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THE NYFW ISSUE NEW YORK LOS ANGELES MIAMI THE HAMPTONS

FASHION MANNUSCRIPT

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PRESIDENT/CEO Jeff Mann EDITORIAL Editor Rose Leveen Editorial Consultant Debra Hazel Associate Editor Penelope Herrera Director of Communications and Marketing Penelope Herrera Graphic Design Virginia Sanchez Director of Newsletter Division Kristen Pooran

West Coast Office: 578 Washington Blvd., Suite 827 Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 866-306-MANN (6266)

ART DIRECTOR Virginia Sanchez

BUSINESS Technology Consultant Eric Loh

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Charlie Rubin

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CONTRIBUTORS Damaris Gruetter David Harouche Debra Hazel Kevin Boake Kristen Kelbon Maegan Watson Merilee Kern Paul F. Magel Ron Friedman Shahrooz Shawn Kohan Shannon Hynds Zohar Gilad

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The opinions expressed by our columnists are not reflective of the views and opinions of the publisher or the editorial staff of Fashion Mannuscript. Publication of such views and opinions does not constitute endorsement by Fashion Mannuscript. Any reproduction, including but not limited to internet usage, is prohibited without the express written permission of the publisher.

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ONE MANN’S OPINION Happy October from Mann Publications. September brought another edition of New York Fashion Week to our city, and this issue will be all about it. I’ve been part of New York’s fashion industry for decades and have seen dozens of NYFW editions. What used to take place in one location has spread across the city, as designers plan increasingly unique, creative presentations in hopes of standing out. Witnessing NYFW’s evolution has been exciting, and I can’t imagine the innovations and strategies that will come in future years. Another special occasion happened in September: the Mann Charitable Foundation’s annual golf outing. Each year, we spend months preparing for the event, which raises funds to support research that fights life-threatening diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, lymphoma and more. Because of the nor’easter, golf wasn’t an option, but we were determined to move forward with the event despite the weather. It was a huge success, but you won’t see the photos and recap until next month.

“Whatever you do, do with determination. You have one life to live; do your work with passion and give your best. Whether you want to be a chef, doctor, actor or a mother, be passionate to get the best result.” —Alia Bhatt

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Welcome to the October 2026 issue of Fashion Mannuscript! This month, we’re taking a deep dive into the September edition of New York Fashion Week. Throughout the magazine, you’ll read about several exciting NYFW events, including Macy’s and Rookie Kids’ family-centric show in midtown; Parishae Adnan’s presentation of her newest collection, which reimagines archival garments; and Tang Chi’s NYFW debut, “In Between…”. Many of our columnists and contributors also brought their expertise on NYFW to this issue, underscoring the magazine’s distinctive role as a platform created by and for leaders in fashion and retail. The NYFW theme continues on the cover with a slightly unconventional twist: Ayama Studio, founded by designer Maya Goldberg, presented Collection 003 on the streets of SoHo, swapping the traditional runway for a car wash scene that drew invited guests and passersby into the brand’s fashion universe. To bookend this special edition of the magazine, we’re sharing looks from New York Men’s Day, a platform that showcased collections from eight emerging menswear designers. The photos don’t do justice to the show’s in-person atmosphere, which gave each designer the space to bring their presentation visions to life. I hope you all enjoy this issue. If you’d like us to publish biannual NYFW editions of Fashion Mannuscript, please reach out and express your interest. Until November.

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OCTOBER 2026

FASHION FAVORITES

44 ON THE COVER: Fashion Week With Ayama: Bringing the Runway to the Streets of NYC

14 FashionPhilippines Brings Design and Craftsmanship to New York

COVER FEATURE

16 Snoopy Steps Out in Style: Peanuts Celebrates Fashion, Creativity and Its Enduring Cultural Influence in the Meatpacking District

18 WashWise and Láyn Present Redefining Luxury NYFW Show at The Ned NoMad

Photo courtesy of Charlie Rubin

FASHION FABULOUS

5 One Mann’s Opinion

6 Editor’s Letter

22 411 Executive Changes

60 411 Tech

Photo courtesy of Express

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Photo courtesy of SwagyChic

FASHION FORWARD 38 Cause-Conscious Retail Finds Its Footing at Dream Pairs

40 Fork Eyewear: Sunglasses Built for After Hours

THE DEPARTMENTS

42 SwagyChic: Where Heritage, Color and Reinvention Meet

Logistics

André Assous Debuts Newest Footwear Capsule Featuring Bre Tiesi

Techwear

58 Tech Feature

Alex Monroe Marks 40 Years With ‘Scattered Seeds’

Columns

Renoa: Everbloom’s New Fiber Hits the American Apparel Market

Editor’s Picks

74 NYFW Presentations

83 Mann’s Tradeshow Connections

Last Look: 26 Seasons of New York Men’s Day: A Launchpad for Emerging Menswear Talent

From $6 to 7 Million Views: Evan Hirsch Is Giving Fashion a Second Life

76 Pakistani Couturier Parishae Adnan Presents Second Skin at NYFW

78 Bright Lights, Little Stars: Rookie Kids and Macy’s Take Broadway

80 Tang Chi Couture Explores Love, Mortality and the Beauty of Darkness in ‘In Between…’

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FASHION FAVORITES

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Photos courtesy of Accessories Council

FashionPhilippines Brings Design and Craftsmanship to New York 14 | FM

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Cathy Tolentino Ajas

FashionPhilippines took over the Accessories Council show space for a three-day trade event, celebrating the creativity, craftsmanship and distinctive design perspective of the Philippines. Presented by the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM) in partnership with the Accessories Council, the program brought 12 Filipino fashion and accessories brands to New York to build connections and strengthen their opportunities in the U.S. market. Throughout the showcase, an engaged mix of retail buyers, sourcing experts, media, industry VIPs, and friends and supporters of the participating brands visited the show space to meet founders, experience the collections firsthand and discover new opportunities for collaboration. The event created an important brand-discovery platform, giving guests an up-close look at products spanning jewelry, handbags, footwear and fashion accessories, with craftsmanship, innovative materials and artisanal techniques taking center stage.

(Bags in the City) FASHION FAVORITES

FashionPhilippines was designed as a broader business development initiative. In advance of the showcase, participating brands took part in mentorship and market-readiness programming focused on product development, positioning, pricing, buyer presentations and navigating the U.S. marketplace. The Accessories Council’s alliance with FashionPhilippines and CITEM helped introduce this talented group of entrepreneurs and designers to the New York fashion community. The collaboration also underscored an important part of the Accessories Council’s mission: bringing the industry together, fostering new business opportunities and providing a platform for emerging and established talent from around the world.

Corazon Coligado (Aishe Fashion)

Ely Edullan (Ely Knows)

The participating brands—Aishe Fashion, Anmari & Co., Aranaz, Bags in the City, Beatriz Accessories, Chris Gomez, Ely Knows, Floreia, Golden Monstera, Larone, Mele + Marie and Olly + Fely—represented a dynamic cross section of contemporary Filipino design.

Chris Gomez (Chris Gomez) Jeff Cayaon and Precious Cayaon (Olly + Fely)

Bobby Lim (Anmari & Co.)

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FASHION FAVORITES

Photos courtesy of Nick Stokes

Snoopy Steps Out in Style

Peanuts Celebrates Fashion, Creativity and Its Enduring Cultural Influence in the Meatpacking District 16 | FM

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Peanuts celebrated the opening of Snoopy in Style NYC, a 16,000-square-foot cultural exhibition in New York’s Meatpacking District that brought the beloved beagle’s longstanding relationship with fashion into the spotlight.

to Look Well,” he favored classic sweaters, turtlenecks and golf attire. Although he rarely considered himself fashion conscious, he closely observed what people wore and incorporated those details into the world of Peanuts.

More than 350 guests gathered for the opening-night celebration and an advance look at the exhibition, which unfolds across 10 immersive zones exploring the influence of Peanuts creator Charles M. “Sparky” Schulz across fashion, sports, music and contemporary culture.

“Sparky understood that characters, like people, had a distinct sense of style,” said Jean Schulz, his widow and president of the board of directors at the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center. “When you saw that style, you would understand something deeper about them.”

At the center of the evening were neverbefore-seen creations for Snoopy and Woodstock by a new generation of leading designers and brands. Bode, Christopher John Rogers, Coach, Collina Strada, GapStudio designed by Zac Posen, Kith, Levi’s, Luar, Sandy Liang, Michael Kors Collection, Tanner Fletcher, Tory Burch, Willy Chavarria and others reimagined the characters through their own distinctive design languages.

Curated by the Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center, the exhibition extended beyond the runway. A dedicated tennis installation examined Schulz’s love of the sport, his friendship with Billie Jean King and his support of Title IX and the Women’s Sports Foundation. Elsewhere, Joe Cool’s listening lounge celebrated the musical legacy of Peanuts and Vince Guaraldi through rare records, archival materials and a working DJ booth.

The resulting miniature looks ranged from playful and irreverent to exquisitely tailored, underscoring Snoopy’s ability to move effortlessly between high fashion, streetwear and popular culture. Presented alongside rare archival dolls and objects, the new commissions also placed today’s designers within a fashion tradition that stretches back decades.

Guests could also explore a retail experience created by Sarah Andelman, founder of the influential Parisian concept store Colette and the consulting company Just an Idea. The shop featured collectible Peanuts merchandise and collaborations spanning fashion, design and lifestyle.

The concept originated during Schulz’s lifetime and was notably celebrated in a 1990 exhibition at the Louvre in Paris, where designers including Chanel, Hermès, Dior, Armani and Givenchy created original looks for Snoopy. Snoopy in Style NYC brought that history forward, pairing archival creations with new commissions reflecting the breadth and energy of today’s fashion landscape.

FASHION FAVORITES

Nigeria Ealey

Julie Gilhart, Jean Schulz and Melissa Menta

Opening just ahead of New York Fashion Week and the U.S. Open, Snoopy in Style NYC offered a timely reminder that great personal style is not defined by size—or even species. More than 75 years after Peanuts first appeared, Snoopy remains a singular fashion icon: imaginative, instantly recognizable and always ready for his next reinvention.

Fashion has always been embedded in the visual language of Peanuts. Charlie Brown’s signature zigzag shirt was introduced because Schulz felt the character needed something that would set him apart on the comics page. Lucy and Sally’s wardrobes evolved alongside changing styles, while Snoopy required only sunglasses and a turtleneck sweater to transform into Joe Cool.

Daveed Baptiste

Schulz’s own approach to style also informed his work. The son of a barber whose shop displayed the motto “It Pays

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Zac Posen

Lynn Yaeger October 2026

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FASHION FAVORITES

Photos courtesy of Shane Drummond/BFA.com

Maria Menezes and Layni Chamberlain

WashWise and Láyn Present Redefining Luxury NYFW Show at The Ned NoMad 18 | FM

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FASHION FAVORITES

WashWise and Láyn joined forces to bring a fresh perspective to New York Fashion Week with a one-of-a-kind show at The Ned NoMad. Featuring vintage garments hand-selected by the Láyn team and brought back to life with WashWise’s reset spray, the presentation made a bold statement during New York’s most fashionable week of the year—celebrating reinvention, longevity and a more modern approach to fashion. The evening drew the who’s who of NYFW, including international notables, NYC influencers and key tastemakers. The event featured makeup by Glamsquad, while WashWise served as the collection’s secret weapon for Fashion Week, using its reset spray to refresh and revive garments throughout the styling and preparation process. The partnership between WashWise and Láyn was a natural fit. Frequent washing is one of the main contributors to garment wear and deterioration, and reset spray helps clothing maintain its quality and last longer.

Ja Sing, Yodeline Jean, Trisha Sharma and Mo Sheng Deepa Dadda

With WashWise’s reset spray, Láyn was able to restore vintage garments and make old pieces feel new again. Following the show, guests were invited to an after-party at Ned’s Club New York.

Bruna Petrillo and Maria Menezes

Briel Adams-Wheatley and Adam Adams-Wheatley

Layni Chamberlain

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Mo Sheng

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FASHION 411

EXECUTIVE

RHONE APPOINTS ALEXA ANDERSEN AS CHIEF MERCHANDISING OFFICER

Lifestyle brand Rhone announced the appointment of Alexa Andersen as chief merchandising officer. She will oversee the merchandising and design teams as the brand continues to scale its product and retail strategy. Before joining Rhone, Andersen was senior vice president of merchandising at Puma North America, where she led the North America merchandising organization across wholesale and direct-to-consumer businesses, overseeing footwear, apparel and accessories strategy while driving brand elevation, marketplace segmentation and commercial growth. Before Puma, Andersen led product creation and merchandising for strategic initiatives, collaborations and partnerships at Lululemon, helping build emerging and high-growth areas of the business, leading product strategy across technical performance and major global brand moments, and establishing wholesale and marketplace strategies globally. “We’re thrilled to welcome Alexa to Rhone,” said Nate Checketts, CEO and co-founder of Rhone. “Her track record building and elevating merchandising organizations at some of the most respected brands in the industry speaks for itself, but what stood out most was how naturally her values align with ours. Alexa understands that great product and long-term brand building go hand in hand, and she’s going to be an incredible partner as we continue to grow with intention.” “After spending my career at some incredible big brands, I’ve seen how the pressure to deliver short-term growth can sometimes pull focus away from long-term vision and brand building,” said Andersen. “What drew me to Rhone is the chance to be part of a business that’s moved past the startup stage but is still very much in growth mode, where you can actually see the fruits of your labor. The product is incredible, the people are some of the most genuine I’ve met in this industry, and it’s clear that Nate and Ben’s commitment to ‘mental fitness’ isn’t just a marketing message; it’s something they truly live and believe in. I couldn’t be more excited to help build what’s next.” Andersen’s appointment marks a key milestone in Rhone’s continued evolution as a leader in premium performance apparel. With an emphasis on restless innovation and the pursuit of progress, Rhone continues to strengthen its foundation for long-term success and impact.

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Photo courtesy of Rhone

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FASHION 411

ARCHIVAL

EXPRESS OPENS THE VAULT WITH EXPRESS ARCHIVES

Express unveiled the Express Archives, a capsule drawn directly from the design vaults of Express and its former menswear brand, Structure. Featuring authentic reissues of styles first introduced in the 1990s and early 2000s, the collection brings back the original silhouettes, colors and details that made them memorable. Express Archives captures a moment when relaxed proportions, bold graphics, utility details and bootcut denim defined menswear. Returning at a time when those design codes feel newly relevant across men’s and women’s fashion, the pieces can be styled true to the era or mixed and layered with a modern point of view. Whether worn oversized, fitted or somewhere in between, the collection gives longtime fans the chance to rediscover old favorites while inviting a new generation to make them their own. “Express Archives gave us the opportunity to revisit a defining chapter in our design history—including Structure, our former menswear brand,” said Chris Scalzo, group vice president of men’s merchandising and design at Express. “Structure has an enduring place in the memories of longtime customers, and we were struck by how relevant the original Express and Structure pieces still feel. We stayed true to the fits, colors and details that made them distinctive, so the collection feels authentic to the era and completely right for now.” To show how the archive lives now, Express is partnering with menswear creators Jon Alan, Grant Solis and Nicolas Herbert, who will each style the collection through their own point of view. Express is also partnering with professional athlete Kamari Lassiter, who will wear select pieces from the capsule for a game-day tunnel arrival, bringing the reissued designs onto a stage that has become a modern menswear runway of its own. “What I love about the Express Archives collection is how effortlessly these pieces fit into my current wardrobe,” said Alan. “I’m always looking for ways to play with proportions and textures, and styling these vintage fits with modern staples gives you an effortless look that feels both retro and current.”

