PROJECT Digital Issue Volume 3

HIDDEN WONDERS

Uncovering the Unexpected

SS23

In Focus: 2023 IMFC Incubator

HIDDEN WONDERS AWAIT

This past AW 23/24 season, New Horizons was all about embarking on a journey towards forward-thinking change. We were thrilled to see our retailers, brands, panelists, special guests, and even our own PROJECT team walk away with newfound inspiration to shift the fashion industry into an action-oriented era of sustainable manufacturing, gender fuidity, and material innovation. PROJECT has become more than a tradeshow event; it is a venue for collaboration and synthesizing solutions to revolutionize the industry from the inside out.

As we wrap up last season, Edwina Kulego, Vice President of International & Men’s at Informa Markets Fashion gives us the sneak peek into what’s in store for the upcoming season, Hidden Wonders, “...we are looking forward to uncovering and highlighting hidden gems at our events. Now more than ever, fashion brands are tapping into unconventional processes and creative expressions. PROJECT serves as a place to

celebrate and share the stories of these brands.” Kulego shares that attendees will have the chance to experience even more newness from the IMFC community, a unique focus on modern day essentials, as well as various activations on the show foor.

To highlight this feeling of layered discovery, we’ve selected a dynamic destination to shoot the Hidden Wonders Campaign. Photographer Hailley Howard recounts, “This shoot was uniquely inspiring because we were shooting in a location with so many beautiful backdrops; the light was our roadmap throughout the day to capture the most dynamic settings. ‘Hidden Wonders’ is a dreamy story that we hope will illuminate and inspire your curiosity.”

Join us for the next season of PROJECT to awaken the potential within, discover the oasis in the desert, and fnd that hidden gem you otherwise did not expect to fnd.

“Now more than ever, fashion brands are tapping into unconventional processes and creative expressions. PROJECT serves as a place to celebrate and share the stories of these brands.”

— Edwina Kulego, Vice President of International & Men’s, Informa Markets Fashion

“‘Hidden Wonders’ is a dreamy story that we hope will illuminate and inspire your curiosity.”

—Hailley Howard, Photographer

INCUBATOR PROGRAM:

Meet the Founders, and their brands

Meet the founders of this season’s PROJECT Las Vegas IMFC Incubator Program brands who are re-imagining the fashion landscape.

Launched in 2020 and now in its 5th season, the IMFC Incubator Program was designed to elevate the voices and work of Black-owned brands and designers of color. Participant George Sully of Sully & Son Co. shares his powerful view, “The world comes to PROJECT every season, so I’m looking forward to presenting my new collection and most importantly, demonstrating what excellence looks like given equal opportunity to show it.”

ÁWET New York

Founded by Etrean-Refugee Áwet Woldegebriel, ÁWET New York’s latest collection pulled inspiration from the lesser-known history of “Asmarinos & Asmarinas,” a stylish subculture that emerged from the Italian colonization of Eritrea’s capitol city Asmara, which came to be known as “La Piccola Roma” or Africa’s little Rome. At the end of WWII and the defeat of Mussolini, “their outfts paid homage to Eritrean hard-work, while showing a deep understanding of Italian tailoring.” Alex St. Urbain, the brand’s Chief Marketing Offcer shares, “We dedicate our Autumn/Winter 23 collection to those brave, kind, and stylish Asmarinos & Asmarinas that built a country. The pieces in the collection feature rich vibrant colors, new elegant suiting and luxurious outerwear prioritizing quality fabrics including leathers, suede, wool and more.” @awetnyc

Nana Boateng Osei created a brand that’s not only inspired by Africa, but also supports its people and its nature. BÔHTEN is an African eyewear company that keeps its operations local, provides employment opportunities for African youth, and runs a tree planting program in Ghana and Kenya. With unique gender-fuid styles in a range of colorways, consumers won’t only be looking good, they’ll be feeling good too. @bohten

“Their outfts paid homage to Eritrean hardwork, while showing a deep understanding of Italian tailoring.”

