Introducing: Project Cobalt

Project Cobalt is a new way of bringing creative people together through the power of collaboration. Its mission is to enable the next generation of creators by providing them with the tools, resources and platforms that they may not otherwise have, in order to help bring their vision to life.  To help identify these young creators, Project Cobalt is working with a variety of industry experts across entertainment, fashion, technology and more.

Taking lead on all communication, marketing, and PR strategies, VOCAL has undertaken introducing Project Cobalt's Style Initiative to the masses. Managing events such as the brand's launch party at SoHo House and the first ever workshop during this year's AGENDA Emerge, VOCAL has been able to work with Project Cobalt's established partners such as Jeff Staple, Liza Deyrmenjian and Liberty Fairs.

ProjectCobalt.com

For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

New York Welcomes Sweden

The Tiger of Sweden storyspans over more than a hundred years. it is a true tale, which occasionally sways between golden years and pitch black prospects, more than once pushed forward by brave people with innovative minds. They all practised what we call “A Different cut” – an expression that goes beyond what you can accomplish with fabrics, scissors, threads and stitches. in our world, it’s a state of mind. It all began in a small town on the west coast of Sweden. Just over a hundred years later you can find us in stores spread over three continents, plus the ever growing digital world. And we are ready for more. 

To introduce Tiger of Sweden to the influential US editorial community, E&B and VOCAL will create an engaging media event that will educate, excite and inform.

A bespoke brand film will help communicate Tiger of Sweden’s rich history and it’s influence on Swedish culture, as well as highlight the brand’s continual contributions to fashion.

The AW14 collection will be exhibited in a way that promotes interaction, allowing guests to understand the brand’s dedication to quality and superiority of fit.

Further building the character of the event and enforcing the message of ‘the new luxe’, the underlying Swedish theme will continuously be integrated in a premium way through the food, beverage and environment design. 

For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

PBLC TRDE NY: Menswear Wholesaling Redefined

PBLC TRDE NY: Rebranded, Restructured, and Remaining True to Wholesaling Excellence

 

Following a recent branding and business overhaul, PBLC TRDE NY is entering the new year revitalized to continue their mission of championing globally progressive fashion labels and emerging brands with a strong focus on high-end client relations and sales services.

As a hotbed for emerging menswear brands of casual distinction, PBLC TRDE NY is a curated wholesale studio that executes the sale of selected men’s fashion with a holistic consideration of the entire merchandising process. Operating as a multi-line showroom to provide each label exposure in its entirety, the actual experience for each brand is more in-house, receiving guidance and support on all aspects of successfully bringing their collections to the right market. The result is a considered strategy that, while constantly maintaining brand integrity, ensures sales growth from a solid foundation to a strong market presence.

Formerly operating under the name Indigo Showroom since 2009, PBLC TRDE NY has formed a partnership with Townes creative brand agency to strengthen both company and client positioning, reinforced by a showroom team composed of brand managers that are well versed in retail, wholesale and merchandising. Strategic creative partnerships bring together expert alignment with a deep understanding of sales, aesthetic, communications and market culture, all centered on achieving strong revenue growth with the client's needs foremost in mind. While remaining true to breaking ground for the best of emerging brands, PBLC TRDE NY has become recognized as a showroom where retailers can find viable, exciting niche brands that are not over-saturated in the market.

“We are a small agency that really supports our clients,” says PBLC TRDE NY co-founder and owner, Laura Baker. “We push all of our clients to work together and share best practices; in doing this, all of the small companies feel as if they are part of a larger company and have the support of one another.”

With the invaluable ability to discern a young brand’s personal and commercial potential, PBLC TRDE NY is currently facilitating the establishment and growth of some of North America’s most exciting emerging menswear brands, including Chapter, Jardine, Nicholas K, Stroble NY and Costalots. PBLC TRDE NY has also championed the US introduction of international brands Dzojchen, Krane, Novemb3r and Ecoalf. In addition, the PBLC TRDE NY showroom acts as a display area for Brooklyn-based furniture designer Uhuru, who regularly redress the space to maintain a fresh and inspiring environment.

For more information, visit www.pblctrdeny.com.

#SaveTheDate: Pantone Colorwear X Scoop NYC Popup Shop

Pantone, the world’s most revered and influential brand in color, is very proud to unveil their sportswear collection, Pantone Colorwear, at the New York City popup store in partnership with Scoop NYC, opening February 7th. As confidently stylish sportswear designed from an informed understanding of color, each piece within the collection embodies its respective color personality and corresponding color emotions. To compliment the new Pantone Colorwear collection itself, the prestigious architectural agency Humbert & Poyet of France designed an engaging store experience that transports the visitor deep into the world of color.