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Photo courtesy of Express

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FASHION 411

JEWELRY

THE GILDED HORSE PRESENTS TIMELESS EQUESTRIANINSPIRED JEWELRY For The Gilded Horse, equestrian style is more than an aesthetic; it is part of the brand’s roots. Founded by Catherine and Mitchell Allen, the Kentuckybased jewelry brand was born from a lifelong connection to the horse world and a desire to create something for the community that has shaped so much of Catherine’s life. Catherine grew up in Lexington, Kentucky, known as the horse capital of the world, and spent her childhood riding. Horses have been woven into her family’s life for generations, giving her an authentic connection to the traditions and culture of the equestrian world. That heritage serves as the foundation for The Gilded Horse, with a mission to unite and inspire horse lovers around the world. The brand translates that connection into jewelry designed to bring equestrian beauty into everyday style. The collection balances classic horse-inspired motifs with a polished feel, ranging from everyday minimalist pieces to statement designs. The horse serves as a defining symbol throughout the collection, appearing across medallion necklaces, chain bracelets, stud earrings and dangle earrings. The designs offer an artistic interpretation of a familiar icon, bringing the equestrian point of view to modern wardrobes. Among the collection’s standout pieces is the diamondborder medallion horse necklace, which combines an intricate horse motif with an embellished diamond border for a luxurious take on the brand’s signature aesthetic. The Gilded Horse’s offerings also extend into apparel pieces, ref lecting the broader world and enduring appeal of equestrian culture. While the designs are rooted in Kentucky heritage, The Gilded Horse is created for horse lovers everywhere. The brand’s growing collection celebrates the connection between horses, craftsmanship and personal style, creating pieces meant to feel personal. At The Gilded Horse, elegance is always in motion.

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Photo courtesy of The Gilded Horse

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FASHION 411

COLLECTION

SAMI MIRÓ AND PACSUN LAUNCH ‘THE RÓSE’

Fashion designer Sami Miró launched her new womenswear brand, The Róse, exclusively at Pacsun. The launch marks Miró’s first new brand since she founded Sami Miro Vintage in 2016 and builds on her decade-long work at the intersection of fashion, circularity and conscious design. The brand’s first collection, Chapter One, introduces Miró’s unique approach to sharp silhouettes, modern edge and considered craftsmanship at a more accessible price point, bringing her visionary design perspective to a new wave of women. Chapter One features a variety of materials and is driven by details rather than logos. The brand’s design signatures appear throughout the collection, from the custom-engraved mixed-metal hardware and raw-edge finishes to the construction designed for longevity. Each piece is cut using Miró’s silhouette-first methodology, which accentuates a woman’s natural shape through unexpected, f lattering proportions. “I built my first company to prove that ethics belong in the foundation of a business, not the footnotes. For a decade, I’ve tried to show that conscious decisionmaking and commercial success can go hand in hand. But that ambition was out of reach for many of the women who inspired it,” said Miró. “With The Róse, I’m bringing the values and design language I’ve developed throughout my career to a new generation of women. Partnering with Pacsun allows us to do that at an accessible price point. The intention, the details and the hardware are all there. In a sense, this brand is my alter ego—Rose is the name my parents almost gave me. And a rose is not disposable. Neither is this. Everything is made to be kept.” “The Róse brings something genuinely distinct to Pacsun’s womenswear assortment: a strong point of view, an incredible attention to detail and pieces that feel elevated while still f itting naturally into how our customer dresses today,” said Richard Cox, chief merchandising officer at Pacsun. “Sami has spent years developing a design language that is unmistakably her own, and what excites us about this partnership is the opportunity to give her a new platform for that vision.” Through The Róse, Miró brings her perspective into a new lifestyle wardrobe designed for everyday wear without compromising on craftsmanship, detail or longevity.

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Photo courtesy of Pacsun

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Photo courtesy of Adobe/moofushi

THE MOVEMENT OF FASHION

SUPPLY CHAIN, LOGISTICS AND FINANCE mannpublications.com

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LOGISTICS

Flashback Part 28 20th- to 21st-Century Fashion Industry History: Los Angeles By Ron Friedman

Hello again! Fall has arrived, bringing one of the best stretches of the sports calendar. The NFL is underway, the MLB playoffs are approaching, college football is in full swing, and the MLS season is nearing its finish. Yet another topic is competing for attention: AI. Predictions about AI range from remarkable productivity gains to science-fiction scenarios reminiscent of “2001: A Space Odyssey.” I remain confident that AI will be far more helpful than harmful. Like every major technology before it, AI will reward people and companies that take the time to understand it and apply it thoughtfully. I have watched technology reshape the apparel industry throughout my career. I began with handwritten general ledgers, 13-column accounting sheets and adding machines that produced long paper tapes. I also remember when an IBM computer filled an entire room and required raised floors for cooling. Today, the smartphone in your pocket has more computing power than those room-sized systems. The lesson is simple: continuous learning matters. Business never stands still, and neither

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should we. AI is one of the most promising tools available to help apparel companies work smarter. For this article, I asked AI a practical question: How can the apparel industry use artificial intelligence to improve operations and financial performance? Its response pointed to several high-impact opportunities.

Better Forecasting, Inventory and Pricing Few decisions affect apparel profitability more than what to buy, how much to produce, where to place inventory and when to adjust prices. AI-powered forecasting can analyze historical sales, weather, promotions, online behavior, regional buying patterns and other signals together. That broader view can help companies: • • • •

Anticipate demand Reduce excess inventory and stockouts Limit markdown exposure Improve inventory turns

The financial effect reaches beyond the warehouse. More accurate forecasting can reduce the amount of working capital tied up in unsold goods and improve cash flow. AI can also support pricing decisions by considering demand, inventory levels, competitive pricing,

consumer behavior and seasonal trends. Instead of relying only on fixed markdown schedules, companies can identify where a smaller markdown may protect margin or where an earlier promotion may move slowselling products.

A More Responsive Supply Chain Apparel supply chains connect suppliers, manufacturers, warehouses, logistics providers and sales channels around the world. AI can monitor activity across that network and flag supplier delays, capacity constraints, shipping disruptions, cost increases and quality concerns. It can also support alternate sourcing, production scheduling, transportation planning, procurement and vendor analysis. This visibility gives management a chance to respond before an issue becomes a costly failure. Faster adjustments can reduce freight costs, prevent production delays, lower carrying costs and protect gross margins.

More Efficient Manufacturing Production operations generate large volumes of data that often go unused. AI can help convert that information into action in three important areas:

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LOGISTICS •

•

Predictive maintenance: Evaluates equipment performance to identify potential failures before they cause downtime Quality control: Uses computer vision to detect stitching defects, color inconsistencies, fabric flaws and packaging errors Production scheduling: Balances labor, equipment capacity, order deadlines and material availability

Together, these applications can reduce waste and downtime while improving throughput and equipment utilization. The goal is not to remove people from the process. It is to give them earlier warnings and better information so they can solve problems faster.

Stronger Finance and Executive Insight Many apparel companies still manage information across separate enterprise resource planning (ERP), inventory, e-commerce, point-of-sale (POS) and procurement systems. AI can help consolidate and analyze that information, giving finance teams a clearer view of performance. Potential applications include account reconciliations, journal entry reviews, variance analysis, exception reporting, financial statement review and cash flow forecasting. Finance leaders can spend less time gathering information and more time interpreting it. At the executive level, AI-powered dashboards can bring together revenue, gross margin, inventory, customer profitability, vendor performance, working capital and supply chain risk. Predictive

alerts can draw attention to potential inventory shortages, margin erosion, demand shifts, cash flow pressure or supplier disruptions.

More Relevant Customer Experiences AI can also help retailers and brands tailor product recommendations, marketing campaigns, customer segments and service interactions based on purchasing behavior. Used carefully, personalization can make shopping more relevant and help companies focus marketing resources where they are most likely to produce value.

Start With the Business, Not the Technology The strongest AI strategy is not a collection of disconnected technology projects. Apparel companies should first identify a clear business problem, then determine whether AI can improve the decision or process. Success also depends on reliable data, sound governance, aligned processes, workforce readiness and measurable objectives. A practical starting point is to choose one focused use case with a meaningful operational or financial impact, such as: • • •

Demand forecasting or inventory optimization Cash flow visibility Exception reporting

Technology alone will not create success. Companies still need people who are willing to learn, challenge assumptions and lead change. AI can process information at remarkable speed, but experienced professionals must provide context, exercise judgment and decide how to act.

The Opportunity Ahead AI is moving quickly from a future concept to a practical business tool for the apparel industry. It can support demand planning, inventory and pricing decisions, supply chain visibility, manufacturing, finance, executive decisionmaking and customer engagement. Companies that connect these capabilities to clear objectives may be better positioned to reduce costs, improve margins, strengthen cash flow and build more resilient operations. If you need assistance implementing AI in your business, reach out to our team at CBIZ. Until next time, remember what I always conclude with: if you are not having fun, then do something else!

Ronald S. Friedman, CPA, is an advisory and assurance managing director in the Los Angeles office of CBIZ and a practice leader in the firm’s consumer and industrial products group. Contact him at ron.friedman@cbiz.com.

Establish a baseline, define the desired outcome, involve the employees who understand the process, and evaluate results before expanding.

Photo courtesy of zephyr_p/Adobe

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LOGISTICS

The Runway Is Only the Beginning: What Fashion Can Learn From Demand-Driven Supply Chains By Kevin Boake, CEO of B2Wise During New York Fashion Week, designers unveil collections months in advance, buyers assess what will define the next season, and consumers start deciding what they want before many products even reach stores. However, the supply chain behind every runway show is another performance that rarely gets the spotlight. For fashion brands, getting the right products to the right market at the right moment is becoming more difficult. Consumer preferences can shift overnight, product assortments are constantly changing, and global supply networks must coordinate materials, manufacturing, distribution and launches across multiple regions. The industry has mastered the art of anticipating trends. Its supply chains now need to become equally good at responding when those predictions change.

Fashion’s Forecast Problem Traditional planning models depend heavily on forecasts. That makes sense in a relatively stable environment, but fashion is rarely stable. A collection that looked like a sure thing six months ago may underperform. A product promoted by an influencer can suddenly become a bestseller. A regional trend can create unexpected demand in one market while leaving inventory stranded in another. The result is a familiar dilemma. Plan too conservatively, and brands risk stockouts and missed sales. Plan too aggressively, and they can end up with excess inventory, markdowns and obsolete products. This challenge becomes even more pronounced in luxury, cosmetics and other categories with large assortments, frequent launches, packaging complexity and, in some cases, limited shelf life. The answer is not necessarily to create a better forecast but to build a planning model that can respond when reality inevitably differs from the forecast.

From Forecasting to Flow Demand-driven planning offers a different way to think about the problem. Instead of allowing a forecast to dictate every replenishment decision, planners can use actual consumption and inventory

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signals to determine where and when stock is needed. Strategic inventory buffers can absorb normal fluctuations while allowing the broader supply chain to respond to changes in demand.

spreading inventory across locations where it may not be needed.

That can mean making inventory decisions at the stock-keeping unit (SKU) level based on how each product actually behaves, rather than treating an entire assortment the same way. A new fragrance, for example, may require a very different inventory strategy than an established bestseller. A seasonal apparel item may need another approach entirely. The objective is to match the planning logic with the flow of each product.

A demand-driven model can help planners balance those competing priorities. Rather than optimizing every purchase around unit cost alone, planners can consider service requirements, actual demand, inventory position and supplier constraints together. Orders can be consolidated where appropriate while avoiding unnecessary inventory accumulation. This shifts the conversation from “How much should we buy?” to a more strategic question: “What inventory will allow the business to maintain flow while protecting cash?”

The Supply Chain Needs Its Own Runway

AI Should Assist the Planner, Not Replace the Human

A runway show is carefully choreographed, but the audience reaction cannot be scripted. The same principle applies to product launches. Brands can prepare for a collection, establish production plans and position inventory ahead of a launch. Once consumers begin buying, however, real demand becomes the most valuable signal available. Demand-driven approaches allow planners to respond to those signals more quickly.

AI can help planners identify exceptions, surface changes in demand, build scenarios and accelerate analysis. It can monitor large volumes of information far faster than a person working through spreadsheets. But the objective should not be to turn planning into a black box. The strongest model is human led and AI assisted. Technology should give planners better visibility and faster answers while leaving them in control of the decisions that affect customers, inventory and cash.

That can be particularly valuable across complex, multi-echelon networks. Inventory may need to move between suppliers, factories, distribution centers, stores and e-commerce fulfillment operations before reaching the customer. When demand changes, knowing where inventory is located can be just as important as knowing how much exists. Multi-echelon inventory strategies can help organizations position stock closer to where it is most likely to be needed, while replenishment decisions can be adjusted as consumption patterns emerge.

Protecting Cash Without Sacrificing Service

The Next Fashion Advantage For fashion’s supply chains, the next competitive advantage may be less about predicting the future perfectly and more about responding intelligently when the future refuses to cooperate. Brands will always face trends that change, launches that surprise and demand that refuses to follow the script. The companies best positioned to navigate that uncertainty will be those that build supply chains around flow, visibility and responsiveness. The runway may determine what fashion looks like tomorrow, but the supply chain determines whether the customer can actually get it.

Fashion companies face a balancing act between service expectations and working capital. Customers expect products to be available, but excess inventory ties up cash. Supplier minimum order quantities can encourage companies to buy more than immediate demand requires. Global distribution can compound the problem by

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LOGISTICS

The Runway Is Global. Is Your Trade Compliance Ready? By Shannon Hynds, CEO of Quickcode.ai Every September, New York Fashion Week turns the world’s attention toward what is next. New silhouettes emerge, sourcing decisions become collections, and months of preparation culminate in a few minutes on the runway. Behind every look, however, is another kind of runway. It stretches from raw material suppliers and textile mills to manufacturers, ports, customs authorities, distribution centers and, ultimately, the consumer. In today’s fashion industry, that supply chain is navigating a rapidly changing trade environment. For fashion brands, staying ahead is no longer just about predicting the next trend but about knowing exactly what is entering the country, where it came from, how it should be classified, and what duties and regulatory requirements apply.

The New Cost of Being Global The globalization that made fashion faster and more diverse has also made it more exposed to trade policy. U.S. textile and apparel imports declined to $56.7 billion during the first seven months of 2026, reflecting the pressure brands and suppliers are facing. Meanwhile, apparel and footwear have continued to carry substantially higher tariff burdens than many other categories of imports. New duties applied to clothing imports from dozens of trading partners have added another layer of complexity. At the same time, sourcing strategies continue to evolve. Vietnam has emerged as an important supplier to the U.S. market, while China’s direct share of apparel imports has declined amid years of additional duties and shifting sourcing strategies. For brands, changing suppliers or countries of origin can create opportunities, but it can also create compliance risk. A product that looks nearly identical to another item may have a different tariff treatment because of its fiber composition, construction, intended use, country of origin or other characteristics. In other words, the details are the difference between a smooth runway walk and a very expensive stumble.

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Classification Can Make or Break the Look One of the most fundamental steps in import compliance is assigning the correct Harmonized System (HS) classification to a product. For fashion companies managing thousands of stock-keeping units (SKUs) across multiple seasons, this can be an enormous undertaking. Product descriptions may change, materials may change, suppliers may change, and new styles can move from concept to production in a matter of weeks. Yet customs classification cannot simply move at the speed of fashion. Manual processes that rely heavily on spreadsheets, emails and institutional knowledge can make it difficult to maintain consistency across large product catalogs. They can also make it challenging to identify when an existing classification should be reviewed because a product, supplier or regulatory environment has changed. This is where artificial intelligence can provide practical support. AI-assisted classification tools can analyze product information and recommend potential classifications, while human compliance professionals remain responsible for reviewing and approving decisions. The combination can accelerate classification without removing the expertise and judgment that complex trade decisions require.

Compliance Needs More Than a Snapshot Classification is only one piece of the puzzle. Tariff rates and trade policies can change quickly, sometimes creating new obligations for products that were previously straightforward to import. Brands therefore need processes that do more than establish a classification once and file it away.

relying exclusively on periodic manual audits. That matters particularly in fashion, where a single brand may manage thousands of styles, materials and supplier relationships across multiple markets. The goal is not to automate compliance out of existence but to give compliance teams better visibility and more time to focus on the decisions that actually require their expertise.

Making the Supply Chain Runway Ready New York Fashion Week is ultimately about preparation. Designers, models, stylists, production teams and brands spend months anticipating what will happen when the collection reaches the runway. Trade compliance deserves the same level of preparation. Fashion companies should know which products are most exposed to changing tariffs, where classification data may be incomplete, which suppliers require additional documentation and how a sourcing change could affect landed costs before goods are already on the water. That requires connecting trade data with the broader supply chain rather than treating customs compliance as an administrative task at the end of the process. The most resilient brands will be those that can respond quickly when the trade environment changes. They will be able to evaluate sourcing alternatives, understand the financial implications of tariff changes and identify compliance issues before they become costly disruptions. Fashion will always be about what comes next. The same should be true of trade compliance, because when the next collection takes the runway, the supply chain behind it should be ready for its close-up.

