Another successful show in the books, COTERIE opened its doors on September 15th, 16th, and 17th to the world’s most influential stores, designers, and media partners in womenswear today. Held at the Jacob Javits Center and co-located with prominent shows SOLE COMMERCE, FAME, and MODA, the three-day marketplace brought together a wide range of styles and concepts from the upcoming season for thousands of eager retailers.
“We’ve been doing SOLE COMMERCE for 12 years as part of COTERIE and its always one of the best shows of the season. Our buyers come to this show because they can pick their apparel and then come over here and pick out the shoes for the whole head to toe look. At this show we wrote over 66 orders plus we have memos from another 20-30 customers. So I think it was a jackpot success!” ALL BLACK | Marty Rose
As a trend-setter for business-to-business events in part because of its collaborative mediums and sensitivity toward the future of fashion, COTERIE has become a renowned market leader in the business. Last week, the show debuted several firsts and integrated new elements into its run, as matching the industry’s evolution is key to selling in this age.
One example of this is the introduction of the COTERIE mobile app, which was in the hand of nearly every retailer walking the show and is a major step toward achieving efficient brand-and-buyer connection. After a positive soft launch in February, the app was active for September and served as an information hub of brand listings, show events, and seminars. It also acted as a social platform with an interactive wall, allowing brands to promote themselves and converse with buyers during the show and allowing buyers to find fresh product for their customers.
Firsts for COTERIE didn’t end there—to further engage its audience, a live photo shoot that modeled clothes, footwear, and accessories straight from the show floor. The captured photos were posted on social media in real time, and exhibitors’ booth numbers and social handles were included in each upload so retailers could easily find the desired products. Check out all of the stylings from the shoot here.
Another debut was the COTERIE Awards that ended day one. Built to commend the tremendous accomplishments of show partners, the awards celebrated those moving the industry forward and included categories such as “International Designer to Watch” and “Outstanding Shoppable Content.” Winners in other categories like Rent the Runway, AMUR, Joan Shepp and WeWoreWhat were recognized in front of instrumental peers and celebrated their hard work with a champagne toast.
Over the course of the three days, the show highlighted sustainability initiatives and introduced the Good4Fashion campaign, allowing retailers to find brands actively making conscious efforts to better their communities. As a category listing on the App as well as through promotions before the show, COTERIE made sure to acknowledge those seeking and making moves toward change. “Sustainability” as a substantial idea rather than solely as a trend has led many designers to weave it into their core business plans, as opposed to simply viewing it as an afterthought.
“If you know better, why not do better?” asked the CEO of DL1961, Zahra Ahmed, during a show seminar, emphasizing how any company can make an impact on the environment. To prove this point and do their parts, DL1961 and other exhibiting brands donated thousands of products to the onsite Delivering Good drop-off. Delivering Good is a non-profit organization dedicated to relieving people afflicted by poverty and tragedy by providing them with new, unused merchandise. By partnering with such companies, COTERIE encourages clients to think about the big picture and act in way that positively prepares our world for the future. Learn more about the Delivering Good purpose here.
“For COTERIE to bring awareness to sustainability on a big scale is so meaningful” Amur – Winner of the Good4Fashion Sustainable Initiative COTERIE Award.
Clearly, COTERIE raised the fashion show bar this season with its interactive events, collaborative projects, and boundary-pushing brands. The marketplace continues to provide the necessary innovations for brands of all sizes to make waves in their world, and based on the momentum of the September show, 2020 is shaping up to be the most productive year yet!
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