For three days in September the entire Hudson pier of the Jacob Javits Center is taken over by one of the largest trade shows in the country: Fashion Coterie. With 14,000 attendees and 1,200 established and new designers exhibiting from around the world Fashion coterie is not to be missed by anyone in the women's accessories and apparel industry.

Dress to Impress

There was a lot of dressing up going on at Coterie. While designers seemed to take different paths in their color and fabric choices the overall theme between both the apparel and accessories designers was "dress to impress".

On one side there were designers who based their looks on the ageless elegance of simplicity and comfort: Cotton, lightweight linen, and slightly shimmering silk weaves seemed to be the fabrics of choice while beige and off white seemed to be reigning supreme in the color department. These mature and confident designs drew heavily on eastern ideals of balance and simplicity, however many designers weren't afraid to glam it up a bit with gold fabrics, colorful details and experimental silhouettes.

On the other side of the fence was the glitter and glamour of the ballroom: Booths, crammed with gowns were hectically busy from the beginning of the show until closing time. These silk and chiffon gowns were full length and full color; adorned with decadent amounts of sequins, beads and lace. There was a lot of black to go around in these booths, however bight green, primary blue and coral were the biggest crowd pleasers, as were strapless and halter styles. While these gowns looked like a million bucks they were actually very reasonably priced all around: A dress to give both the prom queen and the prom queen's father something to smile about.

Cuddling up With The Wild side

Those looking to stay warm in style this winter might have to cuddle up with their wild side. In line with the market, Coterie designers were reinventing and embracing the decadence and drama of fur. This time, shorter and more fitted than ever: Shierlings and short rabbit jackets with colorful fur trims, thick cuffs and exaggerated collars took the spotlight.

With a unique take on this trend Funky East Design Corp draws on the influences of 1920's vintage and 1970's rock and roll. These coats and accessories often combine, metal, fur, leather, and swade to create looks which are outrageously elegant.

A Whole Lotta Love

As far as casual apparel was concerned, Brazilian designer Celia Prados is someone to keep your eye on this Spring and Summer. Her booth brought out the lover in all of us with her flirty, one of a kind dresses, tops and skirts. These incredibly unique feminine pieces are rich with hand-embroidered details, revealing eyelets, subtle beadwork and unusual patchwork. Every piece is different and special in some way, these pieces seem fun, sexy and easy to wear: Something to look forward to putting on this summer.

Color To Go!

An overall Standout in the fair was Gatto, a showroom that featured unique editions by Blue Marine and Mark Jacobs. Blue Marines preppy nautical look was a trend that was all over Coterie. While gold studs and anchors continued to charm both on bags and in jewelry, navy blue and white stripes were popular and eye catching from both accessories and apparel designers. Don't loose heart If the red white and blue of the navy doesn't strike your fancy, bright bold floral patterns are also something to watch out for this spring.

A major highlight in Gattos booth was an edition of Ken Scott bags being put out Mark Jacobs. Ken Scott was originally a painter who was made famous for his bright floral designs in the 1960's. Throughout the 60's and 70's Ken Scotts work became iconographic; placed with the likes of Pucci; admired and sought after by artists and celebrities alike. Based on these painting Mark Jacobs has recently put out an exclusive line of bags which were being shown by Gatto at Coterie. In their distinctive use of painterly color and timeless sense of style, Ken Scott and Mark Jacobs blur the line between fashion and fine art in this exciting edition of bags.

How Charming!

Among the Jewelry designers at Coterie, bigger is better as far as charms are concerned: Used on necklaces, belts, and earrings and of course bracelets, vintage inspired charms and lockets were popular favorites. Designer Rachel Abroms has put together a collection of accessories, which include belts, bags and jewelry of all kinds. Her standout pieces of jewelry included these oversized safety pins and large vintage charms that I'm sure Jack Sparrow himself wouldn't mind getting his hands on.

The Romance of Nature

Jewelers at Coterie were not afraid of taking on challenges with an overall eclectic use of both natural and vintage materials. While vintage gold, glass and semiprecious stones seemed to the overall favorite, many of the Jewelers at Coterie seemed to draw both inspiration and materials straight from nature.

Again working with the shape and nuances of a memory locket Alexis Bittar encased butterfly wings in solid oval pieces of glass to create elegant and irreplaceable necklaces. Nautical themes continued to reoccur throughout Coterie. This small anchor charm is also by Alexis Bittar. In another piece he combines beads with hand sewn fabric roses. Alexis Bittar was not the only designer giving kudos to the eighties with his use of gold and lace on these extra large bobbles.

Fashion Coterie is open to those in the industry only. There is no pre registration for this show necessary, however it is usually a good idea to call ahead of time in order to confirm the time, date and location of the show, its also a good idea to bring two forms of Identification, this might be needed at the door. Until then, keep warm this winter and hope to see you there next season!

Publisher: infomat
InfoMat serves as a one-stop information source for international apparel, textile & accessories professionals. This is where retailers, manufacturers, wholesalers, and service providers interact with our network of over 350,000+ fashion companies. We make it easy to source, connect, compare, research and assess industry-wide business opportunities.
Web: www.infomat.com
Published: october 2006
Market: womens
Region: usa
Industry: apparel accessories
Editor: carter spurrier

DISCLAIMER
Information in this report relies on sources including Trade Shows, Associations, News Releases, Government Reports and other public sources. Infomat can accept no responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of such information or for loss or damage caused by any use thereof.