Informa Markets Fashion has announced more details about fashion trade events COTERIE, MAGIC, PROJECT, and SOURCING at Magic. The COTERIE floor returns with a full scale show, taking place September 19-21 at the Jacob Javits Center, with plans for a more product-forward experience. Collectively located upstairs on “Level 3,” apparel will be cohesively showcased with footwear and accessories for what the show is calling a “complete look” approach.
Retailers will also find an updated assortment of harmoniously merchandised apparel categories, such as Elevated Contemporary Collections, Vintage, Footwear, Accessories, and Beauty along with the return of destination – COTERIE’s swimwear and resortwear community and EDIT, COTERIE’s elevated and advanced international collections. Another new change for the New York show is the addition of “curations,” which will feature minority-owned and sustainable brands woven throughout the floor.
Courtney Bradarich, VP of Events Contemporary Women’s for COTERIE and PROJECT and Jordan Rudow, VP of Events for MAGIC fill us in on what’s ahead!
What are you most looking forward to with everything coming up? What have you missed about the live events?
Bradarich: I think what I’m looking forward to—both personally and professionally—is what all of us in the industry are all looking forward to, getting back together! With cities across the U.S. reopening to full capacity, the energy following our country’s extended pause is palpable. While this past year was a lesson in diversification, nimbleness, and the importance of a future-forward mindset, it will be exciting to see everyone return with a renewed sense of creativity and innovation. I am personally very excited to see what incredible new ideas are birthed after the industry reconvenes at our events and compare notes. This is where the alchemy happens! While we’ve been hearing the phrase “Roaring ’20s” being thrown, I think there is some real truth to this in that there is a collective aliveness and growth that we will likely see in the coming years as a result.
Why was it important, and even necessary, for you to do in-person events again?
Bradarich: Fundamentally, fashion is a tactile experience and a very social industry. From seeing craftsmanship and design details up close to running into an old business colleague on the show floor—these are the organic elements of live events that are so essential to how we connect and conduct business. While there are new considerations, such as added safety measures, which we all must keep in mind in a post-pandemic world, the real focus for everyone is on getting back together, face-to-face, with the community. As the connector of the industry, providing these meaningful opportunities is part of our promise and ongoing commitment to the community.
What’s in the works for Miami?
Bradarich: Kicking off our 2021 calendar return, destination: miami by COTERIE will take place on July 9-12 during Swim Week. Returning with our resortwear and swimwear market event, the Eden Roc Hotel is the perfect location. This stunning beachfront property has incredible outdoor spaces overlooking the ocean and the interior décor is a wonderful mix of modern and old Hollywood glamour, not to mention the incredible dining of Malibu Farms and world renowned Nobu—the entire experience sets the perfect “vacation mode” vibe. As this might be the first time many of our guests are traveling and returning to live events, we will be utilizing the stunning outdoor space with a themed focus on mindfulness and wellness for many of the unique onsite experiences we’ll host for our guests. Think: morning meditation and yoga sessions overlooking the ocean, along with experiential networking opportunities and evening cocktail hours for our guests to mix and mingle.
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MAGIC recently announced a return to Vegas. What kind of feedback have you received from retailers and buyers? Will the show be scaled down or do you anticipate it will look similar to previous years in terms of attendance?
Rudow: Yes, we did, and we couldn’t be more excited about our return to Las Vegas with our three co-located events— MAGIC, PROJECT, and SOURCING at MAGIC! We’re receiving a lot of very positive and excited feedback from our communities to reconnect and do business in-person at our flagship events in Las Vegas. It’s a testament to how much the live experience was missed. A little over a month after our announcement return, we are already over-pacing in both participating brands who have signed on as well as with registration. To date, we have thousands of registered retailers and hundreds of brands signed on across apparel, footwear, and accessories. Planning is also well underway to present a full slate of unique onsite activations and memorable photo op moments, plus trend displays highlighting new brands, exclusive networking opportunities, and a wide array of educational content featuring fresh industry voices along with returning speakers from Create & Cultivate, The McCord List, and Highsnobiety, to name a few. We also excited to be bringing back Cash & Carry on the last day of our three-day event, which is a great opportunity for retailers to shop samples right from the show floor.
We all live in a digital world, but there’s really nothing like feeling clothes in person and seeing them with your own eyes. Do you think our timeout has given us all a new appreciation for things we took for granted in the past like a live show and person to person interaction?
Bradarich: Yes completely. Overall, I think there’s a real sense of increased appreciation for many things we only now realize were so fundamental to our lives – both personally and professionally. Conducting business and involvement in our live events is no exception: from touching fabrics and spotting new talent, to making connections with new customers and dinners out with longstanding partners. With a general sense of renewed enthusiasm, these are the things our community is excited to get back to, and we’re so happy to provide these environments and facilitate this return.
To register for COTERIE New York – September 19-21, please visit the registration page HERE
To exhibit at COTERIE New York – September 19-21, please visit HERE
To register for destination: miami by COTERIE – July 10-12, please visit the registration page HERE
To exhibit at destination: miami by COTERIE – July 10-12, please visit HERE
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