New York’s historic Gotham Hall, with coffered ceilings and grand columns, was just the venue to unveil Clear, a highly refined luxury accessories show.
“The whole setting was quite fabulous,” said Sherry Cassin, president and creative director of Cassin Collections, who presented an array of dressier hats and scarves, many adorned with beads, feathers and fur.
The introduction of Clear, held during fashion week, was timed to draw the elite retailers in town to the runway shows for a peek at hard-to-find accessories. Handpicked by Elyse Kroll, founder of ENK International and creator of Clear, 98 percent of the approximately 30 vendors were from Europe.
“The idea for the show is that a buyer can walk in, spend one hour and walk away with a clear understanding of what they need,” said Kroll.
After just one show, there are already expansion plans and a timing change in the works. Future events will be held to coincide with ENK’s Coterie so that more buyers are able to attend, and the number of vendors exhibiting will be expanded to 50.
Kroll expects Clear to progress into a “lifestyle-type show that will inspire the retailer with accessories, home products and true works of art.”
For many vendors, participation in the first event has already proven valuable.
Jewelry designer Margot Michon, based in Los Angeles, landed a trunk show at Henri Bendel after showing at Clear, as well as a new account with Coco, a specialty store in Upper Montclair, N.J. “I’m new to doing shows. This was the first I’d ever done. But I would definitely do it again,” she said.
Michon, who was born in Paris, says her collection developed out of her love of silversmithing. “I started out doing one-of-a-kind pieces. I liked the process, that is what interests me … not just the design, but the cutting and the polishing.”
Alexis Bittar, who has displayed his jewelry at ENK’s Accessorie Circuit for many years, was selected by Kroll to be among the handful of domestic vendors at the show. He jumped at the chance.
“Elyse takes design very seriously and she looks out for designers,” said Bittar, who has built a reputation for his use of Lucite. “At this show, she wanted to have products that weren’t very exposed.”
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After exhibiting at Clear, Bittar added the retailer Intermix to his customer list. He felt the show itself was more manageable for buyers. Compared with a full-sized trade show, he quipped, Clear “is like having an appetizer.”
Carlos Falchi was among the handbag designers represented. “We like to be there at the beginning to help pioneer and develop a new trade show,” said Hanora Rosen, the company’s director of sales. “The ENK shows have played such an important part in our business development.”
Rosen said she enjoyed the calm atmosphere of Clear. “The space was open so everyone can see what was happening all over. It was more intimate. When you are one of 500, even if you have a unique vision, sometimes you get lost.”
There were special touches added to the show to enhance the atmosphere as well, including butler-delivered trays of food. And to make the environment museum-like, all display fixtures were uniform.
Clear is designed to look “much more like an art gallery than a trade show,” said Kroll.
For Cassin Collections, being at the show was helpful because it attracted international retailers. “Our strategy includes building Europe and Asia, and this was a chance for us to see management of some of these retailers,” said Cassin.
Moreover, she said, “We took a lot of notes at the show that turned into orders. It was definitely worth it.”