The Blizzard Didn't Stop The Business At Coterie NYC
New York just dug out from one of the worst blizzards in recent memory. Over two feet of snow, thousands of canceled flights, a state of emergency across 22 counties. And Coterie opened anyway. The show must go on.
I was on the floor at Javits this week, and what I noticed wasn’t the crowd size. It was the quality of the conversations happening in spite of it.
The buyers who showed up were there to write orders. The brands getting traction weren’t necessarily the loudest in the room. They were the ones with a clear point of view and real value to back it up. Established names with strong brand equity were doing business. So were newer brands that had something genuinely novel to offer. The brands caught in the middle, neither well-known nor particularly differentiated, had a harder time getting attention.
That’s actually a useful signal for where the market is heading into FW26/27.
The show had real global depth this season, with brands from Italy, Korea, Brazil, Spain, and France alongside returning names like Mavi, French Connection, Z Supply, and Dolce Vita. Coterie also launched a new partnership with JOOR to extend the event digitally, giving buyers continued access to collections for six weeks after the show closed. That’s a meaningful shift for how wholesale relationships get built.
On the product side, what caught my eye was a consistent pull toward pieces that feel considered rather than reactive. Dark, textured fabrications with a romantic edge. Workwear-influenced silhouettes with enough personality to read as fashion. Relaxed, oversized outerwear in quiet, honest palettes. Heritage-driven knits and patterns that feel rooted rather than nostalgic.
The through-line across all of it: Consumers want to buy less and feel more. They’re gravitating toward brands that give them a reason, not just a price.
If you attended the show, either as a Buyer or Seller, please share your thoughts below👇.
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