— Alex St. Urbain, ÁWET New York

Haus of Everton

In recent years, we’ve all experienced having to adapt to the shifting needs of consumers whether that was at the designer’s drawing board or on the merchandiser’s line sheet. Haus by Everton emerged to provide solutions for home-ridden go-getters during the pandemic. The brand was created by Everton Mcdougall for people like himself: former athletes that require the same level of comfort technology provided by a sneaker, but in slipper form. @hausbyeverton

GOFRANCK

GOFRANCK is all about pieces that are stylish and functional for “people who lead active urban lifestyles.” Urs Hasham, the founder of the brand explains, “We understand that those people need comfortable, versatile jackets that can take them from the gym to the offce, to the café, to the cinema and everywhere in between.” The brand’s “Outerproofs” are made with sustainable technical materials that are functional in all weather conditions. @gofranck_offcial

“We understand that those people need comfortable, versatile jackets that can take them from the gym to the offce, to the café, to the cinema and everywhere in between.”

— Urs Hasham, GOFRANCK

Sully & Son Co.

Scarves &Fedoras

George Sully, founder of travel-driven brand Sully & Son Co., designs his pieces for busy creatives just like himself, “As a creative with an equal passion for business, in this new collection, I wanted to infuse the way I navigate my life as a creative and a businessman. So, I created my own subcategory called ‘Executive Adventure.’ @sullyandsonco

For Lana McLetchie, CEO and Founder of Scarves & Fedoras, Feathers are more than just a design choice, they hold a message; “Feathers in our collection are a symbol of growth, rejuvenation, strength, integrity, beauty, and freedom.” Along with feathers, denim was also a key aspect of this season’s collection. New products include the Denim Paneled Crown Fedora and the Denim Paneled Brim Fedora. @scaresandfedoras

“Feathers in our collection are a symbol of growth.”

— Lana McLetchie, Scarves & Fedoras

“I wanted to infuse the way I navigate my life as a creative and a businessman.”

— George Sully, Sully & Son Co.

Taylor of Brooklyn

Chris Hemingway, Founder of Taylor of Brooklyn which launched just last year, shares the founding principle of the brand was to, “make skincare for them, her, him, and you which means skincare for everybody and every body.” Gender-fuid design mirrors the overarching goal of making not only the fashion industry, but the world a more inclusive place. Hemingway adds, “We believe skin health and self-care have no racial or age boundaries, do not exist in a binary, and should be truly inclusive.” @taylorbkoffcial

“No one should feel it’s wrong to be different. Ever.”

UGLYDUKLYN founder Francis London infuses his beliefs into his design approach in hopes of inspiring positive change in the streetwear space. “We should embrace everyone with love, no matter what they look like. Everyone has felt like an UGLYDUKLYN at some point in their lives, but through that adversity we can all become the swans we’re destined to be. No one should feel it’s wrong to be different. Ever.” According to London, one of the key pieces from the Autumn/Winter collection is a “water-repellant, sublimation-printed puffer jacket made with recycled materials,” and its available in an inclusive range of sizes from S-2XL, with four colorways to choose from. @uglyduklynclothing

“Skincare for everybody and every body.”

Chris Hemingway, Taylor of Brooklyn

DISCOVER THE ESSENTIALS

PROJECT’s new area allows buyers to see how products “live in the wild.”

As consumers become more sustainable and adventure-driven, multi-functional basics are becoming more popular. And as a response, a new area sprouted up in the menswear section of PROJECT Las Vegas this season, updating the tradeshow experience for retailers and brands alike.

According to PROJECT’s Guest Merchandiser Brian Nyilas, Essential was developed to put retailers in the shoes of consumers so that they can see where brands and their products “live in the wild,” be it a boutique or a consumer’s home instead of the traditional tradeshow booth setting.

For some brands, this layout provided the opportunity to meet new buyers. Jeff Block, Director of Essential brand Robert Barakett shared, “I absolutely loved this concept and it proved to work for our brand because we met a dozen new buyers that we normally would not see. The concept [of merchandising things that wouldn’t typically be merchandized together] worked and I agree that it’s in line with how consumers shop; it let us better understand their buying habits.”

ASHLOUD is a multi-functional speaker-ashtray combo that’ll add a much-needed spark to your customer’s dressing routine.

ESSENTIAL BRAND SAMPLING:

34 Heritage

Ashloud

Cozy Earth

KEEN

Robert Barakett

Tilley Endurables

Wuxly

+ more

“Great basics are back, but they must be great in every sense: Fit, fabric, and aesthetic,” says Jeff Block, Director of Robert Barakett, pictured above.

Sporty Suiting

D.RT Lifestyle was inspired by the brand’s Co-Founder and Creative Director, Dylan Robert Thomas. As a teenage athlete, Thomas was challenged to fnd comfortable yet stylish suits he was required to wear to and from his high school hockey games. A common complaint among his teammates, Thomas teamed up with his sister and brother-in-law Paula and Brian Brunson to launch an inclusive collection of suits and sportswear tailored to the young men’s market. Here, we chat with D.RT’s co-founder, Brian Brunson on where they started, where they’re going and everything in between.