Continuous monitoring can help trade teams identify changes involving tariffs, trade restrictions and other government measures that could affect their products. Automated reviews can also help companies examine large product catalogs for inconsistencies or potential exposure instead of

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LOGISTICS

Inventory Accuracy Is the New Ad Spend How to Sell to AI Shopping Agents This Holiday Season By Shahrooz Shawn Kohan, CEO of AIMS360

Last holiday, a lot of shoppers didn’t start at a search bar or a store. They typed a sentence into ChatGPT or Claude. “Find me a black wool coat under $300 that can get here by Friday.” The assistant read thousands of feeds, picked a few and showed them with a buy button. Salesforce, using data from 1.5 billion shoppers, reported in January that artificial intelligence influenced 20% of global online sales between Nov. 1 and Dec. 31, 2025, worth $262 billion. Traffic from AI tools such as ChatGPT and Perplexity doubled from 2024, and those shoppers converted nine times as often as social media referrals. On Jan. 11, Google announced the Universal Commerce Protocol with Shopify, Walmart, Target and Etsy, backed by Visa, Mastercard and 20 others, so an AI assistant can find a product and finish the purchase inside the conversation. On March 24, Shopify switched on agentic storefronts, which puts millions of merchants’ catalogs inside ChatGPT, Google Search’s AI mode and the Gemini app. If you sell on Shopify, check your admin. You may already be in there. So this holiday, some of your customers

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will never see your homepage or your ad. A machine will read your data and decide whether to show you. What is an AI shopping agent? It’s software that takes a request in plain English, searches product catalogs, compares options and either completes the sale or sends the shopper to your checkout. It doesn’t browse like a person. It reads structured data: name, attributes, price and whether each size and color is available right now. That last one is where apparel and footwear brands get into trouble. Most brands sell in more than one place. A Shopify store, some wholesale accounts, Amazon, maybe a store. So ask yourself. Does your website know a retailer purchase order took the last mediums yesterday? Does your rep? Does Amazon? In a lot of companies, the answer is no, because each channel keeps its own count and they sync once a night, if that. Here’s how that plays out. The agent recommends your coat in a medium. The shopper says yes. The order gets canceled because the mediums went out on a retailer purchase order two days ago and nobody updated the feed. The agent doesn’t know why. It only knows its pick didn’t become an order, so next time someone asks for a wool

coat, your product is a little less likely to show up. Ads can’t fix that. Ads buy impressions from people. Agents go by whether your data was right last time. And it isn’t only order data. OpenAI says ChatGPT weighs price, availability and reviews when it picks products, and it shows shoppers a summary of what reviewers like and dislike, pulled from public sites. So the stockout doesn’t stay in operations. The shopper with the canceled medium leaves a one-star review, the machine folds that into a sentence it reads to everyone after them, and your product moves down the list or off it. Reviews always mattered. Now they’re part of how the machine ranks you, and a small leak in how customers describe you online spreads faster than any ad budget can cover. My company has spent more than 40 years making sure the number on a brand’s screen matches the number in its warehouse, and we connect brands to more than 350 retailers through electronic data interchange (EDI), the ordering system big retailers require. This year, we also connected our system to ChatGPT, Claude and Grok, so a brand’s team can ask, “Which open orders have no allocation?” in plain English and get the real number back.

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LOGISTICS Shoppers ask machines about your products, your team asks machines about your business, and neither answer is better than the data under it. And the same mismatch that makes an agent skip you is the one that gets you a chargeback, the penalty a department store deducts from your invoice.

Clean out the dead stock-keeping units (SKUs). Sold-out sizes still showing as available, discontinued colors and last season’s styles nobody took down. Each is a wrong answer you’re handing the agent, and a future onestar review. Do it before you spend a dollar on holiday marketing.

only live with a human on hold, you disappear when the gifts come back.

Here’s what I’d fix before Black Friday, Nov. 27. Get to one inventory number. Every channel pulls from the same pool at the size and color level, not the style level. If your web store and warehouse sync once a night, a busy Saturday puts you out of step by lunch. Aim for minutes. Take committed units out of the sellable count. A retailer order that’s accepted but not shipped isn’t available online, even if the units are on the shelf. The agent can’t tell “on hand” from “available,” so your system has to.

Write product data the way shoppers ask. People type “waterproof,” “petite,” “machine washable” and “ships by Friday.” If those words aren’t in your product data, the agent can’t match you. Fabric, fit, care and an honest shipby date do more than adjectives.

Shahrooz Shawn Kohan is CEO of AIMS360, the consumer brands software company that has helped apparel, footwear and other product businesses run orders, inventory and retailer shipping for more than 40 years. Its in-house team has years of hands-on experience implementing electronic data interchange (EDI) connections to major retailers. AIMS360 has served more than 10,000 brands, connects to more than 350 retailers through built-in EDI and has processed over $45 billion in orders to date.

Make returns readable by a machine. Salesforce found that agent-handled tasks, such as returns and shipping updates, jumped 142% during the season. If your return policy and order status

The brands that do well this holiday will be the ones whose numbers were right when the machine checked, and whose customers said so afterward.

Photo courtesy of oatawa/Adobe

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LOGISTICS

The Backstage Advantage: How Automated Storage Helps Fashion Manufacturers Keep up With the Runway By Damaris Gruetter, Chief Marketing Officer and Managing Director of Stoecklin Logistics At New York Fashion Week, the audience sees the finished product. Models move down the runway in carefully coordinated looks, each garment arriving at precisely the right moment. What the audience does not see is everything happening backstage to make that moment possible. Fashion manufacturing works much the same way.

Modern ASRS solutions can integrate storage, conveying, order picking and warehouse management software to coordinate material and information flows. Automated storage and retrieval can provide rapid access to inventory while supporting high throughput and around-the-clock operation.

Behind every collection is a complex choreography of raw materials, components, finished goods, orders and inventory. When that backstage operation becomes crowded or difficult to manage, even the most carefully planned production schedule can stumble. That is where an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) can make a difference.

For manufacturers, that means fewer manual movements and greater consistency in how inventory enters, moves through and leaves the facility. In fashion terms, it is the difference between a backstage operation where everyone knows their cue and one where people are scrambling to find the right garment five minutes before the show.

Making Better Use of the Backstage Fashion manufacturers face the familiar challenge of more products, more variations and more pressure to respond quickly, often without adding warehouse space. An ASRS can help manufacturers make better use of the space they already have. Automated systems can store pallets, containers and small parts at high density, including in singleor multi-deep configurations. Vertical storage can turn previously underused warehouse space into productive inventory capacity. For manufacturers managing everything from fabrics and trims to packaging materials and finished apparel, that density can be particularly valuable. Instead of treating the warehouse as simply a place to put inventory, manufacturers can design it as an active part of the production process. The goal is similar to a well-designed backstage area at a fashion show, where every item has its place and the people running the show don’t waste time searching for it.

Keeping Every Piece in Step Fashion manufacturing involves constant movement. Materials need to reach production areas, components must be available when needed, and finished products have to move toward shipping and distribution. Automation can help coordinate those movements while connecting physical inventory with the data used to manage it.

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Designed To Change With the Collection Few fashion businesses remain static. Product lines change, consumer demand shifts, seasonal collections come and go, and production volumes can rise and fall. Warehouse infrastructure needs to accommodate that reality. Modular ASRS designs can provide a scalable approach, allowing storage capacity and automation capabilities to evolve as business requirements change. Small-parts systems can handle containers, trays and cartons, while pallet systems can support higher-volume storage requirements.

For fashion manufacturers facing pressure to improve operational efficiency and meet broader sustainability objectives, the warehouse is an important part of that conversation. Sustainability doesn’t happen only in the materials selected for a garment. It can also be influenced by how efficiently that garment and the materials behind it move through the supply chain.

The Show Must Go On The runway may last only a few minutes, but the preparation behind it can take months. Fashion manufacturers face a similar reality. Customers may see only the finished product, but delivering it depends on thousands of decisions and movements taking place behind the scenes. ASRS implementation does not replace the creativity that drives fashion. Instead, it can provide the operational infrastructure needed to support it. When storage is dense, inventory is accessible, material flows are coordinated, and systems can scale with the business, manufacturers are better positioned to keep production moving. In fashion, as on the runway, the best backstage operation is often the one the audience never notices.

That flexibility is important because a warehouse designed around today’s inventory profile may look very different in a few years. A scalable system gives manufacturers room to change without needing to completely redesign the backstage every time the collection changes.

Efficiency Matters, Too Automation is increasingly being evaluated through an energy-efficiency lens. Modern automated storage systems can incorporate intelligent controls for lifting and traction drives, power recovery, eco and sleep modes, and sequential startup. These technologies can help reduce unnecessary energy consumption while maintaining the performance required for demanding warehouse operations.

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LOGISTICS

The Not-So-Fashionable Side of Fashion Week By Paul F. Magel, President of BlueCherry by CGS Fashion Week is like theater. The lighting, the front row and the 12 minutes of music and movement that took a designer a year to build toward are only part of the story each season. It is, by design, the most glamorous version of an industry that spends the other 50-plus weeks doing something far less photogenic: figuring out how to actually make the collection at scale, on time and at a price someone will pay. That gap between the runway and the rack is where fashion’s real story lives, and it’s rarely the one anyone tells.

What the Cameras Don’t Follow When a look walks the runway, it’s already the end of a process that began months earlier with a fabric swatch, a costing sheet and a very unglamorous back-and-forth between a designer and a factory over tolerances, minimums and lead times. Somewhere between the sketch and the show, someone had to source the right mill, approve several rounds of samples, reconcile a bill of materials that changed six times and confirm that the trims would pass a compliance test. None of that makes it into the show notes. It’s not supposed to. But it’s also the part of the industry that decides whether a trend becomes a product or just stays a beautiful idea that never made it past the sample room.

Institutional Memory Shouldn’t Live in One Person’s Inbox Every brand has a version of this hidden layer, and much of it is more fragile than anyone would like to admit. The fit that worked three seasons ago, the supplier who can actually deliver on time and the fabric that looked perfect on the runway but performed terribly in returns data: this knowledge should be an asset. Too often it lives in spreadsheets, inboxes and disconnected systems, or in the memory of one employee whom nobody is willing to let take a vacation.

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A connected product life-cycle management (PLM) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) environment turns that scattered knowledge into something a design or production team can use. It means someone can find the specs, supplier history and sales performance behind a past decision, instead of quietly repeating a mistake because no one remembered making it the first time. That’s not a small efficiency gain. It’s the difference between a brand that learns and a brand that just produces.

Provenance Is Now Part of the Product The audience for a collection no longer stops at “Do I like it?” Increasingly, they want to know where it came from, what it’s made of, who made it and what happens to it when they’re done with it. That’s a fair amount of interrogation for a jacket, and it means traceability, quality management and supplier collaboration have stopped being backoffice functions. They’re now part of what the brand is actually selling. A collection sourced across several countries and sold through stores, wholesale and e-commerce needs a digital thread connecting design, sourcing, production, fulfillment and compliance, or the story starts to fall apart the moment someone asks a real question about it. Product passports and material traceability can’t be assembled after the fact. They have to travel with the product from the first sketch onward.

catching a quality pattern before it becomes a recall and letting someone ask a plain question about their supply chain instead of digging through five systems for the answer. The point isn’t to automate creativity. It’s to stop administrative friction from eating the time creativity actually needs.

The Real Show Runs All Year Fashion Week will keep doing what it does best: showing the industry at its most aspirational. That’s not a criticism; it’s the appeal. But the brands still standing five collections from now are the ones that designed something sturdy behind the curtain, connecting the systems they already have rather than discarding them and giving heritage, sourcing and compliance the same rigor the runway gets applause for. At BlueCherry, we see this often: a heritage brand with 20 years of pattern and supplier history doesn’t need to throw that out to move faster. It needs that history connected to the tools making decisions today, so the past becomes an advantage instead of an archive. The runway lasts 12 minutes a season. Delivering on what it promised takes the other 50-plus weeks, and that’s the part of fashion that never gets a byline.

Technology’s Job Is To Get Out of the Way There’s a common worry that automation makes fashion less human. In practice, it’s often the opposite. Craftsmanship depends on people having the time to apply their expertise, and very few designers or technical teams got into this industry because they wanted to spend Thursday afternoon reconciling paperwork. AI is useful here specifically because it’s unglamorous: flagging a margin risk,

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Expertly designed financing Capital One® Commercial Banking offers you the financial services your business needs to succeed. You get customized solutions designed by a dedicated team of Consumer Products bankers with a combined track record of more than 75 years in the apparel, footwear, accessories and beauty sectors—and they’re backed by the full-services capabilities of a top 10 U.S. bank.* Let us create a solution that matches your vision.

capital.one/commercial

*Note: Rank excludes banks with high non-loan asset concentrations: Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, BONY, State Street, Charles Schwab. Ranks as of 9/30/2019. Based upon total gross loans and total aggregated domestic deposits for bank holding company. Sources: SNL, FDIC, company reports.

October 2026 FM | 37 June | July 2024 FM | 39

FEATURE

CAUSECONSCIOUS

Photos courtesy of Dream Pairs

Retail Finds Its Footing at Dream Pairs By Merilee Kern, MBA There is a particular kind of satisfaction in discovering a brand that makes an everyday purchase feel a little more considered. Shoes are practical and personal, but they also sit squarely inside a retail culture where trend cycles move fast and affordability often drives the decision. Dream Pairs has built its business around a different proposition: trend-forward footwear at accessible prices, with comfort treated as a requirement rather than an upgrade. The company also places social responsibility and sustainability within that equation. Founded in New York in 2009 by Brian Cao, Dream Pairs began by selling through more than 30 offline channels before expanding to Amazon and eBay. By 2018 and 2019, the company had introduced an independent research and development enterprise resource planning system, broadened its product portfolio, established Bruno Marc and Nortiv 8, and expanded internationally, with gross merchandise value exceeding $100 million. During 2020 and 2021, it created a dedicated product design and development department, upgraded its supply chain and built an independent brand website. Its businesses reached more than 10 countries and regions and served more than 16 million users. That scale makes the brand’s choices worth watching. Dream Pairs positions itself between fast fashion and affordable luxury, offering women’s heels, sandals, flats, boots and other everyday styles 38 | FM

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while emphasizing lightness and comfort. The wider brand family extends that approach to men’s footwear through Bruno Marc, children’s shoes through Dream Pairs Kids, and athletic, athleisure and outdoor footwear through Nortiv 8. Its environmental commitments begin with materials and longevity. Dream Pa i r s p r i o r i t i ze s e nv i ro n m e n t a l l y friendly sourcing and manufacturing practices intended to reduce waste and its carbon footprint. The company also links quality to sustainability, arguing that durable shoes can help discourage disposable consumption. One example is a sustainable shoe series made with ecofriendly yarns produced from recycled waste bottles. The human side of the supply chain is part of the same corporate social responsibility framework. Dream Pairs is committed to fair treatment and safe working conditions for employees and suppliers. For consumers interested in what happens before a product reaches the shelf or doorstep, those commitments add another consideration beyond price, appearance and comfort. In addition, the brand established a “Dream Pairs <3 The Bronx” initiative, partnering with schools, including the Equality Charter School, PS 160 and PS 168, to provide footwear to students and teachers. The program aims to help eliminate barriers to learning and boost confidence. Dream Pairs also collaborates with the Coalition for the

Homeless to support homeless shelters, distributing winter boots and sneakers to more than 350 individuals in the Bronx. For a footwear company, the connection between product and need is unusually direct. The company provides something it already knows how to make and distribute to people who can use it immediately. Cause-conscious shopping does not require pretending that a pair of shoes can solve the environmental and social challenges attached to global retail. It does mean looking more closely at the company behind the product and deciding which practices deserve your dollars. Dream Pairs offers an interesting case study because its story spans affordable e-commerce, international expansion, physical stores, local donations, recycled-material initiatives and stated labor standards. That combination points toward a broader evolution in value-driven retail. Dream Pairs built its identity around making style, comfort and affordability coexist. Its community programs and stated environmental commitments add another dimension to that proposition. For consumers who want accessible fashion while paying closer attention to how brands approach community and environmental responsibility, the question is becoming less about choosing between price and principles and more about expecting companies to address both. mannpublications.com

