Tuesday, February 21, 2023
Manhattan Fashion Magazine
CURVE NEW YORK SEES THE INTIMATE APPAREL INDUSTRIES TOP BRANDS CELEBRATING INDIVIDUAL EXPRESSIONISM, DOPAMINE DRESSING, RUNWAY READY INTIMATES AND INCLUSIVITY
Once Again North America’s Leading Show for Innerwear, Sleepwear, Swim and Athleisure Reinvents Norms and Sets Exciting Trends
February, 2023 – This February 5-7 Curve New York saw over 1200 buyers from around the globe descend on New York’s Javits Center. Buyers, industry influencers and members of the media were excited to see new collections debut from 175+ top brands of lingerie, intimates, sleepwear, swim, activewear and accessories.
Buyers from over 20 countries attended the show, predominantly from the United States, with representatives from Bangladesh, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Cayman Islands, Finland, France, Iceland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Philippines, Poland, Taiwan, Thailand, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. Attendees enjoyed an action-packed 3 days of activities including fashion forward performances by burlesque performer extraordinaire Pearls Daily along with featured presentations and panel discussions on “How to Boost your Sales & Increase Profitability” with Gilbert Russell, Larisa Olson, Shelly Domenech and Debbie Donelle. There were also Fit Bootcamps and a runway show hosted by Elomi, Freya, Fantasie and Goddess.
Curve New York never shies away from cutting edge trends and social awareness for the benefit of attendees. One of the most talked about panels was “The Value of Introducing Men’s Lingerie into Your Store” hosted by Kimmay Caldwell in discussion with Roman Sipe of Menagerie, Ty Hunter stylist for stars including Beyonce & Billy Porter, Psychotherapist Sonya Davie, Jazmin Ingraham Retail Director of Customer Experience for Journelle and Stand-up Comedian and host of “The Manwhore Podcast” Billy Procida. The exciting developments in fashion forward men’s lingerie are poised to serve a growing segment of the men’s population who enjoy beautiful fabrics, fine lace and form fitting cuts. Men’s Lingerie merchandise category is pivoting to serve many purposes including comfort, self-expression, style, shaping, empowerment or the feeling of rebellion.
On Monday evening guests enjoyed the 2023 Best of Intima Awards, and then a cocktail party where they were feted by cabaret singer Adrian Perlmutter with the dulcet sounds of French jazz. This year Intima Magazine’s Award Winners included Chantelle, Elomi, Fantasie, Anita Active, Montelle, Leonisa, Commando, Saxx and Empriente.
Household names like Chantelle, Natori, Wacoal, Leonisa and Cosabella showcased the industry’s latest trends and advancements in fit, fabric tech and functionality, while niche and emerging brands from around the globe brought fresh ideas to help shape the future of the industry.
The Sheer Revolution:
Sheer underpinnings were one of the top trends at Curve New York. Innovations in textiles means that sheet fabrics are softer and stronger than ever – nylons, bodysuits and shapewear in see through knits and lace are built to last, and even sports bras are doing double duty as sexy outerwear with overlays of sheer fabrics. The energy of this trend feels revolutionary, as an editorial in Curve New York’s Revealed Magazine showed. A few brands at the show leading the sheer revolution included Carol Coelho, Jordan de Ruiter, Thistle & Spire, Undress Code.
Elevated Style for Men and Non-Women:
There is more to men’s underwear – even Men’s Lingerie – than meets the eye. Long gone are the days of men’s bulk-pack underwear being the only options. The men and non-women of today are sophisticated and use technology to their advantage. Menagerie is one game changing brand asserting “fabric has no gender” and they showcased lace boxers, briefs and nightwear at Curve.
Pleasure Dressing at Home:
The past few years have made a “Homebody” of most of us, to quote industry photographer Becky Yee. Hybrid work schedules demanded a comfy, simple and chic wardrobe.
The latest advancements in soft fabrics, comfort enhancing support, combined with cutting edge style, show that being at home no longer means living in sweats. In fact consumers have deepened their relationships with themselves and dress up for their own pleasure. One of the greatest things to come out of this era is the rise of double duty athleisure, giving you the ability to go from sporty spice to posh spice in the blink of an eye.
There is no shortage of brands taking their cut of the pie from this very lucrative industry. Curve New York featured innovators in the industry, including Anita, Aspen Dream, Andine, Calida and Arlotta.
Dopamine Dressing:
You might have heard the word “dopamine dressing” being tossed around, and it’s almost magical effect of boosting one’s mood. Recent studies actually proved the mood boosting effects that colors can have on your brain. Who can’t use a mood boost here and there in this day and age? Brands at Curve brought out their brightest and boldest colors and patterns. Electric yellows, bold purples and radiant greens all had their moment in the spotlight. Kixies, Pretty Polly, Happy Undies & Dreamgirl are just a few brands that lead the way with their mood boosting designs.
Runway Ready Lingerie Hits the Streets:
Fashion trends come and go but some trends keep re-emerging with renewed sex appeal and sophistication. In recent global Fashion Weeks, Tom Ford and Alice + Olivia models hit the runway with bras as tops. Runways and red carpets this past season have also shown, with the right briefs or hotpants: no pants are required. Other high fashion brands revamping the innerwear as outerwear trend on runways included Valentino, Burberry, Versace, Miu Miu, and Etro.
Entos, Hauty, & Coquette are just a few Curve Brands that showcased innerwear that is optimized to be worn out on the town.
Curve, hosted by Comexposium, is the leading trade show platform for intimate apparel and swimwear. In North America, Comexposium produces Curve New York, Curve Los Angeles and Curve Montreal to gather top brands, buyers and industry influencers. The show focuses on creating business relationships, sharing experiences and identifying trends and themes for the intimate industry around the world.
Comexposium is the undisputed world leader for lingerie and swimwear, with international events in Paris, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. It is also the French reference for sports textiles and equipment trade shows.