PROJECT: Can you tell us more about why you all launched D.RT Lifestyle Brands?

Brian Brunson: As a family, we have found success running businesses in several different industries. We routinely discuss life and business as a family over coffee and Dylan mentioned how uncomfortable the suits they were required to wear to and from hockey games. It got to the point where the entire team would go pantless on the bus rides just to be comfortable. Paula and I both played professional sports and related to this complaint immediately. There was nothing out there that comfortable, yet stylish and durable to stand up to the torture of a young man’s busy life. Also, anything that was remotely stylish cost and arm and a leg and most young men would grow out of it after wearing the suit once or twice.

We felt there was an untapped market for high end, comfortable, luxury suits that where durable, machine washable and could actually grow with the young man. Hence D.RT, named after Dylan Robert Thompson… our inspiration and Creative Director.

PROJECT: What are the key items, categories, trends, colors you are showing this season? Can you tell us more about the brand’s unique ft guide?

Brian Brunson: Our key items will always be our suits, but we design out street and leisure wear to be interchangeable with our suiting. We are going with a lot of olives, tans, and blues for this upcoming prom and graduation seasons. We are especially proud of our olive double breast suit and black on navy tuxedo! We also have some ex-

iting matching sets for the spring summer, as well as some innovative graphic street wear with our family plaid tartan as inspiration for Fall/Winter. As for our sizes… we use 1-8 which equates to XXXS-XXL. We chose this range because of how much young men’s bodies change from adolescence through young adulthood. Using 1-8 lends itself to our more high-end feel and eventual global reach.

PROJECT: What inspired your brand? What inspired this season’s collection?

Brian Brunson: Giving young men a chance to show their individuality through high-end, stylish yet durable clothing was a major inspiration. It’s ok to wear joggers, a t-shirt and slides… but why not wear something that says who you are with

the same level of comfort and confdence. We want everyone from the debate team captain to the basketball team captain to have a voice. Our fall/winter collection is inspired buy our families Scottish roots using our family color plaids combined with striking graphics for a modern feel.

PROJECT: Is there anything special or unique you do to partner with retailers?

Brian Brunson: What attracts these retailers to us is our work ethic and hands-on approach to everything. We truly partner with them to provide the best product and best service to make everyone successful. Flexibility in today’s ever-changing retail market is a key to success.

shopdrt.com @drtlife

THE EDIT NEW HORIZONS

We’re re-defning the rules and creating a new path forward. We invite you to explore this editorial to discover the directional brands blazing the trail of contemporary men’s and women’s wear at PROJECT Las Vegas. Join us on the adventure.

PRODUCTION CREDITS: Jacob Boll PHOTOGRAPHER @jacobboll *Justin Roberts Nunnink DIGITECH/LIGHTING @nunnink.photography

Shaina Gilstrap DIRECTOR @shainarose * Khavory Lee ASSISTANT DIRECTOR @khavory.lee

Marlaine Reiner HMU @mjr_makeup * Monique Pieton STUDIO STYLIST @moniquepieton

Anna Zepplin STYLIST @zepplinthelabel * Clelia Montali MODEL @cleliamontali * Vic Gayton MODEL @viccc.g

ON TREND

This season’s contemporary men’s and women’s editorial was inspired by the AW 23/24 Design Aesthetics as presented in partnership with Fashion Snoops. Here, we highlight PROJECT Las Vegas brands that align to the Paradox, Poetic, Untamed, and Mystic trend stories.

PARADOX

Taking inspo from ‘90s fashion, Paradox leans into logos and more vintage moments of the past.

POETIC

Leaning into the soft neutral color palette of the Poetic Design Aesthetic, this trend features materials like vintage denim and knitwear, and key items like coordinating sets for both contemporary men’s and women’s wear.

UNTAMED

Untamed’s color palette drives this edit with opposing ideas of fery reds and burnt oranges on one side of the spectrum and deeps greens and taupes on the other.

MYSTIC

Mystic’s midnights and metallics are key ideas in this trend. Add this to updated camos for men’s contemporary and “supernatural speckles” in women’s contemporary, the updated gothic color palette brings this trend together.

