Project isn’t giving up on New York City just yet.
But instead of its traditional menswear trade show, the division of Informa Markets Fashion will host Project Presents: In Your Neighborhood, which it is billing as a “three-day menswear community gathering” that will highlight a handful of contemporary brands.
The event, which will be held Jan. 24 to 26 at 45 Downing in Greenwich Village, will feature 14 brands, many of which are based outside the U.S. and several of which have never shown here before. They are: Beams Plus, Keen, Gant, Ahlem, Ordinary Fits, Northworks, Gilded Age, A Day’s March, Brotherwolf, Café Mountain, Mercer, Origin, P22 by Mercer and Stutterheim presented by Good People Agency.
“With the successful and well-attended community event in partnership with Beams Plus and Sperry Topsider during Paris Men’s Fashion Week, it was evident that the Project community was eager for an intimate opportunity to connect with international brands,” said Edwina Kulego, vice president, international and men’s at Informa Markets. “It’s important to be open to responding to market needs, and the Project team is grateful to have great partners like Beams Plus and Good People Agency seeking new and creative ways to participate in New York men’s market.”
Kulego said Project started to dabble internationally last year when it held a rooftop party in Florence during Pitti Uomo followed by an event on a boat during Paris Fashion Week to showcase a collaboration between Beams Plus and Sperry. “That’s how this concept came about,” she said of the Project Presents idea. “And based on our feedback, we realized that brands wanted a more-intimate and creative environment.”
Although retailers will be able to purchase from the exhibitors, Kulego said Project Presents is not being viewed as a traditional business-to-business trade show such as the company has hosted for decades. At its last edition in July, Project brought some 75 to 80 brands to Iron23 in the Flatiron district of New York. But she stressed that anyone seeking a more-traditional trade show experience will find it in Las Vegas in February at the company’s flagship show.
There, she said, the company will be celebrating MAGIC’s 90th birthday and will be featuring a number of collaborations and exclusive merchandise tied to the milestone. MAGIC, which stands for Men’s Apparel Guild in California, was founded in 1933 in Palm Springs, Calif., moved to Los Angeles and then to Las Vegas, where it hosts twice-yearly events. MAGIC has since expanded beyond men’s to encompass womenswear, footwear, accessories and sourcing. MAGIC’s parent company acquired Project, its primary menswear vehicle, in 2005.
The trade show industry has changed dramatically since MAGIC was founded nearly a century ago. Even before the pandemic, organizers had been dealing with a changing dynamic for their services. But once the health crisis caused them to put their shows on hiatus, brands and retailers found other ways to connect, either virtually or in the showrooms. Add to that the popularity of the Chicago Collective and the situation worsened for other organizers.
Kulego acknowledged that things are different today, especially in New York, where a large number of brands already operate showrooms. That prompted Project to come up with an alternative. She said Project Presents will be held in a unique location, will feature a live pianist for the duration of the show, car service for qualified attendees, complimentary drinks and happy hours to encourage attendees to visit, network and shop.
For retailers seeking a more-traditional experience, Man and New York’s Best Menswear Show will return to New York City later this month. Man’s dates are Jan. 23 to 25 at Spring Studios, while New York’s Best Menswear Show is scheduled for Jan. 21 to 23 at the Park Lane Hotel.