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Fork Eyewear

Photos courtesy of Fork Eyewear

Sunglasses Built for After Hours

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FEATURE Fork Eyewear was created around the idea that style doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. The brand was built for a generation that doesn’t separate what happens online, on the street, at dinner or at 2 a.m. Style moves across all of it, and Fork was created for that same rhythm: sunglasses that work during the day but feel completely at home after dark. The starting point was nightlife. Not in a literal “club collection” way, but in the energy around it. Dark rooms, flashes of neon, music, people, movement and the feeling that everyone has put together their look in a slightly different way. The brand identity grew from there, from the photography and typography to the colors, packaging and frame details. For Hila Shtram, general manager of Fork Eyewear and chief digital officer at Optimax Eyewear, the group behind GlassesUSA and Ottica, the idea stemmed from an opportunity to create something less like traditional eyewear and more aligned with fashion culture. After years working behind the scenes in the eyewear industry, she saw a window for something different. That became Fork Eyewear. Fork’s design language is bold without being overloaded: metal and acetate frames, tinted lenses, sharper shapes and unexpected proportions all play a role. There are also details that are easy to miss at first. Even the name “Fork” is worked into elements of the product design rather than simply printed everywhere. It gives the product another layer for those who pay attention. That approach is what separates Fork from the other brands within Optimax. GlassesUSA is built around making eyewear accessible to a very broad audience, with scale, technology and choice at the center of the experience. Ottica, on the other hand, sits in the premium and designer space. Fork was given a different job. It was built as a fashion brand with a much more defined personality, audience and visual point of view. At the same time, being part of Optimax remains instrumental to the brand. Yes, Fork is a young brand, but it didn’t start from zero. It was able to build on years of eyewear knowledge, e-commerce experience and consumer understanding, while still having the freedom to create its

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own identity. That combination made it possible to move quickly without making Fork feel like an extension of an existing brand. The brand’s mindset is summed up in two words: “dig in.” Rather than a slogan, those two words represent the way Fork sees its customer. They go out, stay for another drink, change plans and wear the thing that might be slightly too much without overthinking it. That same customer is not defined solely by age. Fork naturally speaks to a younger, fashion-aware audience, but the more interesting common thread is attitude. The customer is curious, social, visually aware and comfortable mixing references. They might wear vintage with something new, choose a colored lens instead of a classic black one or wear sunglasses long after the practical reason for wearing them has disappeared. The product has to hold up to that personality. Some of Fork’s strongest-selling styles so far include 04AM, Hex and Breaklight. Each frame is very different, which is an aspect of the brand Shtram finds interesting. There is no single “Fork look.” What connects the collection is the tension between something wearable and something just a little unexpected. A familiar silhouette might be pushed through proportion, lens color, finish or a small construction detail. For Shtram, one of the biggest milestones has been seeing customers begin to recognize individual styles and build a relationship with the brand. That’s an important moment for a young fashion label. It means the product is developing an identity beyond the campaign around it. The ambition now is to keep building that recognition without making the brand broader just for the sake of growth. Fork has the infrastructure of Optimax behind it, but the goal is to grow without losing what makes the brand distinct. New shapes, new categories and new ways to experience Fork can all be part of that growth, as long as they still feel unmistakably like Fork. The goal isn’t to make sunglasses for everyone. It’s to make sunglasses that the right person spots across the room and immediately wants to know more about. And if that person ends up wearing them until 4 a.m., even better.

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Photos courtesy of SwagyChic

SwagyChic: Where Heritage, Color and Reinvention Meet 42 | FM

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For Andrea Keen, jewelry has never been simply about ornament. It is about instinct, heritage, merchandising, storytelling and, perhaps most importantly, knowing how to evolve. As co-founder of SwagyChic, Keen represents the third generation of a jewelry family, carrying forward decades of knowledge while continually rethinking what a modern jewelry brand can look like. That combination of inherited expertise and contemporary perspective has helped shape SwagyChic into a brand known for bold color, eclectic styling and collections designed to spark conversation. “Honestly, it comes down to having a good eye for it—and not taking for granted the two generations of knowledge passed down mannpublications.com

FEATURE to me,” Keen said. “A lot of people inherit that kind of wisdom, but not everyone knows how to actually use it.” For Keen, the moment jewelry became more than a family tradition was tied to customer reactions. She began to recognize the power of building not simply a product assortment but an identity. “What really made it click for me was seeing people’s reactions—that look when they see something different, or when they just get the brand,” she said. “It’s more than jewelry. It’s an understanding, a community, a collective.” That community has grown around a visual language that is unapologetically expressive. SwagyChic is not interested in disappearing into the background. Its jewelry leans into color, layering, unexpected motifs and statement silhouettes, while remaining versatile enough to style alongside fine jewelry. Behind that visual exuberance, however, is a highly technical approach to product development. Keen studied retail merchandising and product development, where she learned the importance of trend forecasting and market research. She says those disciplines remain central to SwagyChic’s creative process, particularly when working with sterling silver. Consumers may see the finished piece, but they do not necessarily see the months spent evaluating manufacturing processes, coatings, finishes, micron levels and factories across different parts of the world. “It’s not a one-day-to-the-next thing,” Keen said. “It’s a lot of research and a real understanding of this sector.” That attention to manufacturing is paired with a strict point of view about what enters the line. “If it’s not something we’re absolutely obsessed with, it’s not going to sell,” Keen said. “Anything we don’t love is just taking up space in our booth and in our line.” The philosophy is especially visible in a collection like Domino, which blends glossy enamel, pavé details and bold color into pieces designed to appeal across generations. That generational versatility is central to the brand. SwagyChic is a motherdaughter business, and Keen intentionally develops collections with multiple age groups in mind. Chunkier Domino pieces can appeal to a younger consumer, while slimmer styles lend themselves to stacking and more understated styling. The goal is always to make the pieces feel ageless. “We wanted to create something shiny and fun that would elevate the women wearing diamonds,” Keen explained. The brand’s newer Domino Stretch collection pushed SwagyChic into new territory. The company had never previously introduced stretch styles or worked outside its established sterling silver framework, but Keen saw the category as a natural extension of the brand. “SwagyChic has a very specific identity—pop of color, very fun,” she said. “When people saw those stretch bracelets, they immediately put two and two together—of course this is something SwagyChic would come out with.” That willingness to experiment reflects a much larger evolution within the company.

The transition was not immediate or effortless. Customers accustomed to in-person styling and highly personalized service did not automatically become e-commerce shoppers. But Keen believes strong brands ultimately retain the customers who truly connect with them. “When someone loves your brand and understands what you’re doing, they’ll follow you no matter what,” she stated. Today, one of SwagyChic’s most important tools for creating that connection is livestreaming. Keen goes live several times a week, styling collections, discussing new pieces and speaking directly with customers. The format also gives retailers carrying the brand an opportunity to see how collections can be merchandised and styled. Keen views founderled content as particularly powerful because consumers increasingly want to understand the people behind the products they buy. “Getting in front of the camera and getting my face out there—being a founder-driven brand—is moving the needle,” she said. “It shows people what’s behind the brand: the good, the bad and the real version of myself.” Authenticity also informs SwagyChic’s approach to branding. Keen is wary of marketing that feels overly polished or impersonal, preferring communication that retains the personality and humanity of the founders themselves. The brand’s more personal side perhaps comes through most strongly in Echoes of the Desert, the collection Keen says speaks to her the most. Inspired by her grandparents and the family’s Egyptian heritage, the collection incorporates motifs including keys, scarabs and fish skeletons. It is deeply personal, but Keen says the imagery has also resonated with retailers and customers who connect to its distinctive visual vocabulary. That balance between history and experimentation may ultimately define SwagyChic best. Keen’s definition of success has evolved accordingly. Where the business once focused heavily on quarterly numbers and outperforming the previous December, she now finds success in creating collections that generate conversation. “To me, that’s what success is: being a trendsetter, having your colleagues talk about what you’re dropping and ask how you came up with it,” she said. SwagyChic will bring that same energy to Miami this fall, where the brand will exhibit at JIS Fall and showcase its latest collections to retailers and buyers from across the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. Her mantra mirrors that philosophy. “Keep evolving and stay open to change,” Keen said. “I always try to perform with gratitude, because the energy you put into your business is what will come back outward.” For SwagyChic, evolution means knowing which parts of that tradition deserve to be carried forward and having the confidence to reinvent everything else.

SwagyChic built much of its early success through brick-and-mortar retail, operating locations in Boca Raton, Florida; Greenwich, Connecticut; SoHo, NYC; and, most recently, a prominent South Florida mall. The stores were highly curated environments that allowed the brand to deliver the kind of hands-on, VIP experience Keen and her mother valued. Leaving physical retail meant learning an entirely different way of reaching the customer. “We basically had to reinvent the business from what we were used to,” she said.

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COVER FEATURE

Ayama Studio Redefines Fashion Week, Turning a New York Streetside Car Wash Into a Fashion Playground On a late-summer afternoon in New York’s Lower East Side, a car wash became an unlikely fashion stage. Just before the official New York Fashion Week kicked off, models dressed in the latest collection from New York-based label Ayama Studio stood alongside vintage cars outside the Time Again bar, washing windshields, scrubbing windows and turning an ordinary stretch of downtown New York into something considerably more theatrical. Music, fashion and the energy of the neighborhood converged as guests gathered to celebrate the launch of Collection 003—transforming the block into one big party just ahead of the Labor Day weekend and New York Fashion Week. It was an appropriately unconventional introduction to Ayama’s latest collection. Fo u n d e d by d e s i g n e r M aya Goldberg, Ayama Studio has developed a distinct point of view around strong silhouettes, distinctive details and pieces designed to exist outside the traditional fashion calendar. Rather than defining the label through conventional seasonal collections, Goldberg approaches Ayama as a continually evolving world. Collection 003 is the brand’s third collection and fourth drop, but it is deliberately not categorized as Spring/Summer 2027. Ayama is seasonless by design, with pieces intended to feel timeless rather than tied to a particular moment on the fashion calendar.

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That philosophy also infor med t h e w ay G o l d b e rg ch o s e t o introduce the collection. “I wanted to create a complete world around the collection rather than simply present the clothes,” Goldberg said. “It was exciting to bring this collection to life in a way that feels authentic to my process without the confines of the fashion calendar.” For Ayama, that meant stepping outside the traditional showroom, runway or presentation for mat and into the street. The car wash was not simply a backdrop for the clothes; it became part of the collection’s universe. Vintage cars provided the physical setting, while models in Ayama looks transformed an everyday activity i n t o a n u n ex p e c t e d f a s h i o n performance. The result felt less like a conventional launch and more like stumbling onto a New York scene that happened to have been populated by fashion models.

“I wanted to create a complete world around the collection rather than simply present the clothes.” —Maya Goldberg

“Why not? Do car washes still exist?” Goldberg said about the concept. “I love a little bit of hot nonsense.” That sense of humor and spontaneity is central to understanding Collection 003. Beneath its playful presentation is a collection that represents a meaningful expansion of the Ayama vocabulary. For its third collection, the label introduces swimwear and ready-to-wear, opening up new categories while retaining the

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Photos courtesy of Charlie Rubin

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COVER FEATURE strong silhouettes and distinctive c o n s t r u c t i o n t h at h ave b e c o m e central to the brand. The expansion allows Goldberg to explore a more sensual and playful side of Ayama, wh i l e c o n t i nu i n g t o i nve s t i g at e the relationship between the body, movement and clothing. At the center of the collection is a tension between opposing materials a n d s e n s at i o n s. S o f t n e s s m e e t s structure. F lexibility meets rigidity. Technical surfaces are contrasted with tactile fabrics, while stretch materials such as spandex are placed alongside leather. The contrast is both aesthetic and physical. Spandex brings flexibility and a second-skin quality, while leather introduces structure, durability and a more architectural presence. Rather than treating those qualities as contradictions, Goldberg uses them to create a dialogue between the two. “Leather is basically a second skin anyway,” she said. That idea of clothing as a second skin becomes particularly relevant with the introduction of swimwear. The body remains central, but the collection does not approach sensuality as something delicate or precious. Instead, there is an underlying confidence and physicality to each piece, reinforced by the combination of stretch fabrics, sculptural silhouettes and leather. Collection 003’s palette further develops that tension. Jewel tones and cooler shades move throughout the collection, creating contrast against the tactile surfaces and technical qualities of the materials. Richer hues bring depth and sensuality, while cooler tones reinforce the collection’s sleek, contemporary quality. Yet the clothes remain g rounded in Ayama’s larger philosophy of versatility. Goldberg is interested in creating pieces that can move between environments rather than existing solely within a prescribed fashion moment. The result is a wardrobe that feels considered but not overly precious—clothing designed to become part of an individual’s world rather than simply represent a single season. 46 | FM

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That distinction is important to Ayama. While the fashion industry continues to operate around i n c r e a s i n g l y c o m p r e s s e d c yc l e s of seasonal launches, Goldberg is building a label around the idea that clothing can exist on its own timeline. Collection 003 is therefore less about forecasting a particular season than about expanding the Ayama universe. The new swimwear and ready-to-wear pieces sit alongside the label’s existing language of distinctive silhouettes and details, creating a collection that feels simultaneously familiar and new. There is a sense of experimentation, but it is experimentation with a clear point of view rather than novelty for its own sake. The decision to launch the collection through an immersive event further reinforces that approach. Ayama has previously presented on the official New York Fashion Week schedule, placing the brand within the larger ecosystem of New York fashion. But Goldberg’s latest presentation suggests a desire to move beyond the expectation that every collection needs to be translated into a traditional runway or presentation. Instead, the launch became an experience that could only happen in New York: models washing vintage cars on a Lower East Side block, dressed in clothes that themselves play with the boundaries between structure and movement, softness and strength, everyday dressing and something more theatrical. It was fashion, but it was also perfor mance, street culture and a party. That distinction mirrors the way Goldberg thinks about Ayama itself. The brand is not simply a collection of clothes; it is a world with its own visual language and attitude. By placing Collection 003 directly into the streets of New York, Goldberg allowed that world to interact with the city around it. The vintage cars were particularly effective in creating that dialogue. Their physical presence introduced a mannpublications.com

COVER FEATURE sense of nostalgia and character, while the models and clothes brought the scene into the present. Against the Lower East Side backdrop, the combination felt distinctly N e w Yo rk — s l i g h t l y g r i t t y, s l i g h t l y glamorous and intentionally unexpected. There was also something deliberately democratic about the setting. A traditional fashion presentation can create a clear divide between audience and collection. At the Ayama car wash, that boundary became much less defined. The street itself became part of the event, and the people passing by became potential participants in the spectacle. It was a fitting way to introduce a collection built around the idea of freedom from convention. For Goldberg, the goal was never simply to make another seasonal collection. It was to continue building Ayama on its own terms, allowing the clothes and the experiences surrounding them to develop organically. Collection 003 demonstrates what that can look like: new categories, stronger contrasts, a more sensual perspective and an increasingly complete Ayama world. And if the collection’s launch is any indication, that world is not particularly interested in behaving itself. On the Lower East Side, as models in jewel-toned swimwear, ready-to-wear and tactile leather pieces washed vintage cars while guests gathered around them, Ayama found a way to make a fashion launch feel less like an industry obligation and more like an actual New York after noon— spontaneous, social, slightly absurd and impossible to ignore. For a seasonless brand, perhaps there was no better way to make the point. Ayama Studio is not following the calendar. It is creating its own.

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October 2026

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FEATURE

André Assous

Debuts Newest Footwear Capsule Featuring Bre Tiesi

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October 2026

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Photos courtesy of André Assous

ndré Assous launched its latest collaboration with “Selling Sunset” star Bre Tiesi, introducing a curated selection of elevated styles inspired by her everyday lifestyle and designed to transition seamlessly from day to night.

Known for her distinctive fashion point of view, Tiesi has built a multifaceted career spanning television, entrepreneurship, digital media and fashion. Through this collaboration, she brings that experience to a new role as a footwear designer, translating her understanding of how modern women live and dress into a collection that balances style, versatility and comfort.

with our brand. Her perspective brings a new elevated dimension to André Assous—one that builds on our heritage while introducing a fresh, modern point of view. “This collaboration gives us the opportunity to bring together her modern glamour with our heritage of craftsmanship, comfort and timeless design to create a collection that feels both fresh and true to who we are. It also gives us the opportunity to introduce André Assous to a new audience, deepen engagement with our existing customers and create meaningful conversation around the collection in an authentic way.” The assortment features eight key styles, each designed to showcase the capsule’s strength. Throughout the process, Tiesi worked closely with the André Assous team, providing hands-on input on silhouettes, colors, materials, fit and styling direction to help shape a collection that feels authentic to both partners. Crafted with André Assous’ signature attention to comfort and wearability, the collection highlights lightweight constructions, flexible comfort, cushioned footbeds and premium materials across versatile textures, including raffia, nappa, patent, vinyl, snakeprint leather and specchio leather.

