This year Project NYC was all about creating a cool and curated space to discover what's new in menswear and even some genderless clothing as well. The opening day kicked off with a trends presentation from Moose Tracks.
I headed through the floor to look for the latest trends as well as discover the up and coming talent in menswear this season.
I started with this lovely pastel collection by LA based brand no one. The friends and founders created a menswear line that is all about letting go of ego and contrasts utilitarian style with fun colors and embroidery. Guillermo Bravo was another standout brand featuring unique deconstructed styles with removeable pockets, patchwork clothing, and mixed media designs.
The modern styles are open to genderless styles and focus on high quality designs that add a statement to the everyday. John Carl Yates an NYC based designer displayed pieces from the fall collection inspired by wool. The elevated silhouettes allowed for comfortable and stretchy wool sets that could be mixed and matched with other pieces. I love the cowl neck design that could be worn for either gender. Javelin another NYC brand also stood out as a trend setter with simple and elegant designs that each told a story.
Jagvi a French brand with stores in Paris presented a contemporary and sustainable collection that brought elements of classic European style to Project. The collection was full of basic pieces perfect for a capsule wardrobe with a few pops of color for statement pieces. This brand was one of my favorite sustainable collections from the show. Other sustainable designers included Natalie Brown New York who creates unisex puffer jackets and other pieces out of recycled vintage t-shirts. Denim brand Gilded Age also based in NYC offers a more unique take on sustainability focusing on making products that are timeless and limiting collection releases. Not giving in to the ever expanding fashion calendar is an important but not often talked about part of reaching sustainable goals for the fashion industry.
Awet NYC is another sustainable minded brand that focuses on fashion and social change. The brand's founder a refugee who previously worked at the UN brings his unique experience to the fashion industry by organizing events and products around topics such as refugees, women's history month, and more. The brand is also dedicated to helping garment industry workers in NYC who are a vital part of the reason that NYC is such a hub for the fashion industry.
Loungewear and vacation wear brands including Samuel Zelig, Sundek USA, and Jasper Los Angeles all showed unique takes on the athleisure industry which is still going strong after Covid. Accessories at the show included footwear and eyewear. One of my favorite lines was the sunglasses collection from brutish brand Spitfire eyewear. I also loved some of the more colorful pieces from the GH Bass fall collection.
The day ended with a fireside chat with Edwina Kulego VP of Project and futurist/influencer Jerome Lamaar about the future of fluidity in fashion and retail. Check out my coverage of the panel in my next article coming soon!