To celebrate this unison of fashion and color, Pantone is hosting an exclusive store launch event on Tuesday February 11th, complete with a classic ribbon-cutting ceremony performed by Scoop NYC CEO at 7pm. Extending to a block takeover in partnership with The Standard Hotel, festivities will continue at the ice-skating rink awash in Pantone’s Color Of The Year. As part of the lead-up campaign, a team of Pantone ambassadors is bringing a splash of color to the streets of New York City, each with a balloon bouquet representing the palette of this season’s Pantone Colorwear range.

Empire & Branch: Foreign Fashion, Local Success

Empire & Branch Combine Authenticity & Vision with Industry Expertise & Knowledge in Aesthetics, Messaging & Trade

Advancing beyond standard distribution and licensing models with a view to revolutionize the international fashion businesscape, Empire & Branch is emerging as the industry go-to for foreign brands looking to scalably launch in the North American marketplace. A uniquely comprehensive merchandizing approach incorporates all branding and business services to execute a thorough and successful market presence – from branding, marketing, PR, wholesale, retail, and e-commerce, through to warehousing and logistics solutions.

With an intimate understanding of the global fashion business and the various North American markets, Empire and Branch offers brands the ideal incubator platform through which to strategically maintain and enhance brand integrity while entering one of the largest and most complex markets in the world. The formation of a unique partnership with each brand ensures that the full range of business goals are aligned to maximize both profitability and sustainability, underpinned by the significant minimizing of risk. The refined brand selection criteria of Empire & Branch further ensures enterprise success, requiring a cultivated blend of personality, commercial viability and cultural significance.

Launching with three iconic brands, Empire & Branch clearly offers an invaluable approach to foreign companies entering the North American markets. As the world’s most revered and influential brand in color, Pantone Colorwear apparel is being introduced for Spring/Summer 2014; targeted at the male that appreciates classic style and vibrant color, this collection epitomizes the new basic – minimal yet all about the details. Founded by “the godfather of men’s fashion”, the British men’s fashion house Hardy Amies offers traditional menswear styling with an authentic and refreshing modern insight. And presenting the epitome of smart Scandinavian style, Tiger of Sweden is minimalist fashion with proud attitude; a different clean cut in high quality.

Bringing together a combined 70 years of expertise from each corner of fashion and business, Empire & Branch is well positioned to execute creative & business development. As sales, merchandizing and marketing director, Chris Pappas has helped champion brands such as Hugo Boss, Donna Karan, Ben Sherman, Diesel, G-Star and PRPS. A high performing international sales and brand development executive, Deepak Gayadin’s implementation of key strategic sales initiatives and accelerated staff development programs in Europe and North America helped grow G-Star Raw from a local brand to one of the major players in the international arena. After serving as a marketing executive and the driving force behind Diesel worldwide, Maurizio Marchiori was appointed VP of Marketing for Diesel USA to fulfill an increasingly important role that developed the brand from a product-oriented company to a forward-thinking market-driven leader. As a finance and retail specialist in Europe, the Middle East and the Americas, Sandro Risi has a long and proven history in creating new business, reviewing and implementing acquisitions in the retail and luxury sector.

As custodians of their foreign brands, Empire & Branch expand brand and business innovation beyond design experience through the social development of structure and ability. Through their unique approach that incorporates all aspects of successful market penetration, this brand-building collective becomes a one-stop shop for fashion brands entering North America. For more information visit www.empireandbranch.com, or contact: chris@empireandbranch.com.

MAN Show 2014 For Selected Menswear Brands

A Curated Community of Today’s Leading Menswear & Lifestyle Labels

As the preferred menswear trade event for the more discerning sector of the industry, MAN is entering it’s fifth season with events in the fashion capitals of Paris and New York City. Showcasing collections for Fall /Winter 2014, MAN Paris is taking place during the city’s fashion week from January 17-19, and MAN NYC during Men's Market Week from January 21-23, 2014.

Open exclusively to buyers, press and fashion industry professionals, the strong curatorial ethos of MAN continually ensures a tight selection of up-and-coming designers as well as established contemporary menswear brands. Continuing strong into 2014, MAN remains devoted to offering their brands a welcomed introduction to the right cultivated buyers, as well as key media outlets and retailers from large scale department stores to independent, off the beaten path boutiques. MAN is first and foremost a place to build business and make lasting industry connections.

The team behind MAN has a long and involved history in men’s fashion and creative design: Antoine Floch, formerly of Surface to Air and Rendez-Vous tradeshow, and the creative team forming The Imaginers Paris, Romain Bernardie-James and Olivier Migda. With a new approach to creating a truly valuable event for men’s fashion industry, the great and growing success of MAN has largely been due to their refined yet comprehensive brand selection process; from brand personality and communication, website and seasonal lookbooks, to their educated understanding of the various international markets, all brand assets are assessed.

“To the extent of ongoing world travel in search of inspiring young companies, we strive to bring together the best in menswear,” says Director of MAN, Antoine Floch. “What’s most important is that each has something unique to contribute to the men’s fashion community.”

