There’s nowhere like New York: a global fashion capital, culture and cuisine destination, and vibrant epicenter for innovation. Endlessly inspiring and energetic, the city casts the perfect backdrop for MAGIC New York; as the event returns this fall, it welcomes buyers and exhibitors from around the globe to see and experience the best of not just the show floor, but the city itself. Attendees and brands agree: the dynamic collections, unique experiences, and exciting opportunities make MAGIC New York an unparalleled, not-to-miss event in a market unlike anywhere else in the world.
Image by Clara Sunwoo
“IT’S ELECTRIC!”
At the heart of New York City is an unmatched expression of love that inspires and lives through the designs and collections created in and for the city. “New York brands, when they are showing here, are showing their absolute best,” says New York-based Roseann Sunwoo, Designer and Founder, Clara Sunwoo. “Buyers are going to feel an energy from these collections, and from other buyers. It’s an international crowd, that creates a special kind of environment that is inspiring and fast-paced. When buyers come to New York and feel ‘in it,’ that energy that they are seeing and feeling, it’s the same inspiration that the designers feel. Everything around you and the surroundings to get your creative juices going; meeting clients, working together becomes a song and dance, an exchange of ideas and information that we all use together that is vital to keep creating and inspiring the next collections. The energy of New York is fearless and more inspiring than ever.”
Buyers, whether local or inspired by shopping the city agree, “It’s an energy that you cannot duplicate. It’s electric!” says Nailah Nash, Director of Retail, Ritz Carlton Amelia Island. “MAGIC New York is a very special marketplace. You’ll find items that you cannot get in any other market, especially a focus on emerging brands. Curating a collection is a suggestion for what you think the client should buy; spaces are small so choices have to be very intentional. [Going to the show]…you get the chance to interact with the designers, and feel their energy, to capture that newness to bring to your clients who in turn really connect with that energy as well! When you’re excited to bring an unexpected treasure back to your stores, guests gravitate toward that newness and excitement and want to keep visiting; and in turn, you’ll want to keep shopping for that surprise and delight!”
Image by Takei
Image by Sundown by Splendid
Image by FYB Jewelry
WHERE ENERGY MEETS SYNERGY
New York’s global appeal has always inspired diverse designers and collections, but now more than ever the city is creating a landscape for the future-thinking brands committed to its continued growth. “A designer’s ideas and design philosophy are of course based and connected to the city they are living in. Takei is for sustainability… one hundred percent committed to New York City’s future,” says Taishi Ishida, Creative Director for New York-based brand Takei. With awareness toward ethical sourcing and social responsibility in the supply chain applied to made in New York designs, the two ideas combine for products that sustainably support apparel’s future. “The more that buyers look at these points, the more innovation that MAGIC New York can create.”
Collaboration also appears through innovative collections merging teams from the East and West coasts, to create products with Los Angeles roots, designed with a New York point of view. “We draw inspiration from both of our cities and the synergy between the two creates a really special bi-coastal attitude to our designs,” says Mallory Moody Waterman, Sundown by Splendid, PR Consultant. While the West Coast is a driving influence for the collection, she confirms that no matter the inspiration, that being a part of the New York market is essential. “We feel it’s important to present the collection in the city where it’s designed. We are a California-founded brand and have teams in LA and NYC, but having a strong presence in NYC where it’s designed will always be a driving force. The most influential brands show in New York, so you’re seeing the best and most prominent.”
ONLY IN NEW YORK
Beyond the show floor, the city that awaits brands and buyers is sure to inspire for seasons to come. Especially for New Yorkers; sharing the excitement of their home city with those traveling to the event is one of the many highlights of the show. “You cannot beat the New York experience,” says New York-based Joseph Djmal, Merchandise Manager, Dor L Dor. “It’s a world class city unlike any other. You can come a hundred times and there’s always something new to see or do. In other markets, the collections can be geared toward that specific region; here the collections feel more like New York. But really, there is no better experience and no substitute for actually touching and feeling the merchandise, seeing it on a hanger; you have to appreciate the whole in-person experience that you get in New York.”
Sunwoo echoes this sentiment, stating that “Trade show events are important, but especially in New York. It’s a destination for business and fun that is always changing; the past few years, we missed that touch and feel, that collaboration, that working together. There’s been a bottling up of creative energy that’s now exploding, and the city is more alive than ever.”
Register now to join the excitement and energy that awaits MAGIC New York this fall.
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