Rooted in a shared appreciation for polished, real-life style, the collaboration brings together Tiesi’s modern, confident point of view and André Assous’ long-standing expertise in comfort-driven, European-crafted footwear. The result is a collection that feels glamorous yet grounded, pairing versatile silhouettes and refined details with the wearability that has long defined the André Assous brand. Inspired by Tiesi’s Los Angeles lifestyle, the collection is designed for women who balance work, family and everyday moments without compromising personal style. The capsule embraces effortless sophistication through refined neutrals, subtle glamour and versatile silhouettes that transition seamlessly from day to night and season to season. “Bre represents the modern woman in a way that feels incredibly authentic to André Assous,” said Solomon Dabah, president of Vida Shoes International Inc. “She moves confidently through many facets of life while maintaining a clear and compelling personal style, which aligns naturally

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FEATURE

“Bre represents the modern woman in a way that feels incredibly authentic to André Assous.” —Solomon Dabah

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‘Scattered Seeds'

ALEX MONROE MARKS 40 YEARS WITH 52 | FM

October 2026

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Photos courtesy of Alex Monroe

FEATURE British jeweler Alex Monroe is celebrating 40 years of jewelry making with the launch of Scattered Seeds, an Autumn/ Winter 2026 collection inspired by the changing seasons and nature’s continual cycle of rebirth and renewal.

Other highlights include the large poppy seed head necklace with shaking seeds, the poppy head chandelier drop earrings with pink pearls, the honesty pod necklace with heart-shaped seeds and the sunflower seed fleur de lis chandelier earrings.

The milestone marks four decades of a distinctly British approach to jewelry, shaped by Monroe’s lifelong fascination with nature, traditional craftsmanship and the stories objects can carry. Throughout his career, the smallest details of the natural world have provided inspiration, transformed into intricate pieces designed to be worn, loved and passed on.

40 Years, a New Chapter

For Scattered Seeds, Monroe turns his attention to the fleeting moment at the end of summer, when warm, dappled light begins to fade and the landscape shifts toward autumn. Dried seeds and pods provide the starting point, their organic forms and intricate textures reimagined as sculptural jewelry. Throughout the collection, poppy heads, honesty pods, pinecones, sunflower seeds and flyaway dandelion seeds become earrings, necklaces, rings and bracelets. Pink freshwater pearls bring softness and subtle color, appearing alongside delicate poppy seed heads. Crafted by Hand True to Monroe’s approach over the past 40 years, craftsmanship remains central to Scattered Seeds. Each design begins in the workshop, where traditional handmaking techniques recreate the intricacies and imperfections found in nature. Layers of silver are compressed to form delicate honesty pods, while pinecones are constructed layer by layer. One of the collection’s hero pieces, the large oval “Make a Wish” dandelion locket, is hand-engraved with flyaway dandelion seeds, creating a modern keepsake designed to hold something personal within.

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The symbolism behind Scattered Seeds feels especially poignant in Monroe’s 40th year. At its heart, the collection explores memories captured in tangible form: precious moments kept, carried forward and passed from generation to generation, much like seeds scattered on the wind. Reflecting on the milestone, Monroe said, “I feel so lucky to be celebrating 40 years of jewelry making. I’ve had incredible support from press, retailers, customers and so many people along the way. It’s made it all such fun, and I think that’s the key. “I’m not very good at looking backward, but I know how much I love being a jeweler and seeing people enjoy my work. I’ve traveled the world, met amazing people and worked on wonderful collaborations, but most of all, I’ve made jewelry that has become part of people’s lives, through birthdays, marriages, successes, love and loss. And I’m still bursting with ideas. There’s so much more to do.” Rather than simply looking back, Scattered Seeds captures the spirit that has always driven Monroe forward: curiosity, craftsmanship and the joy of creating something meaningful. Inspired by nature’s constant cycle of change and renewal, the collection celebrates everything that has grown over the past 40 years while looking toward everything still to come.

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In an industry that endlessly strives for the next big thing, having the flexibility to adapt at a moment’s notice is key to success. With Wells Fargo, you get the strength and stability you need, along with the nimbleness you want. Our flexible financing may support your growth, and our proven track record in factoring and receivables management helps make sure you’re ready for whatever’s next. Tap into our knowledge, experience, and broad offering of products so that your business’ success never goes out of style. Learn more at wellsfargocapitalfinance.com/apparel. Peter Pugliese Senior Vice President, Regional Sales Manager 212-703-3551 peter.pugliese@wellsfargo.com

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THE FASHION MANNUSCRIPT PRESENTS:

TECHWEAR Bringing you the latest breakthroughs in software, I.T. and fashion technology. From creative solutions to insights from experts, we are the source for all things fashion tech. mannpublications.com

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

October 2026

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TECH FEATURE

Built From the Foot Up: How Splay Is Bringing Natural Movement—and Better Design—Into Renoa: Everbloom’s New the Footwear Mainstream

Fiber Hits the American Apparel Market

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October 2026

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Photo courtesy of Everbloom

A new fiber category is coming to the American apparel market, as the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has approved Renoa, a first-of-its-kind regenerated fiber developed by Everbloom. This marks the first new apparel fiber classification the agency has approved in almost 25 years. The decision establishes Renoa as its own fiber category and paves the way for textile products containing Renoa to be labeled and sold in the United States. Developed in Everbloom’s New York City lab, Renoa is the world’s first fiber regenerated from keratin-rich textile offcuts and waste, including down. Made in the United States using domestic resources, Renoa transforms these materials into a novel fiber engineered for luxury aesthetics, consistency and scalability. It delivers the premium handfeel, breathability and softness associated with cashmere and wool while enhancing durability and longevity without compromising performance. This FTC approval marks a historic milestone and signals significant innovation for the textile industry. While hundreds of new fabrics and textile blends have entered the market, creating a new FTC-recognized apparel fiber category requires demonstrating that the material is fundamentally distinct from existing fibers through a rigorous regulatory review. Beyond the regulatory milestone, Renoa is also the world’s first fiber developed using a proprietary artificial intelligence platform. The milestone comes at a time when much of the U.S. fashion industry’s manufacturing base has shifted overseas. According to the American Apparel & Footwear Association, about 97% of clothing and footwear sold in the U.S. are imported, with much of the production concentrated in Asia. “Renoa is the result of years of work by our material and computer scientists, chemical engineers and fashion designers to craft a circular fiber that combines the best of biology and human ingenuity to optimize handfeel and performance while dropping seamlessly into existing industrial infrastructure,” said Simardev Gulati, co-founder and CEO of Everbloom. Powering Renoa is Braid.AI, Everbloom’s proprietary artificial intelligence platfor m that combines predictive modeling with ther moplastic protein engineering to optimize the transformation of keratin-rich proteins into high-performance fibers. By forecasting key fiber characteristics, including softness, strength, texture and dyeability, before production begins, Braid.AI dramatically accelerates material development and improves manufacturing stability, scalability and precision. Because keratin-rich textile waste naturally varies in composition, creating a consistent, scalable fiber has historically been one of the industry’s biggest technical challenges. Braid.AI predicts how each protein stream will behave during production, enabling Everbloom to optimize production parameters before manufacturing begins. The result is a faster, more precise development process that reduces what once required two months of laboratory testing to just two weeks. Those AI-driven insights are then translated into Everbloom’s patented production process, which begins by purifying and refining keratin-rich textile waste into its purest protein form.

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TECH FEATURE

Through advanced engineering, those proteins are structurally enhanced and transfor med into high-perfor mance fibers compatible with existing yarn-spinning infrastructure and textile supply chains. The result is a new category of apparel fiber that combines the desirable qualities of luxury natural materials with the consistency and scalability required for modern manufacturing, all while enabling machine-washable cashmere and wool blends that bring easy care to luxury apparel. The need for new material solutions is increasingly urgent, as the fashion industry accounts for roughly 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions and generates more than 20 billion pounds of keratin-rich textile waste each year. By transforming that underutilized waste into high-performance fibers, Renoa offers brands an alternative to resource-intensive raw materials. “The global fiber market is more than a $1 trillion industry and has run on the same fossil-based chemistry for half a century, while most of the manufacturing base has moved to Asia,” said Gulati. “By combining our proprietary AI platform, Braid.AI, with advanced manufacturing, we’ve created an entirely new category of fiber and a real chance to rebuild America’s textile base around it.” Independent assessments by Boundless Impact Research & Analytics show that Renoa uses more than 99% less water than silk production, 50% less than cashmere, and 30% less than wool. Renoa also generates up to 92% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than biorecycled polyester, silk, cashmere and wool. By transforming existing waste into a high-performance fiber, Renoa reduces reliance on grazing land and animal farming, helping protect fragile ecosystems and lessen the environmental burden of conventional luxury fiber production. The approval follows Everbloom’s 2025 launch and a funding round led by Hoxton Ventures, with participation from SOSV, Breakthrough Energy, Endgame Capital, Clocktower Ventures and its latest investor, the Partnership Fund for New York City. With FTC approval secured, the company will continue scaling production and expanding partnerships with mills, manufacturers and global fashion brands. “New York City is home to one of the world’s most iconic fashion industries, and Everbloom is using technology to fundamentally reshape how that industry operates,” said Maria Gotsch, president and CEO of the Partnership Fund for New York City. “By transforming a common agricultural by-product into highperformance fibers that rival wool, silk and cashmere, they’ve found an elegant solution to a real environmental challenge. We’re proud to be a part of Everbloom’s seed round and to support the next generation of sustainable materials innovation in New York City.” With the new approval, brands can now label and commercialize products containing Renoa in the U.S. market. Several commercial programs featuring Renoa are already underway, and additional brand and manufacturing partnerships are expected to be announced in the coming months as commercial production scales.

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TECH 411

E INK AND ANREALAGE COLLABORATE ON COLORCHANGING FASHION Technology company E Ink announced a creative collaboration with Anrealage, the avant-garde Japanese fashion house founded by designer Kunihiko Morinaga. Through the partnership, Anrealage incorporated E Ink Prism 3 into six color-changing dresses in its Spring/Summer 2027 “Skin” collection, presented during Paris Fashion Week. The collaboration brings together traditional textile craftsmanship and modern material technology. Known for challenging conventional ideas about form, perception and materials, Morinaga used E Ink Prism to push conventionally static fashion into a new dimension—one in which movement is expressed not only through the shape of a garment but also through its changing appearance. For the Anrealage collection, each color-changing dress features approximately 1,000 to 2,000 individual E Ink Prism pieces. Arranged in a scale-like pattern, the elements work together to create multiple looks from a singular garment. As a result, the technology provides a way to multiply the creative possibilities of an individual piece. E Ink Prism is a dynamic material technology that brings programmable color and pattern surfaces in all shapes and sizes, from color-changing cars and automotive interiors to fashion accessories, handbags and more. Unlike traditional light-emitting displays, E Ink technology is ref lective, relying on ambient light to make colors visible. Its bistable properties allow an image to remain in place without continuously consuming power. Energy is only required when the display changes. “Anrealage has a long history of combining craftsmanship, technology and imagination in ways that challenge how we see everyday materials,” said Naoki Sumita, president of E Ink Japan. “That ethos closely aligns with E Ink’s vision of transforming traditionally static surfaces into dynamic, expressive experiences. This collaboration demonstrates how E Ink Prism can unlock new possibilities for personalization, movement and visual expression.”

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Photo courtesy of Anrealage

October 2026

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TECH 411

ESSATO&CO LAUNCHES STYLE-DRIVEN MEDICAL WEAR

Essato&Co has off icially launched Collection 01, a curated apparel collection for modern healthcare. It features thoughtfully designed pieces engineered to meet the demands of the workday without compromising fit, performance or personal expression. More than a uniform, Essato&Co’s professional apparel reflects the people who wear it, rooted in the recognition that practitioners bring personality, precision and discernment to their work. Crafted from PerformaCrepe, a carefully selected woven crepe with high-twist construction, each piece is designed to deliver a balance of drape, durability and performance. Extensive lab testing for colorfastness, durability and recovery—combined with practitioner wear testing across environments, body types and real-world working conditions—ensures every detail is intentional. From engineered fit and ergonomic pocketing to thoughtful construction, every style is created to solve a need, improve the experience of getting dressed for work and earn its place in the collection. “We have built a system of dress for the most demanding work there is, and the work that matters most,” said Jami Pinto, CEO of Essato&Co, and Lesley Pattison, chief operating officer of Essato&Co. “Healthcare no longer happens in one type of room. It happens on rounds and in clinics, in private practice and aesthetic suites, in exam rooms and consult rooms, and everywhere in between. Essato&Co is built for that range and for the practitioners who move through it. A uniform says they’re all the same. We built Essato&Co because they aren’t. People aren’t uniform.” Essato&Co’s products are designed to become a curated wardrobe over time rather than be replaced seasonally. Collection 01 features timeless, versatile pieces that work together, allowing wearers to build a professional wardrobe that feels elevated, personal and considered.

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Photo courtesy of Essato&Co

October 2026

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COLUMNS

DEB’S RETAIL DISH AND DEALS: BEATING THE HEAT By Debra Hazel

Bay Ridge, which shuttered in December 2020. Now being redeveloped as the mixed-use Century Marketplace, the project has signed Burlington and an unnamed grocery tenant, with more to come. Just Gems

DEBRA HAZEL Debra Hazel Communications North Las Vegas, Nevada 201-618-5247 Luxury apparel is opening in time for the holidays— and a Brooklyn legend close to my heart is being reborn. All About Apparel Polish designer Magda Butrym launched her first U.S. boutique at 170 Mercer St. in time for New York Fashion Week. Moorer’s Italian outerwear has come to the U.S., with stores at 73 Gansevoort St. in New York’s Meatpacking District and the Bal Harbour Shops in Bal Harbour, Florida. Madewell has signed a long-term lease for 7,340 square feet at 1 Rockefeller Plaza, its first location at Rockefeller Center. The store is scheduled to open in 2027. Men’s Wearhouse announced the opening of a new store in Riverhead, New York, located at 1160 Old Country Road. The new 10,210-squarefoot store offers a full assortment of tailored clothing, sportswear and rental attire. Posh fashion resale franchise Uptown Cheapskate will open its first New Jersey location at West Fells Plaza in Woodland Park. BaseCamp Franchising, the parent company of Uptown Cheapskate and Kid to Kid, is bringing the concepts to New Jersey through its franchisees. A New Century As a Brooklyn native, I spent many an afternoon and many a dollar at Century 21 (458 86th St.) in

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Guzema Fine Jewelry unveiled its first U.S. boutique at 112 Wooster St. in SoHo, a defining moment for the fine jewelry house as it celebrates its 10th anniversary and continues its international expansion. Founded in Kyiv, Ukraine, in 2016 by former fashion editor Valeriya Guzema, the brand has become known for its minimalism and modern fine jewelry designed for everyday wear. To Your Health Planet Fitness has signed a lease for 14,520 square feet of retail space at the base of Tower 3 at Sky Three Residences, located at 532 Neptune Ave. in Brooklyn. It will join Sky Three’s growing groundfloor retail lineup, which includes CVS Pharmacy, NetCost Market, Starbucks, Flower Heaven NYC, Sky Mocha and Kings Barbershop. Stretch Zone, which offers practitioner-assisted stretching, has officially opened Stretch Zone Upper East Side, bringing its personalized stretching experience to 1407 Third Ave. Stretch Zone Upper East Side offers tailored, one-on-one practitionerassisted stretching designed to improve flexibility, increase range of motion and reduce stiffness. Every stretch session is tailored to the individual’s needs, whether they’re an athlete looking to enhance performance or someone simply wanting to move more comfortably through everyday life. Wining and Dining Luxury hotelier Auberge Collection has unveiled an exclusive culinary partnership and residency with chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud at Mayflower Inn & Spa in Washington, Connecticut. The Café Boulud concept has been brought to Mayflower Inn, reimagining the property’s culinary program and offering guests a refined dining experience with delicious French fare in a country retreat setting. Café Boulud at Mayflower Inn began in July, and the residency will continue through the remainder of 2026. El Pollo Loco has secured a lease for its first-ever

East Coast location in New York City, a 2,400-squarefoot restaurant at 37-07 82nd St. in Jackson Heights, Queens. Expected to open in 2027, the restaurant will introduce El Pollo Loco’s signature citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken and fresh Mexican-inspired menu to New York City. Around the US Loewe has brought its fine Spanish leathers to Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona. Ferragamo unveiled its new Beverly Hills flagship at 357 N. Rodeo Drive, boasting the longest storefront on the boulevard. Carolina Herrera debuted a Miami Design District flagship at 127 NE 41st St. Elyse Walker’s finely curated boutique returned to the postfire Palisades Village at 1000 N. Swarthmore Ave. in Pacific Palisades, California. Inditex Group’s youth-oriented brand Bershka has come to the U.S. at Aventura Mall near Miami, Florida. Vio Med Spa, a nationally recognized, physician-guided medical spa franchise specializing in advanced, noninvasive aesthetic and wellness treatments, has signed a franchise agreement to open its first location in the Richmond, Virginia, market at 1058 Steam Ave. in Midlothian. Pei Wei Asian Kitchen is welcoming guests to a new restaurant at 7375 Boynton Beach Boulevard, Suite 415, in Boynton Beach, Florida, bringing the brand’s bold, wok-fired flavors to a bright, modern new space. Primark opened its first store in Minnesota at Mall of America in Bloomington. This announcement follows the opening of the value retailer’s first shop in Indiana at Castleton Square Mall in July and its second location in the greater Orlando, Florida, metropolitan area at Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets. Dutch Bros Inc. has agreed to acquire the real estate and related site assets of up to 65 Salad and Go locations across Arizona, Nevada, Oklahoma and Texas. The closing is expected to occur in the third quarter of 2026. Taiwanese bubble tea chain Gong Cha is expanding in the U.S. with a new location at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport.

