More of Everything at N.Y. Trade Shows
NEW YORK—There was a little more of everything for retailers attending the recent trade shows in New York: more exhibitors, more buyers shopping the shows, and more days to shop among the four contemporary and designer offerings at Fashion Coterie, The Train, Platform 2 and Designers and Agents.
This season, the four shows were spread out over six consecutive days from Sept. 15 to 20.
Designers and Agents kicked off the Spring ’08 shopping spree on Sept. 15 with two separate venues because of the unavailability of space in the Starrett-Lehigh Building. As a result, half of the D&A show was held at the Starrett-Lehigh Building, and half was moved to the Chelsea Art Museum, just a few blocks away. Despite initial misgivings about the two locations, buyers and exhibitors enjoyed the artsy new space. A heavy influx of international exhibitors and retailers attended the show, which grew by 12 percent this year and attracted 2,320 attendees, according to D&A organizers. Partnerships with the Denmark Foreign Trade Council and the Council of Fashion Designers of America added fresh offerings to the show.
The Train and Platform 2, organized by Feacute;deacute;ration Franccedil;aise du Precirc;t agrave; Porter Feacute;minin, owner of Precirc;t agrave; Porter Paris and Atmosphere, attracted 10 percent more retailers compared with last season, according to organizers. More than 3,000 visitors walked the show, held Sept. 16–18 at the Terminal Stores in Manhattan’s Chelsea fashion and art district. Housed in the former train station and warehouse, The Train included more than 100 women’s ready-to-wear and accessories brands from 27 different countries, and Platform 2 presented 53 international bridge and contemporary collections from 14 different countries. In addition, a large number of international buyers attended the show from Japan, Canada, Italy, France, Korea, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
Fashion Coterie, the grand finale of the week, offered an extensive selection of clothing with 1,250 exhibitors ranging from denim to casualwear and designer. This season, the show was back mostly on the Show Piers, with a portion of the show still at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center because of the unavailability of space on the piers. Retailers navigated the show from Sept. 18 to 20 to select their Spring merchandise. Pier 92 and Pier 94 showcased contemporary collections and the designer Mezzanine area. Pier 90 showcased denim and casual lines as well as high-end accessories at Clear. In addition, the Javits Center housed bridge and evening collections, dresses, European collections, Made in Italy collections, and 150 additional footwear and accessories exhibitors at Sole Commerce.