HOW HIP HOP STARTED IT ALL

PROJECT was honored to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop with industry legends. The featured panelists reminisced about the game-changing impact Hip Hop had on their lives, the pivotal moments that sparked their careers in fashion, iconic collaborations with rappers and athletes, and their plans for future generations. Ultimately, Hip Hop garnered a strong community, resulting in an especially unique panel where the

featured guests aren’t just colleagues, they’re long-time friends that have not only seen each other grow, but have helped each other succeed. Upon introducing the panel, moderator and EditorIn-Chief of VIBE Magazine, Datwon Thomas, announced, “These are all people I chill with and they just happened to be the illest legends in this whole game.”

The Panel honored Designer, Founder and CEO of Karl Kani, Karl Kani himself who started his tradeshow journey in 1991 at this very event. The story of Kani’s brand name is rooted in hope, a testament to the opportunities Hip Hop inspired. He shared, “My father changed our name to an American last name, Williams, when we moved to the United States so I was like, ‘Carl Williams Jeans?’ That doesn’t really have a ring to it. So I thought, I ask myself these questions all the time: Can I be successful? Can I come from the inner city and build a brand that’ll be international? I knew if I called myself, ‘Can I,’ then every day I’d have to answer that question— ‘Yes, I can.’”

“I knew if I called myself ‘Can I,’ then every day I’d have to answer that question

‘Yes, I can.’”

The Power of Hip Hop

When it comes to Hip Hop, everyone got involved for the same reason: “You want to be on the pulse, you want to be in the polls, then you want to be in Hip-Hop. Simple as that,” shared Tony Shellman, Founder and Brand Marketing Executive Consultant of Blue Deluxe Group Consulting Agency. He adds that there were “no guidelines or instruction books... cats kind of had to fgure it out as they went.” This is especially true regarding Karl Kani’s journey as a designer. He shares, “That’s how streetwear started... it wasn’t planned, I wasn’t trying to be a designer, I was just trying to represent us as a people and instead of complaining about things, going out there and making things

for ourselves.”

“I want to talk about the power of Hip Hop and why we are all here today celebrating 50 years of Hip Hop,” declared Karl Kani. “If you were a kid growing up back in the 70s and you got asked, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’

You’d probably say, ‘I want to be a freman or work for the post offce or be an electrician or a plumber.’ Those are realistic dreams that we had in our foresight—Hip hop has changed all of that. Now you can be stylists, producers, musicians, fashion assistants, graphic artists, you know, the list just goes on and on and on.”

For Kani, the root of it all is simple, “Two turntables and a mixer have changed the game for all of us here today. ...all of the forefathers of Hip Hop like Grandmaster Flash, all of those guys, need to be honored. Without them, I don’t know where we would all be today because that music infuenced fashion, it infuenced what we’re doing, and not only that, it infuenced the United States and that took this thing worldwide.”

happen

“...it wasn’t planned, I wasn’t trying to be a designer, I was just trying to represent us as a people and instead of complaining about things, going out there and make things happen for ourselves.”

— Karl Kani, Designer + Founder + CEO, Karl Kani

Fashion as a Tool for Empowerment

Streetwear acted as an emblem of status and respect, resulting in youth getting creative to fnance their wardrobes. Karl Kani’s origin story took place when he went to his mother asking for new clothing and sneakers because the other kids were making jokes at his expense, she said, “Boy, you better go fnd yourself a job.” The very next day, he bought himself a newspaper route. He recounts, “I used to get up at about 5:30 every morning to deliver newspapers. I’d get some money to buy some clothing and I fnally bought my frst pair of Pumas and Adidas and all that. Now when I went outside, I found that fashion made you accepted in the hood. As we started growing up and competition came real in clothing, I started making my own styles of clothing that I wanted because we didn’t fnd clothing in the stores that we wanted to wear—the clothes weren’t baggy enough. So, when I wore it around the hood, everybody’s like, ‘Man, where’d you get that from?’ and I was like, ‘I ain’t going to tell you, but I’ll make you whatever you want.’ So that’s how I found my calling and started selling clothes to my friends in the hood.”