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FROM RUNWAY TO REAL WARDROBE: WHAT I’M ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR AT NEW YORK FASHION WEEK By Maegan Watson

New York Fashion Week, for me, begins with inspiration. At a show, I’m initially drawn to what I personally respond to: texture, movement, color, proportion or an unexpected combination that makes me feel something. There’s value in allowing myself to experience a collection before immediately analyzing it for a client. When my own sense of style is inspired, I become more creative in the way I approach theirs.

MAEGAN WATSON Founder, Watson Style Group

That’s part of what makes being invited into a designer’s world during Fashion Week so special. The runway isn’t necessarily where we determine exactly what we’re going to buy. We understand fit, silhouette and how a garment actually feels on the body once the collection hits the floor and we can experience it firsthand. The runway gives us something different: the designer’s complete vision. We see the story as they intended it through the styling, movement, music, casting, proportions and relationships between the pieces. My job is to absorb that feeling and then ask, “How can I translate this energy into the wardrobe of a woman I know incredibly well? How does she want to feel this season?” Making ‘New’ Last I love fashion, and I’m excited by what’s new. But building a luxury wardrobe isn’t about constantly replacing what came before it. One of the most interesting parts of my job is figuring out how to introduce what the industry might call a “trend” into a wardrobe designed to feel seasonless. We can admire what feels fresh right now without creating a closet that feels dated a year from now.

Maybe it’s not adopting an entire silhouette but introducing a new proportion. Maybe a season’s emphasis on texture gives us the perfect counterpoint to pieces she already owns. Maybe a color suddenly makes an existing wardrobe feel alive again. That distinction matters. We aren’t shopping for consumption’s sake. We’re looking for the handful of pieces that deserve to become part of her personal style. The Runway Is Where the Process Begins Ultimately, our job is to find the perfect pieces, not simply the most exciting pieces of the season. Once collections arrive in stores, our perspective becomes much more objective. We try things on. We study the fit and fabrication. We understand which silhouettes actually work on a body. Most importantly, we consider how a piece interacts with everything the client already owns. A successful wardrobe isn’t measured by how many beautiful things are hanging inside it. It’s measured by the number of great outfits that actually get worn. That’s how we bring Fashion Week home. We take the creativity, emotion and bravery we experience on the runway and filter it through everything we know about an individual woman: her body, her life, her existing wardrobe and how she wants to feel. Then we find the pieces that allow her to experience some of that same magic when she gets dressed. That, to me, is the journey from runway to real wardrobe.

The question becomes: What is it about this trend that feels relevant to her?

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COLUMNS

BEYOND THE FRONT ROW: NYFW’S QUIET TRANSFORMATION INTO A DEAL-MAKING ENGINE By Kristen Kelbon

Within weeks of closing the deal, Signet partnered with House of Vanderbilt to coproduce a fashion event at Grand Central Terminal during NYFW, combining live programming, sponsorship and commerce in a single activation.

KRISTEN KELBON Corporate Attorney, Fox Rothschild

For decades, New York Fashion Week has been understood primarily as a showcase where designers present collections, buyers place orders and editors shape the cultural conversation. While that description still holds, it now captures only part of what happens during those compressed September and February weeks in Manhattan. NYFW has quietly become one of the fashion industry’s most concentrated business development environments. Deals, partnerships and commercial conversations shaping the industry are more likely to happen during that time than at any other point on the calendar. This September’s edition made the point as clearly as any in recent memory. The most structural shift happened before the first model hit the runway. In August, Signet Fashion secured the rights from WME Group to the intellectual property associated with New York Fashion Week, including the “New York Fashion Week,” “NYFW” and “NYFW: The Shows” trademarks, along with related logos and digital assets. The transaction separated NYFW’s commercial identity from its editorial and curatorial functions and placed it in the hands of a company whose business model is built around developing and commercializing intellectual property across media, live events and digital platforms. Signet intends to expand the NYFW platform through year-round programming, media, live events, digital initiatives and brand partnerships, extending NYFW’s relevance and commercial opportunities beyond the traditional September and February seasons. The speed at which that plan took shape was telling.

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Separately, Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin and media entrepreneur Michaela Seewald used NYFW to debut Vanderbilt & Seewald Global Studio, an independent venture that operates as a hybrid investment fund, brand accelerator and commerce platform for independent designers. The venture is distinct from House of Vanderbilt’s collaboration with Signet. Vanderbilt & Seewald Global Studio addresses a familiar industry problem: a designer can have a strong creative identity, editorial attention and a loyal customer base, yet lack the capital to scale production, the retail relationships to expand distribution or the infrastructure to turn runway visibility into sales. The platform takes equity or advisory positions in designer businesses, provides guidance on partnerships, and distribution and offers proprietary technology, including a “click-to-buy” system that lets audiences purchase pieces directly during runway presentations. Launching during NYFW put the venture in front of both sides of its target market: designers seeking capital and growth partners, and investors and retailers looking for emerging brands to back. Retail is following a similar playbook. Vogue noted that this September’s NYFW coincided with a wave of store openings significant enough to inspire the headline “Who Said Retail is Dead?” Victoria Beckham opened her first permanent New York store in SoHo during NYFW, while Magda Butrym opened a three-f loor SoHo f lagship ahead of her on-calendar NYFW runway debut two days later. TWP also opened a Madison Avenue flagship. These were not quiet launches. Rather, they were timed to coincide with the week when press, buyers and industry executives are most concentrated in New York, amplifying the commercial impact of each opening.

participating designers for product gifting, tryon content and paid sponsorships. The New York Fashion Tech Lab, a nonprofit accelerator for women-led business-to-business retail tech startups, unveiled its largest collective to date during NYFW this September, presenting 11 companies to retail leaders. These are structured commercial programs with negotiated terms, not informal networking. The broader industry context explains why these channels are growing. McKinsey’s “State of Fashion 2026” report projected continued low single-digit industry growth and noted that macroeconomic volatility would push brands toward partnerships, collaborations and new commercial models to sustain momentum. That pressure was visible at February’s NYFW, when Saks Global was in the early stages of a Chapter 11 restructuring and brands were recalibrating their wholesale expectations in real time. The retail turbulence did not diminish NYFW’s importance. However, it shifted strategic emphasis. Specifically, investor meetings, licensing conversations and partnership discussions around the runway became more important, not less. None of this means that every transaction closes during NYFW. Most do not. But the concentration of brands, retailers, investors, media and executives in New York during these periods creates conditions that are difficult to replicate at any other time. A brand that might wait months for a meeting with a potential distribution partner, investor or licensee can often arrange that conversation in a single week. For executives planning their approach to future seasons, the implication is practical: preparation for NYFW should extend beyond the collection and the guest list. The most productive meeting of the week may not be with an editor. It may be with the investor, the licensing partner or the retailer sitting three rows back who came to see the show but stayed for the business.

What makes this more than a collection of anecdotes is the formalization of the business infrastructure around NYFW. The commercial ecosystem now has identifiable revenue channels that did not exist a decade ago. Runway platforms like Runway 7 have built formalized creator pipelines, accrediting content creators and connecting them directly to

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FROM RUNWAY TO RETAIL: THE BRAND STORY ISN’T FINISHED UNTIL THE ASSOCIATE CAN TELL IT By David Harouche

and inventory is no longer enough. The associate has to add something the customer cannot get from a screen. That something is interpretation. Why does this piece matter? How does it fit? What makes it special? How might someone wear it differently? How does the runway idea translate into the customer’s real life? Great associates do not just repeat product information. They make it relevant.

DAVID HAROUCHE Founder and CEO, Multimedia Plus

New York Fashion Week is one of the industry’s great exercises in storytelling. Long before the first model steps onto a runway, teams have spent months shaping a point of view. The collection, styling, music, casting and setting all work together to communicate what the brand stands for and where it believes fashion is going next. Then the show ends, and the story moves quickly through social media, editorial coverage, brand channels and customer conversations. Eventually, that story arrives in the store, where it becomes something much more personal: a conversation between the customer and the associate. Customers Already Know the Story

The Runway Creates Desire. The Store Makes It Personal. Fashion is emotional. People buy because something about the product resonates with how they see themselves or how they would like to see themselves. Fashion Week creates aspiration at scale. Retail has to make that aspiration personal. A runway may show an oversized coat as part of a complete look. A customer may love it but wonder whether she can pull it off. That is where a strong associate earns trust. The conversation may be about styling, fit or helping the customer understand why the proportion is what makes the piece feel current. This is where product expertise becomes service and where storytelling becomes selling without feeling like a sales pitch. The Store Has to Carry the Story

Windows, mannequins, lighting, styling and product placement all help translate the larger brand idea into a physical experience. But visual execution and associate knowledge have to work together.

Product knowledge still matters, especially in fashion and luxury retail, but knowing price, color, fabrication

A beautifully styled mannequin creates an opportunity. If a customer asks about the look and the associate cannot explain it, the story stops at the display.

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The Associate Completes the Creative Chain Fashion companies are excellent at creating ideas. The challenge is making sure those ideas survive the last mile to the store. Creative understands the collection. Merchandising understands the assortment. Marketing understands the campaign. Visual teams understand the presentation. The associate has to absorb enough of all of it to bring the story to life for the customer. That is why front-line development matters. Associates need more than a collection overview. They need the confidence to apply what they know in conversation. Months after Fashion Week, a customer will walk into a store, pick up one of those pieces and ask a simple question: “What do you think?” That moment may never receive the attention of a runway show, but multiplied across thousands of customers and stores, those conversations are where the brand becomes real. Fashion Week may introduce the collection to the world. The associate is often the one who makes it personal.

The associate is not telling the story alone. The store speaks first.

There was a time when the store was where customers first discovered a collection. Today, they may arrive having already watched runway clips, saved looks online, read about the designer’s inspiration and checked availability. That changes the associate’s role.

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The strongest fashion retail creates continuity. The campaign, runway, digital experience, store and associate all feel like they are speaking the same language.

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COLUMNS

AI WON’T KILL THE DIGITAL STOREFRONT, BUT IT WILL CHANGE HOW FASHION MERCHANDISERS MANAGE IT By Zohar Gilad

space to have those reactions. It’s a visual way to help shoppers discover their own preferences. AI’s role in merchandising isn’t to replace browsing but to make the experience more relevant by helping merchandisers deliver the right products to the right shoppers. AI Supercharges Merchandisers’ Strategies

ZOHAR GILAD CEO and Co-Founder, Fast Simon Inc.

When you’re grocery shopping, you know exactly what you need. It’s a chore. But fashion is different. Shoppers often discover what they want by seeing it, and they take pleasure in the search. As AI changes e-commerce, some critics have argued that the death of the storefront is here. That prediction makes more sense for household necessities than it does for fashion. Fashion shoppers enjoy browsing, reacting, comparing and discovering. That’s why AI won’t replace the digital storefront. What AI will do is make the storefront smarter. The future of fashion merchandising is a division of labor: humans define the brand strategy, and AI executes the strategy at scale. The Power of Visual Discovery Fashion is about discovery. A shopper may set out with a goal, like finding a dress for a friend’s wedding, but have no specific product in mind. She might not even know how to describe what she’s looking for. But she’ll know it when she sees it. She can scan 30 images on a collection page and instantly spot what catches her eye: a color combination, silhouette or just a look that feels right. She doesn’t need to translate that preference into a text prompt. Instead of queries, fashion shoppers often have reactions, and the digital storefront gives them a

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AI’s impact on the digital storefront happens behind the scenes. It takes tedious merchandising tasks, like data entry, off the team’s plate and helps execute brand decisions at scale, so merchandisers can focus on what shoppers actually see. For example, a merchandiser knows the new fall collection should lead the site, but inventory is uneven across regions. Instead of manually rebuilding category pages throughout the day, AI can adjust ranking based on inventory, shopper behavior and business rules while the merchandiser determines which products deserve priority. That’s how AI can make the biggest difference. It can supercharge what merchandisers are capable of executing, so they can focus on strategy. How Merchandisers Can Preserve Human Control While AI excels at execution, some things are best left to humans: inspiration, judgment and taste. How do you inspire a customer to click on a product? Inspiration is hard to measure and relies on human expertise. A human-in-the-loop approach to AI ensures that merchandising decisions preserve the brand. Here are three ways that merchandisers can maintain human control while executing with AI: 1. Protect the Places That Matter Most Merchandisers can set aside dedicated areas on their site exclusively for human control, while AI optimizes the rest.

Use this tactic when brand expression matters more than optimization. The more strategically important the experience, the more human control it deserves. 2. Steer AI Toward Business Goals Merchandisers can guide AI’s logic by telling it what outcome matters most. It can optimize based on real-time business targets, like prioritizing inventory liquidation at the end of a season. Pull this lever when you want AI to make more decisions without losing control of the strategy behind them. 3. Set Rules AI Can’t Break While objectives tell AI what to optimize for, guardrails tell it what it can’t do. A merchandiser might instruct an AI agent to order products by color but require the order to be blue, then red, then green. Or they might let AI offer personalized promotions while prohibiting it from discounting products from the latest collection. These rules give merchandisers a way to protect brand standards and business requirements without having to oversee every decision. Use this tactic when specific outcomes are off limits, despite what AI thinks will perform best. The Storefront Gets Smarter Smart merchandising requires a division of labor between human merchandisers and AI. Merchandisers retain complete control over taste, aesthetic direction and brand identity. AI manages the real-time sorting, personalization and conversion optimization. The central challenge of fashion merchandising hasn’t changed: getting the right product in front of the right customer at the right time. AI is helping merchandisers do just that by turning the storefront into an intelligent, high-converting stage.

For example, a merchandiser might maintain control over a flagship product page, seasonal landing page or new collection. AI can handle product ranking and recommendations across the broader site without touching those protected areas.

