True Blue
New York’s denim trade show focuses on the cream of the crop
The idea is so simple, it’s a wonder it didn’t happen sooner: a trade show devoted almost entirely to denim, the fabric of our lives.
Running Jan. 21–23 in New York, Blue is the latest niche show from ENK International. Devised to be both conducive to business and offer an artsy, indie environment, Blue is being held at The Tunnel, a block-long, renovated railroad tunnel located in the West Chelsea warehouse district.
“Trade shows have become very competitive and seem to be everywhere and at all times,” says ENK President Elyse Kroll. But Blue was born from premium-denim exhibitors, Kroll says, who wanted to show in “a really cool environment.”
“A trade show is supposed to fill a need that an exhibitor has,” Kroll says.
Blue provides a casual environment more like a large showroom than a trade show, with art, music and food provided by Tom Colicchio, chef and co-owner of New York’s Craft restaurant and Gramercy Tavern.
“It’s not going to be a big party,” Kroll says. “It’s going to be serious, but cool and hip for the more advanced denim manufacturer.”
Retailers will enjoy the environment because it will be “less hectic” than other trade shows, Kroll says. The spacious layout means “retailers will enjoy writing [orders] at the show.” Kroll is hoping for 2,000 attendees.
And, according to Kroll, both buyers and exhibitors are going to appreciate Blue’s unabashed selectiveness: “We’ve said no to a lot of designers and manufacturers interested in doing it, because we really are trying to stay on a certain level. So the mix that we have is really top-notch.”
The criteria for inclusion at Blue was based on the types of retail stores that carry a particular brand, in addition to the brand’s quality and “point of view.” Naturally, the roster of exhibitors includes many Los Angeles–based lines. Among them are Goldsign, PRPS, Serfontaine, Ed Hardy, Duarte, Earnest Sewn, Hudson, Antik Denim, Notify, and Kicking Mule Workshop.
Antik Denim vice president Alexandre Caugant says a smaller, denim-focused trade show is a great idea, and he’s confident that his brand will stand up to buyer scrutiny in a competitive environment packed with other premium jeans brands. “The more the competition is, the more people will come to compare, so you have to be sure about yourself.”
Caugant says niche-driven shows are better for buyers and suspects they may quickly proliferate. “When there are so many brands all together, buyers don’t have time [to see them all].”
Grey Ant designer Grant Krajecki, who debuts his relaunched men’s line at Blue, says he “kind of doesn’t want to know” who the other exhibitors are. Still, he’s confident he’ll stand out. “I’ve got some basics, but I always do the alternative.”
And then there’s Diesel, which Kroll says should say a lot about the quality of the show. “When was the last time Diesel was in any kind of trade show?” Kroll asks rhetorically.
And although Blue’s focus is on premium denim, that doesn’t necessarily mean exorbitantly expensive. “There’s a whole trending toward less expensive denim. First it was ’How high can it go?’ and now premium denim is not just about price—it’s about styling, wash, fit, rise, trim.”
In the fickle fashion industry, being new rather than established is a blessing, not a curse. “It is fashion people who are requesting change,” Kroll says, “because that’s what fashion people live by. They get bored easily. Fashion people are interested in what’s new.”
