Ah, chéries, another season of Coterie has passed. So what was on tap at the chic trade show for Spring 2015?…The Javits Center was packed from September 14th to the 16th, with buyers and members of the press checking out the 1,505 exhibitors…There were plenty of fresh creations to peruse as well. ENK’s executive vice president, Joanne Mohr, told us: “In keeping with ENK’s mission to bring new and emerging talent to retailers each season, at Coterie buyers had the opportunity to shop more than 217 first-time Coterie brands such as Zadig & Voltaire, The Kooples, Alix, Gkero, Ryder, Auguste, Anahide Saint Andre, AQ/AQ, The Squad, Three Floor.”…Chef Dave Pasternack, known for his seafood savvy, brought his culinary genius to Coterie with petite poisson apps and his famous fish sandwiches to nibble on…ENK offered up Coterie Coaches to exhibitors for the first time ever. This team of PR, sales, and marketing consultants helped the brands get the most out of their selling experience…The French Rebellion section bowled over attendees as 18 brands from France made their U.S. debut. Alongside a live DJ, labels including the likes of Oui, Odile, Paradis Perdus, and Rad Hourani showed off their European flair…
Top Coterie Newbies To Know:
Zadig & Voltaire
The Kooples
Solid & Striped
Vero Moda
NOIR Sachin+Babi
Pamella Pamella Roland
All Things Fabulous
Angeleye London
Anahide Saint Andre
Ryder
MLM
PLUS! Some Trend Chatter On The Tradeshow Floor…
Christine Alcalay, Designer, Christine Alcalay: “The print this season was inspired by a flight over New York City. I also went to the Museum of Natural History, and when I was walking through the subway I was inspired by mosaic tiles of butterflies and animals. I laid them together to make the print.”
Dasha Faires, Sales Director, Veda: “For spring, we’ve expanded our collection; the line started with a focus on leather jackets but we’ve developed a lot of prints in-house to introduce these cool silk pieces with small leather detail. We’ve also got a lot of colored leather, and even printed leather.”
Liv Johansen, Sales Agent, NU: “The label is based out of Denmark, and we’ve been around for 17 years. We describe our brand as raw sophistication. We like to do edgy looks, but we keep it all sophisticated.”
Martha Fogarty, Designer and Principal, Mart: “I’ve come to hate the notion of buying a dress that’s only for dates or for attending weddings. My mom would wear the same dress she wore to the symphony that she would throw over a bathing suit by our pool. There was no preciousness; you just bought pieces you loved and you wore them to death. That’s where I’m trying to go with this brand.”
Lisa Freede, Creative Director and Founder, Lisa Freede Jewelry: “I’m the kind of designer that doesn’t really follow trends. I want to be able to tell you that I’m inspired by nature and the beautiful things around me, but I’m not! I love architecture and geometric shapes. I believe fashion and jewelry should be basic with a twist so everyone can wear it.”
Inge Onsea, Creative Director and Stylist, Essentiel Antwerp: “We started 15 years ago with a line of four t-shirts in 30 colors. We really only had the essentials. But our customers asked us to add more, and we’ve expanded. A lot!”
Alex Faherty, CEO, Faherty: “We launched everywhere this year! The first time our product was in other stores was this March. And now we’re in 100 different stores across the country. From a business perspective, that brings our brand to another level.”
Cara Keitges, Designer, A.C.E.: “It’s all very exciting, seeing the reaction from buyers. Just being at Coterie to see what else is out there is intriguing, too. It’s nice to see that my brand has something special, that no one else offers. I like to describe our brand as urban, sexy, and chic.”
Whitney Pozgay, Designer and Founder, Whit: “When we were working on this collection, I was looking at my teen idols and there was definitely a daisy moment. Obviously I was a big Drew Barrymore fan. I was also into Kathleen Hanna, so we were playing with that idea of being sporty and tough, but also very feminine. My husband is a painter, so he painted a lot of the prints.”
PLUS! All About Ashley B, With The Globe Showroom’s Jeffrey Cayer
Give us the dish on Ashley B for Spring 2015, please!
Ashley B continues to work on their beautiful sophistication level and femininity with a bit of a masculine edge. This season they’ve introduced some really beautiful fabrics such as cupro, double face leather, plus a lot of new details including trapeze backs and quilted leather sleeves.
Any other details to note?
One of our biggest styles happens to be a trench that is four different coats in one. You get a little crop jacket with a trench underneath. Once you take off the little crop jacket, the sleeves are also removable, so you have a sleeveless vest coat!
Any big news for Ashley B in the near future?
We’re working on some collaborations with some great bloggers and celebrities.
How did Coterie treat you this season?
We continued to sell to Barneys, Neiman Marcus, and Saks. All good things came out of Coterie!