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DALLAS Defines Fashion

Curating the Best Brands in the Best Place Apparel & Accessories Market

OCTOBER 20-23, 2026 72 | FM

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EDITOR’S PICKS

EDITOR’S

PICKS

1 2

1. With Jéan: Drew Jacket in Indigo Blue An elevated take on the jean jacket, this piece features a stand collar, 3/4-length sleeves and a curved hem for a distinctive silhouette. Button details and contrast stitching along the hem stand out against the denim’s deep blue wash. $209 | withjean.com 2. Cos: Silk Organza Scarf in Butter/Brown Made from lightweight, gauzy silk organza, this scarf comes in a soft butter-yellow shade with a contrasting dark brown border. The garment’s styling options are versatile, whether draped over the shoulders, worn as a hair accessory or tied to a handbag as an accent. $69 | cos.com 3. The Frankie Shop: Keasden Barrel-Leg Trouser in Camel These relaxed-fit camel trousers feature a structured barrel-leg silhouette with front pleats and crisp tailoring. Additional details include belt loops, side-seam pockets and faux back welt pockets. $285 | thefrankieshop.com 4. Parallel X: Cowhide Bambi Wallet Crafted from smooth cowhide leather, this wallet features a spotted, Bambi-inspired print. It includes interior card slots and a zippered compartment to keep essentials secure without adding bulk. $45 | parallelxstore.com 5. & Other Stories: Split Suede Tote in Dark Brown With a unique folded design, this dark brown open tote has a soft, draped silhouette that holds its shape. Dual shoulder straps and an interior card pocket add functionality to the bag. $239 | stories.com

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6. Maeve by Anthropologie: Leather Pointed-Toe Stiletto Heels in Olive Constructed from 100% leather, these slip-on pumps feature a pointed toe and a high stiletto heel. Part of an exclusive collection for Anthropologie, the classic design is defined by crisp cuts and playful polish. $188 | anthropologie.com

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From $6 to 7 Million Views: Evan Hirsch Is Giving Fashion a Second Life The maestro of convertible fashion turned a thrift-store discovery into a viral sensation, a three-show NYFW partnership with ShopGoodwill.com and—now—a new chapter at Kleinfeld Bridal. It all started with a $6 dress. Not exactly the opening line one expects from a New York Fashion Week success story, but then again, Evan Hirsch has never been particularly interested in following fashion’s conventional script. About a year and a half ago, the New York-based designer, best known for his ingenious convertible creations, wandered into a Goodwill store in Manhattan and discovered a somewhat shopworn red Bebe cocktail dress. The garment had seen better days, but Hirsch recognized something worth saving. “Good bones,” as they say in the business.

through ShopGoodwill.com. The concept explored memory, reinvention and the possibilities that emerge when clothing that has already had a life is given another one. But if the word “upcycled” conjures visions of crafty DIY projects, Hirsch rather quickly dispensed with that notion. There was a vibrant blue floral asymmetrical dress exploding in cascading layers, a shimmering gown that moved from delicate blush into midnight blue and a playful black-and-white polkadot creation interrupted by airy tulle. A sweeping black lace gown brought a decidedly darker romance to the mix. What Hirsch presented was not a parade of rescued clothing asking for applause simply because it had been rescued. These were fashion pieces that happened to begin somewhere else. That distinction matters.

He purchased it for $6, took it home, worked his magic, added a few fashion flourishes and attached a label identifying the transformed creation as a Bebe/Evan Hirsch upcycled piece. Then came the unexpected twist. Rather than keeping his handiwork or selling it at a designer price, Hirsch returned the dress to Goodwill, where it went back on the rack for its original $6 price tag. Naturally, he documented the entire adventure on TikTok.

For Hirsch, whose reputation has been built around garments that convert, transform and reveal unexpected possibilities, upcycling feels less like a pivot than an extension of his existing design vocabulary. Transformation, after all, has always been the trick up his very well-tailored sleeve. Why accept a garment’s first incarnation when the second might be considerably more interesting?

Seven million views and counting later, that little red dress had become considerably more valuable than its price tag suggested.

There is another reason the Hirsch and ShopGoodwill.com relationship feels particularly timely. Fashion has spent years talking about sustainability, sometimes so earnestly that even the most environmentally conscientious among us might be forgiven for glazing over.

The video caught the attention of a writer at People Magazine, resulting in an exclusive feature that introduced Hirsch’s experiment to millions more. Among those watching was the CEO of ShopGoodwill.com, Goodwill’s nonprofit online marketplace. A phone call followed, then an invitation for Hirsch to become the platform’s resident secondhand fashion expert, along with a partnership that would eventually bring his distinctive approach to New York Fashion Week. Not bad for a $6 investment. From the Donation Rack to the Runway Fast-forward to September, when Hirsch unveiled “New Journeys Through Old Memories,” his Spring/Summer 2027 collection created in partnership with ShopGoodwill.com. Presented at the ILA Penthouse in Chelsea to a crowd packed to the proverbial rafters, the show marked Hirsch’s third NYFW outing with the organization, following one previous runway show and a presentation. This time, Hirsch sent 30 original looks down the runway, each created using secondhand garments and materials sourced 74 | FM

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Sustainability Without the Lecture

Hirsch approaches the conversation from another direction. He makes the transformation entertaining. The clothes do the talking, social media provides the megaphone, and ShopGoodwill.com supplies a seemingly endless treasure chest of raw material. The result makes circular fashion feel less like an obligation and more like the thrill of discovering what something overlooked might become in the right hands. And the relationship does not end when the final model leaves the runway. Garments from Hirsch’s collaborative shows have been auctioned through ShopGoodwill.com, with proceeds supporting Goodwill’s nonprofit work. More than 85% of auction revenue helps fund workforce development and job placement programs around the country. This season, the collaboration became even more local. Goodwill Industries of Greater New York and Northern New Jersey joined the partnership, and following the runway show, mannpublications.com

NYFW PRESENTATION

Photos courtesy of EJ Photography

invited guests headed to Goodwill NYNJ’s Chelsea store for a private shopping event alongside fashion professionals, media and supporters. Fashion insiders leaving a NYFW runway show to go shopping at Goodwill? There’s a plot twist Anna Wintour might not have seen coming. From Goodwill to Kleinfeld Meanwhile, Hirsch’s namesake business is having another kind of New York fashion moment. Following a wildly successful Labor Day weekend trunk show, his collection of bridal capes has officially joined the assortment at Kleinfeld Bridal in Chelsea, the world’s largest bridal store and one of the industry’s most recognizable retail destinations. The category makes perfect sense for Hirsch. A bridal cape can transform a wedding gown in seconds, taking a bride from ceremony to reception, traditional to dramatic, or understated to entrance-making without changing the dress underneath. For a designer fascinated by the possibilities of transformation, bridal was practically waiting for him. The Kleinfeld placement also signals something important about where Hirsch is heading. The viral videos and ShopGoodwill.com partnership may attract attention, but behind the clicks is a designer building a business. He is simultaneously operating in secondhand fashion, social media, designer readyto-wear, bridal and experiential runway presentation without making any of it feel particularly disconnected. Perhaps that is what makes Hirsch worth watching. What Comes Next? Fashion is an industry that spends an extraordinary amount of energy searching for “new,” yet Hirsch has built much of his recent momentum by asking a different question: What if what we need is already here? A forgotten Bebe dress became a viral phenomenon. Donated clothing became a New York Fashion Week collection. A sustainability experiment became a corporate partnership. Convertible design found its way to Kleinfeld Bridal. And somewhere along the way, Hirsch made millions of people reconsider the creative potential hiding on a secondhand clothing rack. Evan Hirsch is a designer, certainly. Increasingly, though, Evan Hirsch is also a brand, a concept and a rather clever case study in what happens when oldschool design ingenuity meets the realities of a new fashion economy. All because he saw potential in a $6 red dress that someone else had already given up on. Now, that is a return on investment. mannpublications.com

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PAKISTANI COUTURIER PARISHAE ADNAN PRESENTS

Second Skin AT NYFW

akistani couturier Parishae Adnan closed Flying Solo’s Spring/Summer 2027 show during New York Fashion Week with Second Skin, an eight-look collection created from archival garments and deadstock textiles. Bringing the show to its finale, Adnan presented a body of work rooted in reconstruction, craftsmanship and the transformation of existing garments into contemporary couture. Second Skin asks what couture could become if it were designed for more than one life. Rather than treating circularity as a compromise, Adnan presents it as an evolution of luxury: one that allows a garment’s material, memory and labor to outlive its original form. Each piece begins with something that already carries a history, then moves through a process of careful dismantling, preservation and reinvention.

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For the collection, Adnan deconstructed completed garments and rebuilt them through tailoring, corsetry, hand embroidery and radical shifts in proportion. A menswear waistcoat was reshaped around the female body. A bridal lehenga, a long, heavily embroidered skirt dating from approximately 2008, became a sculpted bustier and miniskirt. Suede recovered from an unsold sherwani, a tailored coat traditionally worn by men for formal occasions, was recut into an open, cropped jacket and ultrawide trousers. A pishwas, a traditional South Asian dress with a fitted bodice and flowing skirt, became a floor-length tailored coat while retaining its dense gold embroidery. “I see old pieces that are handmade like old architecture, and destroying them would mean deleting history. When you recognize this history behind the garment—the time, the labor, the love—you will do anything to restore them. So I make a new cut or silhouette, mannpublications.com

NYFW PRESENTATION and it acts as scaffolding, reinforcing the architecture of the old pieces,” Adnan said. The collection examines how clothing communicates power, drawing on menswear, military dress, bridal wear and traditional ceremonial clothing before rebuilding those codes around the female body. Across the eight looks, sharp tailoring, strong shoulders and a tie gradually give way to corsetry, exposed structure and exaggerated volume. That progression creates a visual narrative of release: inherited forms are not erased but opened, shifted and allowed to occupy new space.

Photos courtesy of Hannah Rozelle

The opening look, “My Father’s Tie,” reshapes traditional masculine tailoring around an exaggerated hourglass silhouette. The green-and-gold brocade suit is anchored by a gold raw-silk tie, hand-embroidered by Adnan’s father— Pakistani designer Amir Adnan—for a 2001 collection. Its appearance places family history at the beginning of the collection while establishing her approach to inheritance as something active rather than static. The fourth look, “Exoskeleton,” began as an embroidered menswear waistcoat presented in December 2024. For Second Skin, the garment was taken apart and reconstructed for the female body, with its pleats and darts pushed outward rather than concealed. The visible framework preserves evidence of the original garment while making its transformation part of the finished design. Construction is not hidden beneath the surface; it becomes the surface. The technique is rooted in fabric manipulation, using the existing cloth to create structure and dimension rather than relying solely on applied embellishment. Pleats and darts, traditionally used to quietly control fit and shape, are exaggerated and redirected outward to form a sculptural exoskeleton around the body. By exposing these construction devices, the garment turns the mechanics of tailoring into a decorative, architectural element. The collection reaches its fullest volume in the seventh look—a sweeping tulle ballgown—before closing with

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“Reincar nation.” This final look transforms a traditional pishwas from the same December 2024 presentation into a floor-length coat. Although its original silhouette no longer exists, the hand-embroidered black velvet survives in a different form, carrying the workmanship of the earlier piece forward rather than consigning it to an archive. Raised in her family’s fashion workshops, Adnan treats inheritance as material to work with, not something that must remain untouched. Second Skin incorporates brocade from previous collections, textiles originally used by her father and suede recovered from an unsold garment. Individual looks represent upwards of 2,500 hours of workmanship, with much of the collection developed and finished by hand. Intricate embroidery is built up over hundreds of hours, while tailoring, corsetry and fabric manipulation give each piece its structure. The scale of the workmanship is perhaps most apparent up close, where the density of the embroidery and the precision of the construction reveal just how much work lies behind each look. It is an approach to making rooted in the traditions of couture, where time, technique and the hand of the maker remain visible in the finished garment. The presentation was attended by members of New York’s creative community, including Grammy Awardwinning musician Arooj Aftab, artist and influencer Sufi, and actor Anika Zulfikar. Also in attendance was Adnan’s mother Huma Adnan, a celebrated designer and pioneer of sustainable fashion in Pakistan. The attendee list brought together voices across music, art, fashion and film, reflecting the broader creative community surrounding the presentation. Rooted in South Asian craft and expressed through a contemporary couture vocabulary, Second Skin challenges established ideas about where couture comes from, what it can look like and how long it should be allowed to live. Through garments that hold both visible history and new possibility, Adnan proposes a model of luxury defined not by novelty alone but by time, skill, provenance and transformation.

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Photos courtesy of Janice Yim

Bright Lights Little Stars Rookie Kids and Macy’s Take Broadway On a late-summer evening in Manhattan, the bright lights of Herald Square illuminated a runway unlike any other on the New York Fashion Week calendar. The models were young, the audience was starstudded, and the energy spilled well beyond the invitation-only crowd as passersby gathered along Broadway to cheer on the evening’s pint-sized stars. We l c o m e 78 | FM

“ Ru n w ay

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Broadway: Where NYC Goes Back to School,” a fashion spectacle presented by Macy’s and Rookie Kids in partnership with Haddad Brands and the Second Round Foundation. Hosted by New York Knicks captain Jalen Brunson, the event transformed the Broadway side of Macy’s iconic Herald Square flagship into an outdoor fashion destination, bringing together children’s apparel, professional mannpublications.com

NYFW PRESENTATION sports, entertainment and philanthropy for an evening that felt distinctly New York. For Rookie Kids, the evening represented considerably more than a traditional back-to-school presentation. It was an opportunity to showcase children’s fashion on one of retail’s most recognizable stages, with an audience extending from invited industry insiders and celebrities to enthusiastic New Yorkers lining the public sidewalk. Big Brands, Small Models The runway featured back-to-school looks from Levi’s, Nike, Abercrombie & Fitch, Lacoste and Jordan, offering a crosssection of the established fashion and athletic brands shaping the children’s apparel market. From sportswear and denim to preppy classics and streetwearinspired looks, the presentation reflected the increasingly blurred lines between adult fashion and children’s wardrobes. Behind the production was Haddad Brands, the family-owned children’s apparel company that encompasses the design, sourcing, distribution and marketing of licensed products for some of the world’s most recognizable labels. For the Gar ment District and broader apparel industry, the event illustrated the intersection of brand licensing, retail partnerships and experiential marketing. Rather than presenting children’s apparel exclusively through conventional seasonal merchandising, Rookie Kids and Macy’s placed the category within the broader cultural conversation surrounding New York Fashion Week.

The evening’s guest list also included Ice-T and Coco Austin, Craig Melvin, Adrienne Bailon, DaBaby, Jordyn Woods, Jenni “JWoww” Farley, Tiki Barber, Josh Hart, Jose Alvarado, A-Boogie, Fat Joe, DaniLeigh, D’Angelo Russell, David Cone and Fern Mallis, reflecting the crossover appeal of an event that brought together personalities from fashion, music, professional sports and popular culture. Beyond the invited guests, crowds gathered along Broadway, watching the young models and their celebrity parents beneath the glow of Herald Square’s illuminated signs. Their cheers transformed what might otherwise have been a private fashion presentation into a public celebration. The Knicks Bring Their Own Runway Energy Performances by the Knicks City Kids, Knicks City Dancers and Brooklyn United reinforced the connection between fashion and the city’s sporting culture, adding another layer of movement and spectacle to the proceedings. Brunson’s role as host also connected the evening’s fashion component with its philanthropic purpose. Following the show, Rookie Kids presented a donation to the Second Round Foundation, established by Brunson and his family to create opportunities for young people through education, athletics and community engagement. The foundation’s mission emphasizes the confidence, discipline and resources that help young people succeed, giving the evening a charitable dimension beyond its fashion and entertainment programming.

A Family Affair Under the City Lights

More Than a Back-to-School Fashion Show

Celebrity families were an integral part of the evening, with children of entertainers, professional athletes and influencers taking their turns on the catwalk. Several parents joined their children on the runway, creating moments that joyously blurred the distinction between fashion show and family celebration.

For Macy’s, the presentation brought a fresh interpretation of back-to-school fashion to its flagship location. For Rookie Kids and Haddad Brands, it provided a high-visibility platform for children’s apparel during one of the fashion industry’s most closely watched weeks.

But perhaps the evening’s most compelling family moment unfolded before one very famous mother even reached the venue.

More broadly, Runway on Broadway demonstrated how a traditional retail fashion show can become a larger cultural experience when the right elements come together: recognizable brands, a landmark location, celebrity participation, live entertainment and a charitable purpose.

Taking a break from her European tour, rapper Lil’ Kim flew from Paris to New York for the express purpose of watching her daughter, Royal Reign, walk the runway. A four-hour flight delay threatened to derail her plans, forcing her to miss the red carpet entirely. Arriving at West 35th Street and Sixth Avenue with virtually no time to spare, Lil’ Kim was met by security and whisked directly from her car to a front-row seat, arriving just in time to see Royal make her runway appearance. For a show celebrating children and families, the transatlantic dash provided an unexpectedly touching moment. Royal enjoyed her own spotlight as both a runway model and VIP guest, while her mother’s determination to be there underscored a sentiment that transcended fashion: some moments are simply too important to miss.

