Artisanal Findings on Designers and Representatives Get Ratings from Exhibitors and Retailers

Designers and Representatives, The three-day trade show, held at the Starrett-Lehigh Building in New York, received high marks from retailers and exhibitors alike.

The fashion show, which ended on Sunday, featured 213 brands showcasing their fashion-forward sportswear and accessories for spring ’25.

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According to Ed Mandelbaum, president of Designers & Agents, 55 percent of attendees were from outside the United States and 45 percent were from the United States. 62 percent were ready-to-wear brands and 38 percent were accessories. He said the fair is 5 percent larger than a year ago.

“We have a tremendous response rate from participants,” said creative director Meryl Mandelbaum. “We believe in every collection in the show and we are casting a wider net.” He noted that in addition to all the European participants, the fair also has a young and creative area with a different atmosphere.

He described the show as “user-friendly” and said there was always something new to discover. “This is a community of designers and our retail audience. We see that he puts the right collection in front of the right stores. We are not about scale, scale. “We’ve invested a lot in their success and the show is very well curated.”

Abbie Durkin and Diane Jankovsky, the owner and buyer, respectively, of Palmer & Purchase, a women’s specialty store with units in Rye, NY, Larchmont, NY, and Westhampton, NY, were shopping for luxury accessories with a twist. Jankovsky said they came to see various bag brands such as Dragon Diffusion and Serpui. “We always find something new in this show,” he said. They also bought pajamas from Domi at the show.

“We enjoy this fair for all the European brands that you don’t see at other fairs. We always find the right things,” Jankovsky said.

“It’s like looking for a needle in a haystack,” said Durkin, who founded Palmer & Purchase in 2010. Owning a small business is what we’re looking for.” She said D&A shops for Mother’s Day gifts, special items and accessories that not everyone has.

Serpui, a Brazilian brand exhibiting at D&A, specializes in straw bags. The company is known for its animals and fun shapes and never-repeat styles. Bags with beaded chains that can also be used as necklaces are also offered.

Serpui offers three collections a year – spring, holiday and midsummer. Founded and designed by Serpui Marie, the brand has been in business for 40 years and has been selling internationally for the last 25 years. Sarah Jessica Parker wore a Serpui bag in an episode of “And Just Like That”, while Ashley Park, who played Mindy in the TV series “Emily in Paris”, also wore one of the Serpui bags in an episode.

Serpui sells to stores such as Neiman Marcus, Revolve, Shopbop, as well as boutique and hotel stores such as The One and Only and Ritz Carlton, according to sales manager Juliana Babin. Most of the collection retails for between $350 and $450, with some mother-of-pearl bags going even higher. They are mostly produced in Brazil.

“We love D&A,” said Anna Mitsis, co-owner of Willow, a 1,000-square-foot women-only boutique in Fredericksburg, Virginia. We have the opportunity to see more small designers that you cannot find at a larger fair. Productive.” He and co-owner Jenny DuPuy said they loved the blazers they found. Among the brands they purchased were Nicholson & Nicholson and H+ Hannoh Wessel.

“People are still pretty casual, but they dress casual with a blazer. They also wear denim with a blazer and high heels, or sneakers with a dress,” DuPuy said.

South Korean dress brand Samantha Sung was on display after a seven-year hiatus. “This isn’t like the other big shows. It’s smaller and more artistic,” Sung said. “So far it’s good,” he said. He’s meeting current accounts as well as new ones.

The brand mostly sells colorful printed dresses. “I’m known for my prints and matching bags,” Sung said. Wholesale dresses range from $389 to $439, while bags wholesale range from $300 to $400. He said he prints on cotton and hand prints.

Skin, The New York-based luxury underwear brand did well with its micro Modal collection and cotton and cashmere blends in sweaters, pants, cardigans and shorts. Ninety percent of the line is produced in Peru. Sales manager Caroline Taylor said Skin sells to a number of boutiques and has a strong local following. They also offer a refurbishment program that includes the basic basics and stock colors include black, white and grey. “The small boutique business is doing great. Lingerie is very personal. Customers feel it on their skin and it’s made of 100 percent organic pima cotton,” he said.

Another brand that had a successful experience in D&A was Mirto 1956 from Madrid. Everything is local and locally produced. This was the brand’s fifth exhibition at D&A. “One of our strengths is being able to develop custom prints in linen and poplin,” said Paloma Perez, international womenswear sales manager. She said they would use the same print for the top and dress. At D&A, the brand was seeing both regular customers and opening new accounts. He mostly sells his collection, which wholesales from $90 to $400, at high-end multi-brand stores.

“I love this, it’s an amazing show. Not only professional but also very friendly. We spend quality time with the buyers, the light is gorgeous and the most beautiful sunsets,” Perez said.

Stores where he has worked include Ex Voto in Birmingham, Ala., Pearls in San Marino, Calif., and Star Aylyn in New York.

Australian brand Lilly Pilly appeared at D&A for the first time. “I think the quality of receivers is where we need to be. “Bigger shows are hit or miss,” founder and director Wendy Dunne said. The three-year-old brand has just arrived in America. She said her European linen collection sold incredibly well and the Tina top was her number one seller. The brand also did well with a linen puffer jacket that retails for $152.

Tracy Reese She was at D&A with Tracy Reese’s Hope for Flowers collection. “It’s going really well. “We saw a lot of stores that had already purchased and wanted to buy more.” She pointed out a blouse that was ordered repeatedly, came in plain and printed, and sold wholesale for $130. Reese said the line has been on display at D&A since it began selling wholesale. “We are seeing the stores we already sell and opening new ones. Stores are buying into us more deeply.”

Reese, St. It sells at stores such as Saks, Anthropologie, Click and Mari Max in St. Simons Island, Ga.

“This is a very friendly show. It’s all hugs and kisses and people you haven’t seen since the last show. I’ve got a lot of friends here. It makes standing in a booth for three days bearable. I’m really happy to see the people,” Reese said.

Patrick Cupid was given space to exhibit at D&A and was recommended through the CFDA. “It was amazing,” Cupid said, pointing to a big seller, an organza hiking dress that had been updated with new colors.

Printed and original silk shirts, as well as printed shirts made in New York, are strong sellers, he said. “It’s very art-inspired,” he said.

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