Show and Trade!

One short day in New York City. One short day with so much to do. One short day to explore the number one fashion trade show, Coterie. Coterie is a global fashion trade show that showcases woman's apparel, accessories, footwear, and etc. Designers come from all around the world to showcase there work while retailers browse the products and purchase what they love for their store. As a student, it was fun to explore the venues even though I couldn't take home anything to purchase because I was not a retailer, but the venues definitely gave us ideas on what trends are coming for Summer and Fall 2019.

Three venues caught a glimpse of my eye and I was able to meet with some associates and get a fresh entail on what the venue was, who are the targeted audiences, and what trends can be spotted from the venue itself. Have a look!

1. Daydreamer

Daydreamer was founded by Laura Glover in Los Angeles. Laura was a huge music lover and loved to DIY her clothing. Karissa Oi, creative specialist for Daydreamer; quotes that "the brand Daydreamer are inspired by Laura’s story and belief in ‘living in the moment’. We our specifically known for our graphic t-shirts, tank-tops, jackets, and sweatshirts". Daydreamer trends focus on the graphic rock band t-shirts and have a variety of colors to choose from. My favorite piece was a royal blue Queen cropped graphic T. It was a one of a kind item in my eye. Daydreamer's prices range about $49 to $300.

2. Stella Pardo

Stella Pardo is a french fashion designer who had her products sold at Anthropologie, Free People, and other boutiques. Stella Pardo's visualization is the pieces of garments she showcases are very elegant yet casual wear. The venue had a neon light that spelled the name Stella Pardo and welcomed the guests with an animal rug in the middle of the venue. Talia, venue worker for Stella Pardo quotes "the clothes are made with delicacy and the emphasis of detail". The trends that this brand showcased for fall was purple stripes and elements of gold shimmer in the embroidery. The spring trends were lots of green and blue with details of florals and tailoring. Stella Pardo retails as a high quality brand and prices around $150 to $1,500.

3. Olivia Burton London

Olivia Burton London is a British brand founded by two fashion buyers, Jemma and Tessa. This venue was a fairytale when you walked by. First, one associate was handing out chocolates that were pastel colored. Second, another associate was handing out tote bags of the brand. Third, another associate was painting quotes on cards and customizing them for the customers. This venue was a special treat and had some beautiful accessories to showcase. The trend Olivia Burton London was following for the spring was bee decants in their watches, necklaces, rings, bracelets, and earrings. The associates allowed my friend and I to try on the watches. They were pastel colored and made of Swaroviski Crystals. The associates were very friendly and went on to tell us that their brand is also eco-friendly and reasonably priced for the products they sell. Olivia Burton London retails for $45 to $275.

Now, after seeing these venues you might be thinking "What did I think about Coterie"? Good Question. The one thing I loved about Coterie was that there was always something happening in a venue. Associates were talking with customers, buyers were purchasing products, and trades were being performed. It was pretty neat to see thousands of venues of woman's apparel, footwear, beauty, and etc come together and showcase their products. They all had different designs to their venues as well. The trends and styles were all different but had a similar taste for the Summer and Fall. Daydreamer had the summer vintage vibe with cool tones, Stella Pardo with her patterns, and Olivia Burton London with the Bee decants for the Summer. These venues fit the idea of the trends you would expect for the Summer and Fall. "At least in my eye".

One thing I could take from this experience was having a look at what a retailer see's and acts at a trade show while still having a mind set of a college student. Funny thing, our name tags said we were retailers but we knew we could not buy anything or make a sale. Coterie gave us an outlook on a trade show but in a whole different perspective. It was pretty cool, yet a challenge.

So, what do you think? Would you check out these venues or go to a trade show?

If so, Coterie will be back in The Big Apple, September 15th - 17th, 2019.

Let's see what venues you find and trends you see for the Winter and Spring of 2020.

- Amelia