NEW YORK — The Fashion Coterie continues to reel in retailers at the Show Piers on the Hudson River here.
During the three-day trade show, which ended Feb. 16, 1,140 exhibitors showed their fall collections to more than 15,000 visitors, according to show organizer ENK International.
Exhibitors did what they could to stop buyers in their tracks. At Milly, located on Pier 90, flat-screen TVs played the fall show on rotation, and many buyers, either out of interest or exhaustion, took a moment to pause and gawk. But the biggest draw seemed to be the strong cachet of brands in the Mezzanine sections on Piers 90 and 92.
Mara Hoffman, a young designer collection, had a crowd three deep overflowing from its booth. Retailers were crouched on the floor in the aisle balancing clipboards on their knees, voraciously signing orders. Jenni Kayne, also located in the Mezzanine section in Pier 92, said just being in the segregated section instantly adds to the appeal.
“We’re with a few selected designers who share a similar price point, styling and customer,” said Michal Martinek, a sales representative for Jenni Kayne, a Los Angeles-based contemporary collection. For some buyers, he noted, the Mezzanine is one-stop shopping.
Martinek said he was writing more orders now than at the spring installment of Coterie, but that wasn’t unusual.
“We sign a lot of new accounts for fall,” he said, noting a growing number of buyers taking notes instead of placing orders. “All the majors come on the last day when it’s less crowded so they can just do their thing.”
Denim brands were among the must-sees. J & Co., the Los Angeles-based denim label, had many visitors from the Southeast, particularly Florida and Georgia, despite the blizzard that rolled into town two days prior to the start of Coterie. Hayley Gottlieb, a sales representative, said after the show that the brand signed about $1 million in orders at Coterie.
Black and dark blue denim were hits for J & Co., as were vintage-inspired studding. Leather jackets, vests and blazers are new for fall and were getting a great reaction from buyers. Gottlieb said the firm’s lower-priced premium collection, Born in California, which launches for fall, caused a stir, too. Born in California retails between $80 and $100, whereas J & Co. typically retails in the range of $116 to $170.
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It also doesn’t hurt, Gottlieb noted, that J & Co. has garnered a solid celebrity following.
“Eva [Longoria] comes into the showroom about once a month,” Gottlieb noted, adding that Sharon Stone, Jessica Alba and Christina Milian are also fans.
Among the newcomers at Coterie was Erin Snow, a New York-based line of upscale performance outerwear and sportswear. The two-year-old label combines function with fashion by offering belted twill coats and low-rise fitted snow pants that can easily go from the slopes to the streets.
For fall, owner and designer Erin Isakov has expanded the offerings to include a wider selection of sportswear, including jerseys and turtlenecks made of Thermastat, a performance fabric, and Lycra spandex.
“We started as a ski brand, but we have evolved to include a wider range of items,” said Isakov.
While the upscale skiwear market is dominated by European labels such as Rossignol and Bogner, Isakov feels she has something new to say. “We are giving the category a New York point of view,” she said.
The line includes a selection of puffy down jackets, as well as sleeker and more fitted performance styles, including a quilted coat and a double-faced bonded fleece jacket. Other key looks for fall include a double-breasted long twill jacket with Thermore insulation and reversible down vests. Many of the items come with special touches such as a detachable collar, down mittens or a packable bag. Wholesale prices for the line range from about $40 for the jersey up to about $1,400 for the shearling items, with average prices between $300 and $400.
Isakov, an avid snowboarder and skier, is planning to introduce a full sportswear collection for spring 2007 to round out the line, including some swimwear items and rashguards for surfers. Erin Snow already is sold in about 40 stores, and Isakov is looking to expand her distribution in boutiques and specialty stores.