Capsule, Liberty and MAN close market week and fashion week overlap

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Jul 17, 2016

Last week, Capsule, Liberty Fairs and MAN held concurrent shows during New York Fashion Week: Men’s for the first time. The three trade shows kicked off on Sunday, July 10 with Capsule and Liberty being located next door to each other at Piers 92 and 94, respectively, and MAN located further south at Artbeam in Chelsea just feet away from Manhattan's West Side Highway.

 
The shows aimed to make the buying and attending experience much simpler for both local and international retailers and press by hosting spaces just minutes away from each and by offering a shuttle service that can take attendees to the other shows and to their hotels. Simplicity is the central reason why Capsule and Liberty decided to show at the Piers together in 2015, and why the three shows decided to coincide with New York Fashion Week: Men’s.
 
Sunday was a relatively slow day for the three trade shows. Most brands and sales reps spoke of slower traffic on the first day, most likely due to the weekend. Things got rolling on Monday however and remained steady on Tuesday. Some brands like Krammer & Stoudt at Liberty and Oak at Capsule had to sell an edited assortment since they were presenting their respective collections off site on the same day. New York City-based brand Max n’ Chester made the most of the fashion week and market week overlap by presenting at NYMD that Monday morning and showing at Liberty and MAN at the same time.

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New York Men’s Day once again took over Liberty Fairs with an installation that showcased this season’s participating brands Chapter, Uri Minkoff and Robert James among others. Returning brands and designers like PRPS, Schott and Miansai were joined by new brands David Naman and Paul Taylor that launched in the US for the first time at the show.

 
Capsule, which was located at the neighboring Pier, made better use of its space this time around compared to last season. Attendees were greeted with numerous showroom booths and brands upon entrance and the show’s many activations including New America and Tomorrow ran along the right side of the venue. The show’s Above Tree Line and Sundries sections returned and occupied the middle and rear sections of the venue.
 
At Artbeam, MAN quickly adjusted to its new space. Premier brand Bleu de Paname greeted attendees nearby the entrance and returning brands Zespà, Larose Paris, Caputo & Co., Nanamica, The Hill-Side, Corridor NYC, Veja, Our Legacy and YMC rounded out the exhibitors. The new space received mixed reviews from brands, one in particular preferred Industria for its layout, which allowed for an intimate selling experience. MAN has plans to go back to its original space this September for the WOMAN New York show and explained that Industria will experience a bit of a makeover prior to the show.
 
The fashion week and market week overlap seemed to affect the brands more than the buyers and press. Though the show traffic didn’t change much, the brands had to alter how they presented their collections to accommodate for the overlap. With Capsule, Liberty, MAN and NYFW: Men’s officially wrapped up, the men’s fashion market will have to wait and see what is in the works for February.