The MAGIC and Coterie trade shows returned to New York’s Jacob K. Javits Center from Sept. 18 to 20. Across both shows, emerging labels and new exhibitors debuted new collections across ready-to-wear, footwear and accessories for spring 2023.
Here, WWD highlights seven contemporary women’s rtw and accessories brands from the New York Coterie and MAGIC shows.
Israella Kobla
Designer: Emefa Kuadey, fashion engineer and founder.
Background: Launched by British-born, Ghanaian designer Emefa Kaudey, the Toronto-based label offers a spin on modern minimalism across ready-to-wear and accessories.
“I used to work as a civil engineer before I moved into fashion — I call myself a fashion engineer, so a lot of pieces are inspired by that. It’s minimal yet feminine with a bit of structure,” Kaudey told WWD. Five seasons in, the brand is now expanding into the wholesale market for spring and exhibited at Coterie as part of Amira Rasool’s The Folklore’s emerging brand incubator.
Key pieces: A fabric-blocked shift dress with sheer paneling; off-the-shoulder, pouf-sleeved crop tops and minidresses; high-waisted ankle skirts with asymmetric slits; cropped and cap-sleeved tops with triangular cutouts; wide-legged pant and jumpsuit.
Retail prices: $250 to $500.
Fairchild Baldwin
Designer: Jill Fairchild
Background: Fairchild Baldwin began over 10 years ago. Fairchild started with a condensed handbag collection, winning the Emerging Designer Award from the Accessory Council; shortly after she launched jewelry, beginning with statement necklaces with the highest quality of resin beads, in a signature leather collar with an adjustable magnetic closure. Since then, she has continued to evolve, adding new bag shapes, earrings and more. “I am so beyond excited to be launching our new earring collection. The collection is produced in a remote area in Thailand,” the designer explained. “Each piece consists of beading and crocheting and is entirely handmade with the utmost craftsmanship. This collection features clip-on earring styles designed to be lightweight and comfortable. Our mission was to produce a collection of earrings that offered intense pops of color with a dash of sparkle.”
Key pieces: New updates include matte versions of her signature Bella necklace. Updates to mini shopper totes, and new colorful beaded earrings,
Price range: Handbags: $195 to $1,200; jewelry: $158 to $550
Façon Jacmin
Designer: Alexandra Jacmin, creative director and cofounder, and Ségolène Jacmin, cofounder.
Backstory: Twin sisters Alexandra and Ségolène Jacmin launched Facon Jacmin in Belgium in 2016 after Alexandra Camin cut her teeth at Maison Martin Margiela and Jean Paul Gaultier. The brand elan was described as minimalist with a sense of sustainability and balance of masculinity and femininity across styles. Along with their main collections the brand debuts exclusive capsule collections, made up of upcycled designs handcrafted in Antwerp, once a year. In 2017, the brand was awarded “Best Emerging Talent” at the Belgian Fashion Awards.
Key pieces: Reworked Japanese cotton denim silhouettes with chic, utilitarian flair, as in an upside-down tote bag, miniskirt and minidress or patchwork cotton denim jackets and jeans and trompe-l’oeil frock; a Macfly wide boxy jacket in Italian coated denim; Palerma pants in Italian coated denim; reworked basics ranging from soft cotton Ts and tanks to 100 percent Italian cotton button downs.
Retail prices: $90 to $500 retail.
Paloma Barceló
Designer: The Barceló family
Background: A family-run business that began in 1960, when Manuel Barceló opened his first footwear factory in Spain. Today, the company is operated by the second generation, soon to be handed over to the third. The brand has around 75 wholesale accounts in the U.S. and is known for its wedges and espadrilles focusing on natural materials: raffia, cork, natural rubber, wood and leathers.
Key pieces: Platforms for all categories: boots, sneakers, loafers. Flatforms, platform wedges, leather tote bags. Lug sole options.
Price range: $300 to $500 retail.
Eleonora Gottardi
Designer: Eleonora Gottardi
Backstory: Young designer Eleonora Gottardi launched her namesake 100 percent Italian knitwear label in September 2021 after graduating from Istituto Marangoni Milano and working at her family’s knitwear factory, which was passed down through three generations from 1979 to the present.
Spring marks Gottardi’s second collection, and boasts a youthful elan through bright colors and playful, modern silhouettes made with fine and eco-sustainable yarns in Italy.
Key pieces: Striped cardigans with matching miniskirts; playful monochromatic, colorful cutout trousers, bike shorts and crop-top sets; Y2K-inspired minidresses and sparkling bodysuits; fringed maxi skirts; cutout body-hugging dresses.
Retail prices: $200 to $500 retail.
MAGIC
Rare-Romance
Designer: Shae Stein, founder and designer; Marou Zutterman, founder and chief executive officer
Background: Launched three years ago, the couple — who are based in Los Angeles — aim to redefine modern statement unisex jewelry and accessories. Their pieces mix gothic, industrial details with a modern edge. Up until now it’s been online only but they are looking to test wholesale channels. Stein studied fine art and graphic design, and said his inspirations come from travels and a mix of soft versus hard (think spikes and hearts).
Key pieces: Horn earrings, Bite me dual Cuban chain necklace, skull charm mixed with chain links and pearls, skull earrings, RR vaulted top handle bag, tri-charm locked earrings, cross and caged spikeball necklaces.
Price range: $30 to $200 retail; $325 for the recently launched handbag.
Dawang New York
Designer: Daisy Wang, founder
Background: Established in 2018, Dawang aims to bring together traditional Chinese aesthetics and modern streetwear designs through Chinese-born founder Daisy Wang’s contemporary ready-to-wear.
“We are a modern Chinese aesthetic-focused, streetwear and lifestyle brand. We wanted to welcome people of all backgrounds to appreciate and feel comfortable wearing traditional Chinese designs. Breaking down the barrier while celebrating the traditional textiles and cultures. We started in 2019 after graduating from Parsons; upon graduating, I realized no one was doing a modern Chinese aesthetic for daily, comfortable wear. The first season we started with all black and have gotten great feedback from both the Asian and non-Asian communities,” Wang told WWD.
For spring and fall, which launched at Coterie for the first time, the line expands with colorful textiles, patchwork designs and playful prints in the brand’s signature mix of Western tailoring and trends with traditional chinoiserie apparel and Chinese fabrics.
Key pieces: A best-selling modernized take on the traditional Qipao and Cheongsam dressing à la minidresses, cutout crop tops, boxy collar shirts; patchwork hoodies; utility pocket trousers. Each style is offered in custom jacquard brocades.
Price range: $100 to $300.
