TRADE SHOW REPORT
Liberty Fairs Sees 26 Percent Growth in Year Two
NEW YORK—In its second year in New York, men’s contemporary fashion trade show Liberty Fairs saw buyer attendance rise 26 percent over January’s show and an 87 percent increase in international attendees.
The July 20–22 show, which immediately followed the first-ever New York Fashion Week: Men’s, featured 150 new brands showing at Pier 94.
Freedom Hall—a section comprised of apparel, art and media—is curated by the Brooklyn Circus’ Ouigi Theodore, who has been a part of Liberty Fairs since its inception. Like Liberty Fairs, Brooklyn Circus is growing quickly and is preparing to launch in Paris later this year, said brand consultant Alexandre Khouri. “Some of the brands here grow and travel together,” Khouri added. “It’s a community.” A brand that hopes to follow that model is ready-to-wear clothier Sun House of Eddy Ricami Project. The 2-year-old company is based in eastern Italy.
“We came to Liberty to find an agent and understand the U.S. market,” said owner Franco Santarini, who noted that the brand sells well in international markets, including Japan, Italy, Germany and Korea.
“There aren’t many customers,” Santarini said of his Liberty Fairs experience, “But the ones we saw are good shops of high quality.”
Schott NYC is credited with producing the first leather motorcycle jacket in 1928 and has built a customer base that has included Joan Jett,The Ramones and Kanye West.
“Everything we create is functional,” said Schott’s West Coast account manager, Joey Orsi, citing Schott’s bomber jackets, which are used by the U.S. military.
“This show is as big as it’s going to get,” Orsi added. “They’re maintaining their roots—keeping it well curated. It’s always going to draw the same contemporary buyer.”