For Jason Jeter, Founder of Grand Hustle and Cofounder of AKOO + Hustle Gang, his passion for streetwear started in a similar way. “Sal was a kid that went to my high school and he was like the number one hustler; Sal had every favor, every Karl Kani outft. You know how it is where we’re from; let’s be honest, we’re mostly inspired by the dudes that were getting money at an early age... You wanted to look like Sal. I was like, ‘I got to get my bread up so I can get a piece.’ One by one, I put my [collection of Karl Kani together] and by the end of the school year, I had a few pieces myself— it [fueled] my aspirations.” Sometime after, Jeter went on to develop T.I.’s clothing brand. He attributed his confdence in taking on the project to having mentors that looked like him such as Power from the Wu-Tang Clan who founded Wu Wear and Damon Dash who founded MADE BY DAME DASH. He recalls, “They let me see the inner workings of the business. I was going to the offce and just thinking, ‘whoa, this is for real— they’ve got a lot of people that look like me that are working here—like more Black people are in those offces than there are in record companies.’”

“These are all people I chill with and they just happened to be the illest legends in this whole game.”

— Editor-In-Chief of VIBE Magazine, Datwon Thomas

A Blueprint for the Future

Karl Kani shares his powerful perspective on why having Black role models is a necessity for the success of future generations, “In life it takes one person who looks like you and talks like you to achieve success on a certain level to make you feel like if he could do it, I could do it. And that’s what happened with Karl Kani. The Karl Kani attitude has spread throughout the industry. Other people said, ‘Yo, he’s from Brooklyn, he talks like that... Wow, Okay, I could do this too,’

I tell people this story: imagine there was a kid from the inner city who decided to come out with a line of toothpaste and he marketed his toothpaste towards Hip Hop and became a millionaire off of toothpaste – do you know how many kids right now would be trying to do toothpaste? So there’s so many other opportunities out there that we could do once [our community] understands what business is all about and our power that we have together.”

Iconic Collaborations

Hip Hop is an all-encompassing culture; James Ferrel, Chief Operation Offcer and Head of Marketing at Sprayground, shared his experience as a shop owner, “At the end of the day, I saw that music and fashion bridged. I got to see how athletes wanted to be artists and artists wanted to be athletes because everyone wanted to shine.” As a result, rappers and athletes often worked handin-hand with brands to promote one another.

Karl Kani looked back on iconic collaborations with rappers like P. Diddy and reminisced about the frst time he met with Tupac, “Tupac creatively directed the shoot in seconds. He said, ‘I want to be in Harlem, sitting on a basketball hoop, in a Karl Kani Sweatshirt.’ ...He was sitting on top of the rim... and this is before Above The Rim came out. It was one of the most iconic campaigns we’ve ever done.” Karl Kani also recalled his collaboration with

Skechers founder Robert Greenberg called “Karl Kani Footwear” in which the two businessmen connected on their like vision, “...we [both] wanted to enter the NBA and we said we wanted to do footwear. So we were the frst clothing company to have our sneakers on the NBA basketball courts; we had Derek Fisher, Karl Malone, Dominique Wilkins of the Atlanta Falcons. It just shows the power you have: If you can see it, you can be it.”

Hip Hop created a sense of belonging for its community. DJ Enuff, the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop’s DJ recounts, “I used to DJ for the Notorious B.I.G. and while we were traveling the country, you go to these clothing stores and there are no fts for 3XL, 4XL, or 5XL but Karl always had a big ft for us so I want to say thank you to Karl now for back then.”

“In life it takes one person who looks like you and talks like you to achieve success on a certain level to make you feel like if he could do it, I could do it”

— Karl Kani, Designer + Founder + CEO, Karl Kani

PUSHING BOUNDARIES WITH BILLY PORTER

Billy Porter is an American Fashion Icon, actor, singer, writer, director, and LGBTQIA+ activist who “broke the internet” with the gown-tuxedo hybrid he wore to co-host the 2019 Oscars. Best known for his award-winning performances in Netfix series Pose and Broadway hit Kinky Boots, Porter shares how unapologetic fashion choices

1.

“Literally two weeks before the Oscars, ABC calls and wants me to co-host the red carpet for ABC...And then I started thinking back to the days in drama school when I would be sitting in our Oscar parties fippantly and sassily saying, ‘Imma wear a gown to the Oscars when I come! These penguin things are boring. I’m gonna break the mold.’ And here’s what I want to say about that: words have power even when they’re unconscious. ...and then I had the idea, what if the [TV] shot is this: they start [at my torso] and then they pull back and it’s a full antique belle and ball gown on the bottom? The world would Gag...And it did everything that I thought it would do: It changed the face of fashion forever. And I’m going to say that out loud; I am fnally going to own it.”

2.

