CURVE CROSSES BORDERS AT NEW YORK CITY

BY LAURIE MELCHIONNE

North’s America’s leading trade show platform for intimate apparel and swimwear, Curve New York brought brands from coast to coast and beyond, including European brands entering the U.S. market such as Italy’s Flora Lastraioli, France’s Maison Broussand, Poland’s Undress Code and more.

Dominant among the brands was a focus on inclusivity; lingerie, underwear and swimwear that suits all body types was featured throughout the exhibits. Plus-size lingerie from brands like Curvy Couture and Elomi showcased an emphasis on comfort and embracing self-love and sexiness in all forms. Men’s lingerie was even flaunted on the exhibit floor, from sporty style with Bike

Athletic and sexy silk briefs with Boy Box.

Attention to detail while maintaining style and comfort was also prevalent among exhibits. “The most important aspect of the Ewa Bien brand is the fashion,” said a representative of Polish brand Ewa Bien, who marks 2023’s Curve as their fourth time in the U.S. alongside their North American distributor. “We have collections twice a year, for Spring/Summer and Autumn/ Winter, and in every line we have four to five different kinds of bras to match with the briefs and bottoms.”

Hosted at the Javits Center, Curve featured an entire pavilion dedicated to German brands. In addition to the mingling, networking and deals conducted between buyers and exhibitors, Curve also featured a variety of important panel discussions on the industry’s latest news, trends and predictions for the upcoming spring and summer seasons. “The Best Boutique Brand Awards” featured Moderator Karen Fox, Audrey Sadleir and Brenda Loaiza and honored 2022’s best-selling intimate apparel and swimwear brands in North America.

Other panels provided brands powerful insight on how to boost their businesses, and included “Retail Success in 2023: How to Boost Sales and Increase Profitability” and “The Value of

Introducing Men’s Lingerie into Your Store.”

Curve also balanced all of this work with plenty of play with a welcome toast and the Fit Bootcamp, an interactive workshop hosted by Freddie Zappe of Antasie that provided guests with hands-on training on how to fit fabrics, styles and sizing on all body types, while empowering confidence and self-love no matter what the shopper is wearing.

Curve’s busy trade show season is just getting started. Stay on the lookout for Curve LA (July 23-24), Curve NY (July 30-August 1) and Curve Montreal (August 13-14). For more information on Curve, visit curve-newyork.com.