The MAGIC and Coterie trade shows are back at the Jacob K. Javits Center in New York from Tuesday through Thursday. At both fairs, new brands and new exhibitors introduced their new collections in ready-to-wear, shoes and accessories for 2024.
Many brands have capitalized on top fashion trends, such as “mob wife” faux fur outerwear (as seen from Unreal Fur); There was quiet luxury and minimalist tailoring (a la Acaria Studio and Meilleur Moment) and plenty of gold jewelry. In addition, Halfdays introduced Coterie’s latest offerings from its new Après Ski section, which features a variety of functional outerwear and cold-weather labels.
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Here, WWD highlights nine contemporary women’s rtw and accessories brands from the New York Coterie and MAGIC shows.
Clan
Unreal Fur
Founding Partners: Husband-wife duo Amir and Gilat Shani
Background: Before founding Unreal Fur in 2011, Amir and Gilat Shani were leading designers and manufacturers in the Australian accessories market. A representative for the company told WWD that after years of working with and working with suppliers, the founders used their decades of knowledge to create a brand that aims to create progress in the fashion industry for the treatment of animals. “They knew they could make a quick and meaningful difference in the fur and leather categories,” the representative said. Gilat leads all design management in all outerwear categories.
The independent luxury outerwear brand has been known for its mission to end animal cruelty through ethical design featuring animal-free, vegan materials (both faux fur and vegan leather) for over 10 years. The brand’s headquarters (a dog-friendly office) is located in Melbourne, Australia.
The brand was awarded two PETA Fashion Awards and a National Indigenous Fashion Award in 2022.
Key Parts: Ombre Leopard Boho jacket; Potion coating; Saint Tropez jacket; Montmartre jacket; La Lune jacket; Libertango jacket.
Retail Prices: $350 to $500
Acaria Studio
Founding Partners: Azize Ceylan and Elif Yauz
Background: Founded in 2023, Acaria Studio is an emerging contemporary Turkish fashion brand.
“It’s been a year since we started a conscious story with the brand. My partner and I wanted to have luxury fashion in a sustainable world because most clothes are not timeless or conscious enough. Every garment at Acaria Studio is sustainable [story] such as upcycled, organic or regenerative cotton and biodegradable products. “We combine sustainability with timeless elegance,” said Ceylan.
“Acaria Studio customers love timeless but also bold pieces,” he said about the autumn collection in earth tones produced in Istanbul. This season marks the brand’s first-ever wholesale and display at Coterie.
Key Parts: Vegan silk jacquard (60 percent copper and 40 percent viscose) Maat dress, Evening jacket and Evening skirt; semi-vegetable (100 percent genuine leather with 100% viscose lining) Journey trench coat, Root jacket and Root trousers.
Retail price: $200 to $2,000.
Bonnie and Clyde
Co-founder, creative director: Jon Yuan
Background: “Bonnie Clyde is an independent eyewear brand that says ‘no’ to sarcasm and embraces love in all its absurdity. We combine generations of manufacturing experience, contemporary culture and timeless sensibilities,” said Yuan, who founded the company in 2016. “Essentially, we are an accessories brand that wants to tell silly love stories.”
While the brand started with direct-to-consumer sales, it is now branching out into wholesale and added its optical product line last year. Styles come in a wide range of colors. Based in Los Angeles, Yuan uses the city to inspire her playful eyewear range.
Key Styles: Bicycle, stylish round metal; Groupie, thick round frames with angular temples; Angel is a lightweight, stylish and curvy wrapper.
Retail price: Sunday: $138-$188; Optical $138-$230
Fairchild Baldwin
Founder: Jill Fairchild
Background: Fairchild Baldwin started over 10 years ago. Fairchild started with a condensed bag collection, winning the Accessory Council’s emerging designer award, and lately the brand’s earrings, which complement its signature necklaces, have been gaining traction.
“My mission when creating any collection is to create designs that not only adorn the wearer but also evoke a sense of creativity, passion and individuality,” said Fairchild, longtime WWD editorial director and daughter of publisher John Fairchild. “In short, to invite the viewer to embrace the beauty of art and design in a wearable form.”
The 2024 earring collection is vibrant with a variety of designs handcrafted in mixed media, from intricate beads and crochet to horn and lacquer and hammered metal pieces. “Each earring is a unique work of art that showcases the skill and creativity of the artisan,” he said. Fairchild said that as a women-owned company, it is proud to collaborate with women’s livelihood communities for research and production.
Key Styles: Drops, clusters, circles, spikes and wobbles.
