Coterie, Fall 2019: A Sneak Peek at the Season to Come

No New York Fashion Week is complete without a trip to the Coterie show afterward.

Hosted in part by Coterie, MODA, Fame, and Sole Commerce, the show took place from the 15th-17th of September at the Javits Center in Manhattan. The event hosted over a thousand booths and had a variety of merchandise to be presented to prospective buyers. The event was split into three levels, and its sections displayed everything from shoes to necklaces to luxury coats. It was an expanse of fashion I was thrilled to dive into.

I came into the show hoping to see a trend of sustainable fashion, and I was not disappointed. I had a great conversation with a woman displaying a line of espadrilles made entirely from recycled plastic bottles. She said that while sustainability seems to be a huge trend from a social media standpoint, she was having a hard time capturing the attention of buyers. I thought the shoes looked wonderful, although some companies were apparently concerned about longevity.

I also wanted to explore what would be trending in the upcoming season. I was surprised to see the return of animal print and tie-dye, and excited at the rise of new trends:

- I loved seeing an Africana influence in a lot of pieces. Colors and patterns were inspired by traditional garb worn in places like Ghana.

- Another trend I saw was vintage and resale. There was an entire floor dedicated to the resale of old designer handbags and clothing, following the recent shift of younger people leaning towards thrift shopping over traditional retail.

- A trend I was surprised to see sticking around was the use of pearls. Rebecca Minkoff’s booth had an excess of pearl-embossed jackets, pants, and purses. Another booth had an elaborate collection of women’s tuxedos, which were form-fitting and often bedazzled. The booth looked like Marlene Dietrich’s closet, and I’d love to see this trend prosper in the upcoming season.

I also noticed the death of a few trends at the show: The booths that had Supreme style t-shirts were vacant. Booths that appealed to a Vineyard Vines style consumer—with products like pastel long sleeve t-shirts and short chino shorts—also seemed to have a lack of interest.

It’s possible some buyers were distracted by some of the big names that appeared at the show. Kendall and Kylie Jenner’s brand was in attendance, showing off a new line of swimsuits and tops in vibrant neons. Chrissy Teigen’s sunglasses collection with Quay was also available to be seen.

A big name in another way was Korea. Korean influence on fashion has been apparent for years, but this year it was especially seen in the Korea section of the Coterie show. The Korean booths were filled with tapered silhouettes, neutral colors, and minimal designs—it was cool to see a nod in this direction.

Overall, I was excited by the show and ready to see its retail trends come to life in the spring. If I was approaching the show as a buyer, I would have been excited by the companies focusing on sustainability, and by brands who had good representatives. I was approached by several reps who were eager to tell me about their product and were genuinely nice and well informed. On the flip side, I also met some vendors who seemed like they didn’t want to be there. Selling a product is difficult, but it helps tenfold when the person selling the item is kind.

Coterie left me excited for the future, and even more excited for the next show.

Top photo courtesy of @scoutshowroom on Instagram showing the Philanthropy Booth (Coterie Show 9/17/19)

Bottom photo courtesy of @lamerie__on Instagram of the Lamerei Booth (Coterie Show 9/17/19)