TRADE SHOWS
Coterie’s Wide-Ranging Mix of Apparel and Accessories
NEW YORK—More than 1,000 apparel brands came to the Coterie trade show, which took place Sept. 17–19 at the Jacob Javits Center in New York.
They included well-known names Kenneth Cole and Spanx, established contemporary brands Nicole Miller and Laundry by Shelli Segal, edgier labels Zadig & Voltaire and Nanette Lepore, denim and lifestyle brands Lucky Brand, Mavi and AG Adriano Goldschmied, and accessories brand Alexis Bittar jewelry.
All came to court buyers both large and small—from specialty boutiques to major department stores. Coterie, which is owned by UBM, was held concurrently at the Javits with several other trade shows under the UBM umbrella, including Stitch, Accessories The Show, Moda, Pooltradeshow, Sole Commerce, Fame and Sourcing at Coterie.
The handbag brand Hammitt saw a mix of current and new accounts at Coterie. Asked if the LA–based company is also LA made, founder Tony Drockton said, “People say they care [if it’s made in the U.S.], but they vote with their wallet. The skilled artisans I need are hard to find in quantity in LA.” He added that he is able to achieve high quality and quick turnaround times with overseas manufacturing thanks to “good data and good supply-chain management.”
Amid the many well-established brands doing business at Coterie, emerging designers also found the trade show to be a worthwhile investment. The British brand Charles Mallory London, which makes retro compact mirrors, was making its U.S. debut at Coterie. “As a result, we’re now in 17 stores,” said the brand’s director of development, Stephanie Hazard. “The support from Coterie has been terrific. Everything from assigning us an account manager to walk us through the process to putting us in touch with stores who were going to be here—it’s really full service.”
Another emerging brand at Coterie was Clair de Lune knitwear, which was showing there for the second time.
“It’s our second season, so we’re fairly new,” said rep Brian Cahill. “Some buyers have been placing orders, and others have just come by and complimented the line.” Pointing to the French lace trim on some of the brand’s cashmere sweaters, he added, “Some want a more tailored look than we have right now, so we’re getting great feedback too.”