Retail price: The price of the earrings varies between $50-150.
half day
Founding Partners: Kiley McKinnon, Ariana Ferwerda and Karelle Golda
Background: “After competing in men’s ski pants at the 2018 winter Olympics, US skier Kiley McKinnon is truly fed up with ‘unisex’ stereotypes for men. Tired of the shrink-and-pink-it mentality, ill-fitting silhouettes, and unattainable legacy brands, Kiley and co-founders Ariana Ferwerda and Karelle Golda launched Halfdays with the goal of disrupting a male-dominated outdoor industry,” Ferwerda told WWD.
After launching with ski apparel, Halfdays has expanded into hiking and outdoor products, Ferwerda said.
“They are breaking new ground with their fashion-forward, inclusive offerings for women who never want to compromise on style or performance,” she added.
The brand launched entirely direct-to-consumer in November 2020 and was quickly picked up by wholesale accounts. February marks the brand’s first appearance at Coterie, where it has teamed up with Andrea Westerlind, founder of outdoor and lifestyle showroom Westerlind, to expand into more independent and specialty retailers.
Key Parts: Murphy ski suit, Aston jacket and ultra-chic Alessandra trousers.
Retail price: Basic layers start at $85 per piece; ski and casual outerwear styles from $275 to $595.
Ayelet from Naot
Founder: Ayelet Lax Tax
Background: Head of U.S. operations for Naot shoes, the line brings the comfortable footwear technology Naot is known for to his first collection of Italian-made heels and boots. Each style in the 10-piece launch features an innovative, custom insole developed using brand-new technology. Lax Levy worked with designers to create the four-millimeter Poron insole to optimize cushioning.
“We are the first to produce four-millimeter heels with memory foam insoles,” said Lax Levy, who works diligently in a factory outside Milan.
Key Styles: Classic styles include heels, booties and kitten heels.
Retail price: Heels start at $500, while boots start at $800.
Meilleur Moment
Founder: Jenny Qian
Background: Meilleur Moment (French for “best moment”) was founded in 2014 by Qian, chairman of Eifini Group. The brand focuses on minimalist style, quality and comfort; It explores sustainable design and high-quality materials with a less-is-more approach.
“Each piece is timeless and made beyond season, trend and age, so our customers can appreciate their true beauty at any time,” the brand said.
Key Parts: The fall 2024 “Fluffy Journey” collection includes alpaca hair, camel hair, yak hair, goose down, wool and cashmere, which the brand says are sustainable, and includes “90s-inspired urban office woman; millennial strong woman and gender-neutral look.” brand.
Key styles include coats; cashmere cardigans and sweaters; Goose down from Siberia and clean, minimalist layers.
Retail price: T-shirts start at $50; The main collection ranges from $100 to $600, while the premium cashmere ranges from $600 to $1,499.
SPELL
Little Layers from the Little Words Project
Founder: Adriana Carrig
Background: Founded 10 years ago, Carrig launched the Little Words Project to inspire and encourage people to be kind to themselves and encourage them to offer that kindness, one bracelet at a time. Customers choose a bracelet with a word or affirmation that resonates with them, worn on their wrist as a daily positive reminder. And eventually, when they feel satisfied with that promise or meet someone else who might need it more, they pass it on. Last fall, the brand launched Little Layers online, styles meant to be worn between The Little Words Project pieces, and now it’s jumping into wholesale as well. Each piece is made of 14 carat gold satin.
Key Styles: Heart garden bracelet, special word bracelets, teardrop rings and evil eye rings.
Retail price: $45-$125
Denise Rae
Founder: Denise Ruiz
Background: Before launching Denise Rae in 2023, Ruiz worked in the fashion industry for more than 25 years at companies such as Dolce & Gabbana and Little Marc Jacobs. In 2020, Ruiz’s mother passed away unexpectedly during the pandemic, causing Rae to quit her corporate job and focus on taking a break, reinventing herself, and finding new joy. “Beautiful things are born from grief and pain,” she told WWD of the start of the cozy sleepwear label.
“Growing up in New York, my mom would say: ‘You girls need to wear matching pajamas. “First, you don’t know who you’re going to meet in your dreams, and second, put them on in case God forbid we have to run down the fire escape,'” he said. The collection features original prints inspired by Rae’s personal travels and her mother, which can also be seen in her signature matching pajama sets. Each style also includes internal labels with slogans such as “I am strong, I am beautiful, I am enough.”
Each style is sustainably produced, made from 100 percent organic cotton with prints free of harmful chemicals, and packaged in eco-friendly materials.
Key Parts: Cami & Bathrobe set; long sleeve pajama set; Nightie Night sleeping dresses; nap set and unisex children’s pajamas. The season’s standout prints range from stripes to checkerboards to plant and animal motifs in optimistic hues.
Retail price: $129 to $239.
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