closes.
Consumers may purchase a two-day pass for $25 or a one-day pass for $15 online
at www.ias2k2.com.
Vision Entertainment is an integrated marketing and production company
providing its customers and clients with interactive experiences. With its
fingers on the pulse of America's youth, Vision Entertainment has a firm
understanding of this savvy, progressive lifestyle, and a proven track record
of success. Vision Entertainment currently produces more than 26 annual events
in the top 20 markets in North America. These events range from import car
shows to skateboard & snowboard expos, to consumer gaming events. For more
information, contact Vision Entertainment at 1360 South Coast Highway, Laguna
Beach, CA, 92651; call 949/376-6942 or visit <www.visionevent.com>.