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>.