Reps Say Fashion Coterie Crowds Light and Cautious

New York-based contemporary trade show Fashion Coterie drew mixed reviews from California-based designers and sales representatives who returned to the West Coast to report a slower-than-normal show, with retailers placing cautious buys for quick deliveries.

The Feb. 18–20 run of the show drew more than 8,500 attendees and 800 exhibitors to New York’s Show Piers, according to New York-based ENK International, organizers of the show. Attendee numbers remained on par with last year’s show, but the number of exhibitors was up from 652 at the February 2000 show, according to ENK.

Many reps said retailers in general have been spending their open-to-buy dollars carefully in light of the softening economy, but that did not deter several companies from launching new divisions at the New York show, which is organized by New York-based ENK. Among the new lines launched was St. Vincent’s new T-shirt line, called Mrs. Weir.

The collection includes about 80 styles using unusual screenprinting and trompe l’oeil techniques, said designer Cynthia Vincent.

Sanctuary Clothing also launched a new denim line at Coterie. The collection of about 30 novelty and basic denim styles includes dark and light denim with whiskered and other novelty wash treatments, jeans and denim shirts with soutache embroidery and novelty T-shirts with retro-cowboy screenprints.

The aisles at Coterie “lookedhellip;dead,” according to Doug Plamondon, an account executive for the line. But despite the slower-than-usual flow the rep said he opened several new accounts and worked with 25 of his Los Angeles-area accounts at the show.

Debra Polanco, creative director for the North Hollywood, Calif.-based company, said despite the slow traffic, the company’s sales “were up from last show and last year.”

Los Angeles-based Velvet unveiled a new collection of fine-gauge sweaters at the show as well as their latest line of basic and novelty T-shirts, which included “little vintage touches” such as silk flowers, hand-stitching and screenprints, according to Jenny Graham, designer for the line.

“Vintage is a strong key word in the market right now,” she said.

Graham said buyers seemed cautious at the show, but she noted that the contemporary category might be less affected by a downturn in the economy than other segments of the apparel market because the buyers are not likely to stop shopping.

“This is the person who falls into the part of society that has money and maybe instead of buying five T-shirts at once she might cut it back to three; but she’s not going to stop shopping,” she said.

And Los Angeles-based denimmaker Frankie B. made the most of a bad location for the line’s first time at the show.

“It wasn’t the most desirable location,” said Daniella Clarke designer for the line that is best known for its super low-rise jean.

“It was pretty much all the way in the back, but I think [placement is] earned. You have to pay your dues.”

Clarke said she met with existing accounts as well as worked with a few new contemporary retailers—primarily from the East Coast, Europe and Japan.

“We don’t have any East Coast representation right now so it was really important for us to do it,” Clarke said. “Otherwise we’re really limiting ourselves to whoever travels to us.”

Nouveau Collective: The Smaller Alternative

Los Angeles-based Nouveau Collective made its second showing Feb. 17–20 at New York’s Park Central Hotel, providing an alternate venue for retailers looking for new contemporary collections.

The show, which ran concurrently with Fashion Coterie, at Show Piers, is “a small collective of professional showrooms,” according to Lysa Kramer Burke, a founding member of the show.

“We’re trying to demonstrate that bigger is not better,” she said.

The show was designed specifically for new designers who may have never shown their lines before, Burke said.

“It is very important to always have new designers, people who have never shipped before, or people who have never shipped to established stores,” added the show’s liaison, Joanne Feinstein.

The Nouveau Collective’s February show had more than 2000 attendees at the Park Central Hotel, and housed more than 400 labels in 150 exhibiting hotel rooms.

Rebecca Bruce, designer for Bekke, a young designer collection that previously exhibited at Style Industrie, but moved to Nouveau Collective when the former show cancelled its February show dates. (Style Industrie has merged with the International Fashion Boutique Show, forming the femme show, to be held May 6–8 at New York City’s Jacob Javits Convention Center.) “My customers shop the Coterie,” said Bruce, “so when the dates [of Style Industrie] were a week later, I decided the Nouveau Collective would work for me.”

The Nouveau Collective charges no fee to buyers and is located near a transfer system that shuttles buyers to other New York shows.

“We’re not about competition,” said Burke, “we’re about comfort and convenience.”

Some of the show’s other designers include Lorain Croft, Adriene Anderson, Ahni & Company, Neil & David, Paul Sisti, Roam Jeans, Carol Turner, Fleece Dreams, Var Var, Robin Kaplan, Diane L. Evans, Sue Lang, Bud Coper Handbags, Stephanie Schuster and several of Burke’s labels.

Some of the retailers who left orders at the show included Red Envelope, Bloomingdale’s By Mail, Henri Bendel, The Boston Proper Catalogue, The Last Best Place Catalogue and the Natural History Museum, according to Burke.

The Nouveau Collective is not an exclusive group, and has already opened its membership to non-California-based designers who are voted in by the current members. Upcoming shows begin May 5–8, followed by Aug. 4–7 and Sept. 22–25. —Darryl James