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As the young models made their way down the runway and the crowds along Broadway continued to cheer, the evening offered a reminder that fashion’s ability to entertain, inspire and bring people together isn’t limited by age. Under the bright lights of Herald Square, the next generation had its moment in the spotlight. And New York, as always, provided the perfect stage.

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NYFW PRESENTATION Photo courtesy of Lærke Rose Møllegaard

Tang Chi Couture Explores Love, Mortality and the Beauty of Darkness in ‘In Between…’ 80 | FM

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At a New York Fashion Week increasingly crowded with emerging voices, Tang Chi Couture offered something distinctly its own: a world built around darkness, romance, craftsmanship and emotion. On Sept. 11, New York-based designer Maggie Fan presented her first solo NYFW runway at The Georgia Room, unveiling the 25look Spring/Summer 2027 collection, “In Between…”. Following Tang Chi Couture’s runway debut at London Fashion Week in 2025, the NYFW presentation marked an important homecoming for Fan, who is based in New York, and a significant step forward for the young couture house.

Photo courtesy of Lærke Rose Møllegaard

Fan’s work has always been rooted in storytelling. Her previous collection, Silent Marks, explored the passage of time and the physical and emotional traces it leaves behind. With In Between…, she moves deeper into that conversation, asking what exists within time—and what comes after it. The collection explores the space between life and death, light and darkness, and love and mortality, embracing what Fan describes as a sense of “quiet violence and deadly romance.” The concept is not simply intellectual; it is translated directly into the clothes. Dramatic gowns feature hand-felted birds, their fragile forms suggesting mourning and vulnerability. One particularly striking look transforms the idea of a love letter into a death threat, pairing a black bird with handwritten red notes. The motif continues into the footwear, where a shoe steps onto a threatening love letter. Elsewhere, two sculptural looks created entirely through hand-felting act as twins, representing opposing forces of light and darkness. Nature remains one of Fan’s most important references. Custom floral prints were developed from gifted flowers that she allowed to dry and wither naturally, their altered shapes becoming the basis for new textile designs. A dotted velvet motif takes inspiration from the intricate patterns of moth wings, reinforcing the collection’s recurring imagery of transformation, attraction, fragility and danger. Yet In Between… is not simply an exercise in couture fantasy. One of the collection’s most compelling developments is Fan’s move toward wearability and accessibility. Alongside couture, the 25 looks introduce made-to-order and ready-to-wear pieces, while a new ready-to-wear footwear line translates the designer’s distinctive aesthetic into a more accessible category. Felting, one of Tang Chi Couture’s signatures, is similarly expanded beyond couture into wearable pieces and hand-felted details.

Photo courtesy of Lærke Rose Møllegaard

The runway itself extended the collection’s narrative. Designed as a dark, mysterious and slightly surreal environment, the presentation used theatrical pacing, lighting, music and movement to immerse guests in Fan’s world rather than simply display the clothes. There is a confidence in Tang Chi Couture that makes Fan particularly compelling to watch. Her designs are highly conceptual, but they are grounded in genuine craftsmanship and a willingness to experiment. With In Between…, she demonstrates that she can build an entire visual language around an idea while simultaneously beginning to broaden the commercial possibilities of the brand. For a designer still early in her trajectory, that combination—a distinct point of view, serious craft and an evolving understanding of the wearer—is worth paying attention to. Tang Chi Couture may have arrived at NYFW as a debut, but Maggie Fan is already designing with the perspective of a house in the making.

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Photo courtesy of Karla Tomanelli Photo courtesy of Lærke Rose Møllegaard

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TRADESHOWS

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Photo courtesy of Unsplash October 2026 FM | 83

TRADESHOWS

EDIT SWIMSHOW X CURVE Returns to Coconut Grove for Its Second Edition This October SwimShow, the longest-running swim and resort wear trade show, announced the return of Edit SwimShow x Curve for its second edition. Following the success of the inaugural event in 2025, the curated trade show will return to Mr. C Miami Coconut Grove in October, once again connecting leading and emerging brands with retailers, buyers, media and industry professionals in an intimate, boutique-style setting. Presented in collaboration with Curve, Edit SwimShow x Curve brings together the swim and intimates communities under one roof to explore opportunities across both categories. For buyers and retailers, Edit provides the opportunity to place additional orders from core collections and interseasonal styles, as well as to shop immediates and custom order opportunities. Building on a Successful First Edition Designed as a complementary market to SwimShow’s flagship summer event, Edit creates an environment where meaningful conversations, brand discovery and sourcing take center stage. A strong first edition laid the foundation for the show to return this year. Now entering its second edition, the show will continue to strengthen Miami’s position as a year-round destination for the swim, resort and intimates industries while welcoming back returning participants and introducing new brands to the market. An Intimate Miami Market Experience The Edit community will have the chance to connect more intimately while enjoying a staycation at Mr. C Miami, including delicious breakfasts and lunches, wellness activities, educational panel discussions and networking cocktail hours at sunset. A Curated Brand Lineup This year’s show brings together established names and emerging designers across swimwear, resort wear, accessories, intimates and menswear. Participating Photos courtesy of SwimShow

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TRADESHOWS brands include Vitamin A, Helen Jon, Rio de Sol, Isabella Rose, Mina de Oro, Lucky Brand, Sunburst, Luli Fama, Miami Chains & Co, Becca, Muche et Muchette, Z&L Europe and Tribu Men’s. “We are excited to continue our swim journey while maintaining a nimble presence, offering convenience and an additional market date to an industry that continues to grow with us,” said Judy Stein, executive director of SwimShow. “We are incredibly excited to bring Edit SwimShow x Curve to life,” said Raphael G. Camp, CEO of Comexposium US. “Our partnership with SwimShow brings together two respected industry platforms with a shared commitment to creating meaningful business opportunities for brands and buyers. This collaboration marks an exciting new chapter that celebrates connection and the evolving future of the swimwear and intimate apparel industries.” The curated lineup will give buyers the opportunity to explore new collections, discover fresh perspectives and connect directly with brands in a relaxed, elevated setting.

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TRADESHOWS

JIS Fall 2026 Returns to Miami Beach with Essential Holiday Sourcing, Trend Talks and New Exhibitors Jewelers International Showcase (JIS) will return to the Miami Beach Convention Center in October as an essential sourcing destination for jewelry retailers making critical final inventory decisions ahead of the holiday selling season. With access to more than 600 exhibitors, immediate at-show delivery and future-order buying, retailers can fill inventory gaps, replenish proven sellers and secure trend-driven merchandise before peak demand. Strategically timed ahead of the busiest retail period of the year, the fall edition will bring independent retailers, multistore operators and buying groups together with suppliers from leading jewelry-producing regions around the world. Buyers can efficiently restock fastmoving merchandise, respond to late-breaking consumer trends and refresh their holiday assortments across fine jewelry, fashion jewelry, bridal, gemstones, silver, gold, accessories, technology and business services. Holiday sourcing remains at the center of the fall JIS experience. Complementing the buying floor, this year’s show will offer timely education, networking events and interactive activations designed to help attendees identify what’s selling, meet new suppliers and make informed purchasing decisions throughout the four-day event. The show will feature a series of trend talks, bringing current industry conversations directly to the show floor through 30-minute sessions. First, industry expert Jen Cullen Williams will moderate “Beyond Metal: What’s New in Alternative Materials” with Victoria Gomelsky of JCK Magazine. Williams and Gomelsky will return for “What’s Trending in Design,” exploring the ideas and influences shaping jewelry design. During “Ready for the Rush: Holiday Retail Trends Straight Off the JIS Floor,” Williams and consultant Tammy Lail will cover product and design trends and discuss how retailers are preparing for the holiday season.

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Photos courtesy of JIS

TRADESHOWS

“For jewelry retailers, timing is everything, and JIS fall provides an important opportunity to make critical final adjustments to holiday assortments,” said Sara McDonough, event director of JIS. “The ability to source from more than 600 exhibitors, take immediate delivery of inventory and place future orders makes the event especially valuable this close to peak selling season. This year’s talks, activations and networking experiences will give buyers even more ways to discover what’s new and make every day in Miami Beach productive.” The show’s networking schedule will begin with a welcome reception, spotlighting new JIS exhibitors and giving attendees and exhibitors a relaxed setting to connect after the first day of buying. Planned activations include a custom embroidery experience, a puppy activation, an interactive gem color forecast and a gift-wrapping studio, creating more opportunities for attendees to pause, participate and enjoy the show beyond the buying floor. JIS will also welcome a range of new exhibitors, giving retailers additional opportunities to discover fresh collections and establish supplier relationships ahead of the holidays. Among the new names currently featured are Jewels by Anu, Previato, Sky Wing, Orchid Gems, Om Color Diamonds, Athra, AAB Style, Augusta Estrada Jewelry, Estojos Baldi, Gurjar Global and Jewelerette & Co. Designed exclusively for qualified members of the jewelry trade, JIS fall gives retailers a critical opportunity to react before the holidays, replenishing best sellers, replacing fastmoving stock, testing trend-driven additions and expanding assortments while there is still time to influence fourth-quarter sales. With immediate and future-order purchasing available in one marketplace, buyers can address urgent inventory needs while planning what comes next.

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October 2026

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TRADESHOWS

Atlanta Apparel Closes Out the Year With New Brands and Expanded Lineups Atlanta Apparel will return to AmericasMart Atlanta in October for a four-day event, closing out holiday and winter buying and opening early sourcing for Spring/Summer 2027 and resort wear. The show will feature seven divisions— ready-to-wear, premiere (contemporary), young contemporary, jewelry, fashion accessories, resort and shoes—allowing retailers to cover multiple apparel categories in a single visit. “This market gives retailers one trip to close out holiday and winter while getting ahead on spring and resort,” said Caron Stover, senior vice president of apparel leasing for Andmore. “The new brands and expanded resort lineup on the floor this market reflect just how much buyers are asking to see across those categories.” New Brands and an Expanded Resort Category The October roster will add new showrooms and lines, including Be Boho Fashion, Lazamani, Madison Agency Showroom, Moda-Mondo Imports Inc., Richard Stone Studio, Sorella, Tyche, Z Supply, JJMotiff, Shanghai Wanhui Apparel Co., Azalea Wang, Limiseven, Lords of Harlech, Nane and Pink Butter Studio. This market’s resort category will feature Brisara, Edite Showroom, Gretchen Scott, Jude Connally, Oliphant, Pearls & Camo, Smith & Quinn and Sorella, offering specialty and boutique buyers warmweather and destination dressing options alongside Spring 2027 previews. First Finds and Shoe Studio Round Out the Floor More than 300 “first finds” temporary exhibitors will show alongside showrooms in this market, with additional depth in accessories, jewelry and gifting. Buyers

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can plan to visit America & Beyond, BC Handbags, Case-Mate, Chansuttpearls, Teleties, TRVL Design, What’s Hot, Yochi Inc., 8th Story, Melissa by Kozan, Dolma Inc., LiaBella, Mary Square LLC, Salrosa, Stewart Simmons, Planet, Lulu Mac, Parc Packaging, Simply Southern, American Paper & Plastic and Caroline Hill, among others. The shoe studio will return with its widest assortment yet, hosting All Black, Antelope Shoes, Azalea Wang, Betsey Johnson, Bonavi, Charleston Shoe Co., Dolce Vita, DV by Dolce Vita, GC Shoes, Exe, Gola, Jack Rogers, Kork-Ease, Lines of Denmark, Matisse Footwear, Mia Shoes, PGF Footwear, Shu by ShuShop, Soda, Softt Shoe Co Inc., Spring Footwear Corp., Steve Madden, Vaneli Shoes, Vionic and Yellow Box Shoes, spanning comfort, fashion and everyday categories under one roof. Market Stars Atlanta Apparel’s market stars program will spotlight two boutique owners for their social reach and merchandising influence. Trinity Gabrielle Mallard of Fashionably Fitted in Albany, Georgia, and Katie Jacobs of Cheeky Peach in Athens, Georgia, will be sharing their favorite product finds throughout the show via Instagram, offering fresh inspiration and must-see picks in real time. Events and Activations A series of sponsor activations will run throughout the week, including designing a custom charm necklace with Hidden Truth Jewelry, personalizing an accessory at the bag charm activation with America & Beyond or receiving a complimentary permanent bracelet at the Bara Boheme piercing station.

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Photos courtesy of Andmore

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October 2026

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ANTIITHEFT WATER RESISTANT FOR TRAVEL & EVERYDAY 90 | FM October 2026 mannpublications.com

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26 Seasons of New York Men’s Day

A Launchpad for Emerging Menswear Talent Photo courtesy of Yongqi Liu

Photo courtesy of Yongqi Liu

ALIENANT

Photo courtesy of Max Bernetz

ALIENANT

Photo courtesy of Max Bernetz

AVON ANGLERS

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AVON ANGLERS mannpublications.com

Photo courtesy of Chia-Ta Tsai

Photo courtesy of Virginia Kluiters

CLARA SON

Photo courtesy of Chia-Ta Tsai

Photo courtesy of Virginia Kluiters

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N e w Yo rk M e n’s D a y ( N Y M D ) celebrated its 26th season, kicking of f New York Fashion Week with a presentation of eight menswear collections. Retur ning for the third consecutive season as presenting sponsor, Project and Coterie by Infor ma hosted the event’s afternoon session, creating a dedicated space for buyers, editors, stylists and industry insiders to connect and discover talent showing throughout NYMD. “With Coterie and New York Men’s Day happening at the same time, we’re proud to bring our communities even closer together,” said Brian Bartiss, vice president of sales at Fashion by Informa. “Project and Coterie has always been about discovery, connectivity and elevating the most compelling voices in fashion, and partnering with NYMD allows us to continue our mission. Supporting designers through this platfor m is essential to nurturing the next wave of global talent, and we’re thrilled to celebrate that energy with NYMD this September.” Continuing its partnership with Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan, the showcase retur ned to the state-ofthe-art flagship dealership in Hell’s Kitchen. NYMD occupied the ground level of the facility, inaugurating four new brands and four returning designers. “We are proud to host New York Men’s Day at Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan for the third time, continuing to support emerging menswear talent in New York City,” said Manuel Terrones, general manager of Mercedes-Benz of Manhattan. “Our 330,000-squarefoot showroom once again transforms into a dynamic stage for innovation, where fashion, design and automotive excellence intersect. As we celebrate 140 years since the invention of the automobile and 100 year s of the Mercedes-Benz name, partnerships l i k e N Y M D re f l e c t o u r o n g o i n g commitment to shaping the future of creativity and cultural experiences.”

BIG OCEAN X ANDY YU

CLARA SON

LAST LOOK

BIG OCEAN X ANDY YU

Conceived to nurture emerging talent and consolidate top menswear and genderless designers in an easy-toview venue, NYMD featured eight d e s i g n e r s a n d c o l l e c t i o n s. E a c h participating designer presented their October 2026

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LAST LOOK

Photo courtesy of Humberto Cantu

Photo courtesy of Ethan Lewy

OUILA

ETHAN LEWY

latest collections in their own designated sections to reflect the label’s identity and inspiration. T he for mat of showcasing all presentations at the same time created an easy flow for media, buyer s, inf luencer s and VIPs, allowing them to move through collections and spend time with designers. Agentry PR, which was founded in 2010 by fashion visionary Erin Hawker, produces and executes NYMD. “We built New York Men’s Day to be a launchpad, and this season continues to be the best expression of that vision,” said Hawker. “With four designer s r e t u r n i n g — Av o n A n g l e r s , Christopher Lowman, Clara Son and Science Project Company—to push their narratives even further, and four new voices—Alienant, Big Ocean x Andy Yu, Ethan Lewy and Ouila—stepping onto the platform for the first time, NYMD continues to be a place where menswear and expansive design can take real risks in front of the industry. We’re incredibly grateful to our partners, whose ongoing support allows us to keep investing in emerging talent and growing this community, and we’re excited to see how this group raises the bar for what New York menswear can be.”

Photo courtesy of Humberto Cantu

ETHAN LEWY

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Photo courtesy of Ethan Lewy

October 2026

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Photo courtesy of Science Project Company

Photo courtesy of Geremy Dubensky

LAST LOOK

CHRISTOPHER LOWMAN SCIENCE PROJECT COMPANY

Photo courtesy of Science Project Company

Photo courtesy of Geremy Dubensky

CHRISTOPHER LOWMAN mannpublications.com

SCIENCE PROJECT COMPANY

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