Project New York is going to invite the public into its men’s show this summer.
For the first time, Project, which is part of Informa Markets Fashion, will include a retail concept store during the upcoming show on July 18 and 19. The show will be held at Iron 23 in the Flatiron district and the store will be located next door at 14 West 24th Street.
The addition of a store is intended to help Project redefine the trade show experience and will be curated by Maurizio Donadi, a denim and sustainability expert and the former co-owner of Atelier & Repairs. It will sell one-of-a-kind, Made in Japan vintage denim from his archive at Transnomadica, his newest business, and will include fade-from-raw, selvedge and Made in Japan denim. It is being called: Art, Artists and Artisans: Project NY Retail Concept Store.
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In addition to Donadi’s denim pieces, the retail space will also include eight to 10 brands that will offer exclusive, artisinal and upcycled apparel, accessories and footwear. Those brands have not yet been identified.
“This year’s edition of Project New York is intentionally designed to be a true reflection of the times, featuring a highly curated collection of men’s contemporary and gender-fluid brands and, for the first time [will bring] the consumer into the fold,” said Edwina Kulego, vice president of international and men’s at Informa Markets Fashion. “We could not be more excited to introduce a unique retail concept that allows consumers an exclusive opportunity to take home a piece of history, including hand-selected, one-of-a-kind items from the archive of Maurizio Donadi; as well as exclusive drops from artists, brands and disruptors from across the globe in traditional and new mediums that provide consumers a dedicated space to discover up-and-coming brands and shop the available collections.”
Donadi, who has worked on installations at Project in the past and served as brand ambassador and creative director of Project’s Denim Room in 2019, added: “As a team, they’re committed to redefining the trade experience, and our collaboration involves a series of initiatives meant to spark dialogue intersecting creativity and responsible practices. As retail has always been important to me, the opportunity to build this two-day pop-up is both an adventure and an energizing creative prompt. All good reasons to be a part of it.”
Kulego pointed to Donadi’s long tenure in the industry as key to Informa’s choice to work with him on the store experience. “Maurizio is widely recognized for his inherent ability to curate collections that elevate individuality and brings more than 40 years experience and learnings in industry to the role. He is responsible for launching the retail store at Project New York, delivering on our ongoing mission of being an industry connector. In this case, we’re providing a platform for brands to connect with retailers and consumers.”
In addition to Project, Informa also operates MAGIC, Coterie and other trade shows.
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