Beginning with just 30 innovative brands for the debut event in January 2012 and growing to a curated selection of almost 60 brands for their most recent event, the MAN shows have become pivotal dates in the international menswear calendar. With an understanding that personal style extends into lifestyle, MAN encompasses more than just apparel to include a range of goods and services that embody the considered taste of the modern man. From grooming products and lifestyle boutiques to local restaurants and a media lounge hosted by New York Whiskey Club in conjunction with The Randolf Group, MAN creates the ideal platform for like-minded entities within the industry to come together and foster aligned and amiable business relationships.

From strength to strength, MAN has grown to launch WOMAN shows, creating the same inspiring community for the womanswear industry. For 2014, MAN will now expand the platform to include a Tokyo show to include the Asian market. For more information please visit www.man-shows.com. 

A British Tailoring Icon Arrives in the US

“In fashion today there are no old men; only the young and the dead” – Hardy Amies

 

Empire & Branch, New York’s preeminent brand collective masterfully unifying creativity and enterprise, is very proud to announce the long awaited state-side arrival of iconic British men’s fashion house Hardy Amies. Available for Spring 2014, North America is set for an introduction to traditional menswear styling with an authentic and refreshing modern insight.       

Sir Edwin Hardy Amies, the visionary godfather of men’s fashion, began to establish himself as such during the 1940’s through his innovative and insightful progression of traditional British menswear on Savile Row, London’s home of tailoring. Popularizing ready-to-wear for men, Amies bridged the defining divide between the established and common classes, and in so doing brought the styling of elevated men’s fashion to all. His most lasting contribution to the refined male aesthetic that remains as relevant today as it was revolutionary when published in 1964, is the bible of men’s style: ABC of Men’s Fashion.

Fifty years on Hardy Amies is finally arriving in the United States, bringing with it the epitome of menswear heritage. Far more a brand of style than fashion, the traditions of the Savile Row establishment are entirely respected while progressing refined menswear through a new means of embracing the enduring integrity of masculine British dress. Hardy Amies stands alone in its ability to style the modern man as a confident leader of men, incorporating the fundamental hallmarks of the classic, aligned with the intelligent touchstones of contemporary and progressive design. This modern man need not purchase his way to confident style, but rather apply astute and deliberate consideration to his wardrobe. Simplifying this process was and is the genius of Hardy Amies, while leaving a man’s wallet more than capable enough to proudly enjoy his wardrobe in both work and leisure.

While mastering the thoughtful design for the worldly application of menswear is a serious endeavor, most especially for the modern man, male dress itself must remain foremost about ease. “A man should look as if he had bought his clothes with intelligence, put them on with care and then forgotten all about them,” Amies famously informed. And it is with this philosophy that Hardy Amies continues as the leader in outfitting men of the world.

“Hardy Amies epitomizes “the new London cool”, and we are very proud to launch this most iconic Savile Row brand for Autumn/Winter 2014,” says Empire & Branch Principal, Deepak Gayadin. “As a full lifestyle concept, the Hardy Amies range includes both men’s sportswear and men’s suiting, complimented by an offering of leather bags and footwear.”

Empire & Branch will be implementing a multi-channel distribution approach, focusing on specialty and corporate stores, shop-in-shop for high-end department stores, and eCommerce. For all media inquiries contact VOCAL.  

Worldly Handbag Design for the Women of the World

Laura Vela Launches Pre Spring Exclusively at WiNK in Time for the Holidays

Manhattan-based fashion accessories designer Laura Vela, specializing in luxury handbags for the stylishly confident woman, is debuting her latest collection at New York’s leading women’s fashion retailer WiNK. Exclusively released through WiNK stores, the Ramble On collection for Spring /Summer 2014 presents progressive handbag designs in premium leather with striking compliments of exotic python skin.

Crafted with only the highest quality leather sourced from Italy, Argentina and Spain, Laura Vela is redefining luxury through global influences to edgy, minimalist designs. For the SS14 Ramble On collection inspiration has been taken directly from Vela’s nomadic lifestyle throughout the world. Seeing clearly the direct correlation between travel and the personal development of character, emotions drawn from Parisian architecture to exotic landscapes of Buenos Aires bring a uniquely cosmopolitan aesthetic to the collection that compliment the considered and refined designs of Laura Vela handbags. To facilitate the connection to the source of inspiration, each item has been named accordingly: the Pari bag tells a story of Paris romance, Trope of summer evenings in Saint Tropez, while Mia communicates the distinctive feel of Miami sunsets.

“A woman’s handbag is the most personal part of her wardrobe. It should be a reflection of her, both inside and out,” informs Vela of her underlying philosophy. Through this her handbags compliment the free-spirited woman who exudes chic and effortless style; the true woman within all women.

The Laura Vela Ramble On collection for Spring /Summer ’14 exclusively at WiNK, New York City, and online at www.lauravela.com.