#FashionAlert #Underneathitall @curvexpo #CURVENEWYORK #Curvexpo #WhomYouKnow CURVENEWYORK CONCLUDES ON A HIGH NOTE CURVENEWYORK wrapped up the February session on February 28 at the Javits Convention Center
The February session of CURVENEWYORK was met with adamant success by attendees, press and exhibitors within the Intimate Apparel industry. The show floor modeled upcoming trends, featured a special lounge of independent brands curated by Cora Harrington of The Lingerie Addict and offered an extensive schedule of new events and activations.
CURVENEWYORK’s main goal for this show was to push forward current and upcoming trends, while providing a selection of exhibiting brands that would appeal to the unique needs of each attendee. Trends, ranging from seamless basics, kink-inspired styles, underwear as outerwear staples, and inclusive size and color ranges were all present among many others.
A new era of proclaimed comfort has launched many seamless styles on the show floor. Brands such as Chantelle, Commando, Yummie, and The ‘New Brand Pitch Winner’ Evelyn & Bobbie all display styles that offer the most comfortable lingerie solutions. The show also offered brands presenting an upgrade of the typical ‘sexy-kinky’ lingerie – think straps, harnesses, leather, and buckles. Several new brands emerged within this sexy range, including Atelier Amour, Avery Rose, Flash You and Me, and Wylde Lingerie, among the mainstays such as Bluebella, Bordelle and Playful Promises. Underwear as Outerwear has also been a trend in the Intimate Apparel Industry for a while now – people want to wear lingerie not only under their clothes, but show it off! Brands with the best pieces for this trend included MilaKrasna, Rya Collection, Le Petit Trou… among many others.
CURVENEWYORK honors Chantelle as the 2019 Designer of the Year. Chantelle has been designing lingerie for 140 years based on their missions of entrepreneurship, creativity and craftmanship. Over the years, Chantelle has evolved into a modern lingerie staple that eludes a chic and timeless style.
Among the numerous events this year, the show floor hosted a special cocktail to celebrate Elomi’s 10th Anniversary! The brand from the Eveden group celebrates body positivity and crafts exquisite designs with superb fits to enhance women individuality.
Inclusiveness and Body Positivity has been a trend CURVENEWYORK has advocated for throughout the past few sessions through the presentation of inclusive brands on the show floor, representation in the Concept Lounge, and panel discussions. The shows brings recognition and praise to the intimate apparel brands creating products for all – regardless of age, race, gender, ability, or size. Brands strongly representing this trend include Curvy Couture, Curvy Kate, Parfait, Goddess, and several others. A panel discussion sponsored by Parfait and moderated by Kimmay Caldwell explored the topic of Inclusiveness and Intimate Apparel. Kimmay Caldwell of Hurray Kimmay says, “This panel wasn't about telling retailers and brands what they're doing wrong when it comes to inclusiveness. It was about being honest and honoring where they are now, and committing to taking a step in the right direction. And then another. And then another.” This discussion has remained consistent in the shows, helping attendees become educated on how to present an offering that will span a wide range of customers.
CURVENEWYORK presented a special curated section of the show floor in collaboration with Cora Harrington (@thelingerieaddict) which displayed independent, niche intimate apparel and loungewear brands. This area brought new life to the show floor and gave attendees the opportunity to discover brands beyond the typical exhibitors.
With the goal of offering a vast selection of brands on show floor, CURVENEWYORK launched The German Pavillon. This area was developed in collaboration with Made in Germany, and brought brands such as Anita, Mey, Falke, Triumph, Susa and Roesch to New York. The German Brands received a special Speed Dating event which was received positively by buyers. The owners from Bloomers in Alexandria, Virginia said, “… we had a great first day, highlighted by the speed dating session with the German Brands. [We] are planning on placing orders with at least 3 of them, which would have never had happened without that session. So it’s amazing and please continue doing them." Attendees were given access to a cohesive section of the show floor offering these international brands in an attempt to promote further brand discovery.
The attendance at CURVENEWYORK was strong with the return of top specialty accounts including Town Shop, Sugar Cookies, Linea Intima, Lace & Day, Chantilly Lace, and Vy’s Lingerie Closet. E-tailers - HerRoom, BareNecessities.com, and ShopBop along with department stores - Nordstrom, Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale’s, and Bergdorf Goodman were also present at the show. The show was also visited by some new stores including Walmart and Porte-A-Vie.
The event and special activation schedule remained strong this past February, providing attendees with numerous opportunities to gain insight and knowledge about the Intimate Apparel Industry. The show opened with a special presentation by NPD Group that focused on the analysis of consumer behavior, top selling lingerie SKUs, and buying habits. A workshop held by Kimmay Caldwell of Hurray Kimmay educated brands and retailers on how to effectively activate the press and interact with influencers and bloggers. The New Brands at CURVE – A Shark Tank Style Event allowed attendees to hear 5 minute pitches from a selection of new exhibiting brands and vote on their favorite! Special book signings by Cora Harrington and Poupie Cadolle provided meet and greet opportunities while giving attendees the ability to expand their love of lingerie through literature. All events focused on providing information to attendees in a fun and interactive way.
The next session of CURVENEWYORK will be August 4-6 at the Javits Center, followed by CURVELASVEGAS which will be August 12-14 in a new location at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
