Project and MAN stand up against inclement weather for AW16 shows

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Feb 1, 2016

Last weekend, the northeastern US was blanketed with snow thanks to Winter Storm Jonas. New York City, in particular, received over two feet of the white stuff, marking it as one of the worst storms on record in the city. While shops shuttered its doors for the day, brands and buyers from all over the world flocked to the city’s Jacob Javits Center to set up their booths for Project New York.
 

The exhibitor move-in day was moved from January 23 due to the storm to January 24, the first day of the show. Brands didn’t miss a beat and flocked in to set up shop for what was a positive show. The trade show’s popular BloggerProject returned featuring bloggers Marcus Troy, Style Society Guy and others. The participating bloggers launched the BloggerProject podcast and announced this season’s BloggerProject Award winners, which included Daniel Wellington, Scotch & Soda, and Lavenham won for Best Accessories, Best Collection and Best Outerwear, respectively.
 
Project launched a new section called MOVE, which was presented by Vanguards Gallery and Equinox. MOVE showcased athleisure and fitness driven brands like Rhone Apparel, Engineered For Motion, Mizzen + Main and Brandblack among others. In Las Vegas next month, the show will debut The Designer Collective, a curated area highlighting new-to-Project brands.

MAN missed the storm by a few days, which worked to its benefit. The show had a very relaxed vibe, much like past seasons in New York City, and Lovely Day, a restaurant in New York City, provided sips and bites for the three days.
 
The contemporary show maintained steady traffic at Industria Superstudio with show regulars like The Hill-Side, N. Hoolywood, Our Legacy, Zespà, Ddugoff, Matière and Nanamica. Long-time brands were joined by new brands, Bleu de Paname that received a very good response from show attendees, and Kinfolk, the brand of the popular Williamsburg, Brooklyn club of the same name.
 
MAN New York put a close on men’s market, and WOMAN New York will commence in February. Project will head to Las Vegas in February to close its men’s season.