“I’ve always had a fashion sense that has pushed the boundaries from the time that I was a kid going to church. I would dress up in something and my mother would tell me to take it off because she was embarrassed, or it wasn’t proper. People would laugh at me—it didn’t make me uncomfortable, but what I was doing made them uncomfortable and they just didn’t know any other way to respond.”

we reach the masses from [our hearts] and we make the change with [our expression], from the inside out. We can’t stop doing that; we have to know our power. ... I’m just trying to tell the stories of people and communities who are not seen regularly, who are overlooked: my Black community, my queer community, my disabled community... [it’s about having] the audacity to be able to show up and go, ‘Well, ain’t nobody else doing it so I’ll do it.”

4.

“It’s a huge pressure now in terms of Instagram and fashion if people think of you as a quote-on-quote, ‘fashion person.’ And that’s what’s so interesting about social media to me: it doesn’t mean anything and it means everything at the same time. It’s like the wild, wild West; you have to engage because the world only spins forward. But we have to fnd a balance with it now because it has run amuck. I’m trying to fnd the balance for myself so that I can really use it to my beneft.”

5.

are about more than just personal self-expression, they are a tool to change the world. We had the opportunity to hear about Porter’s journey, his inspirations, and of course some piping hot fashion “tea” at the February edition of PROJECT Las Vegas

3.

“Fashion is art. Fashion is power. As artists, we have changed the world since creation. Why do you think that they want to silence us? We’re the frst to be silenced because

“I was never trying to be normal. I was never trying to ft in ...I was trying to be an individual. And so, it’s been interesting, the transition in the evolution of my career, in my life, because I’m so grateful that I’ve lived long enough to see the day where I can exist... But the space didn’t exist before, and I’m grateful to be a part of creating that space.”

SHIFTING MINDSETS

This season, we connected with fashion’s latest visionaries, at both PROJECT Las Vegas and PROJECT New York, to discover where the industry is going, and what they’re doing to get it there. Read on for inspiration on how you too can beneft from diving into your creative community, taking risks, empowering voices, and providing meaningful opportunities to the people around you.

PROJECT LAS VEGAS — THE POWER OF COMMUNITY, COLLABORATION:

Human connection is at the forefront of the fashion industry, connecting consumers with designers and retailers like never before.

“...the fashion industry has kind of tailored more towards a community lens in the past couple of years. Specifcally, we’ve seen digital fashion weeks, we’ve seen more genderless silhouettes, we’ve seen a rise in comfort wear, all of these things point to an infux a community listening in the world of fashion.”

“There was this young guy that came up to me. He was getting ready to go over to B&H and he saw me wearing an ERL Quilted camo jacket and he’s just like, ‘Yo, what do you do?’ And so, we ended up striking up a conversation for like 15-20 minutes during which I probably missed a couple of trains but at that point, I was just so hooked with his energy because we had such a good rapport. He ended up also being a photographer and started asking me about my opinion on equipment and [my career] route, like, ‘Are you happy doing what you’re doing?’ Because he’s like a relatively new photographer. I really found solace in that conversation; It just made me super happy to be able to give back and spread some wisdom while also learning a couple of things and re-energize myself because there’s defnitely sometimes where it can be a little taxing. Just getting to talk to people who are fans or maybe don’t even know me [feels rewarding].”

“So what happened was the Internet opened [collaboration] up and it became an arena of creativity. So people like [Tyler Mansour] went from working for a brand [behind the scenes] to now, being able to do workshops [on public social media channels]. And if that’s not community based, I don’t know what is because some of these kids may not understand someone who’s like three steps removed from them, but they see him and it’s a great feeling because they feel like he’s reachable and at the same time, his work is phenomenal. That’s what you really want to cultivate: the sweet spot when [viewers] feel like you’re still there with them but also doing great things. And that’s how collaboration should move forward. There should be more ushers within brands that people see, whether they’re in stores, whether they’re in positions like [Mansour] that really lead the charge on showing and people that like Pharrel said, ‘You could do it too.’”

PROJECT LAS VEGAS — FROM ATHLETE TO ENTREPRENEUR:

Succeeding as an athlete is all about passion and determination—the same is true for entrepreneurs. Read on to discover how these athletes are taking on fashion’s playing feld.

“You’ve got to have conviction about what you’re doing because you’re always going to face hurdles, setbacks, failures... And if you don’t have that, you’re just going to quit when the frst wave comes. You’re not going to make it past the next hundred percent.”

[Regarding transitioning from Pro-Skater to Business Owner]: “I said to myself, ‘All right, let’s try it out.’ I’m grateful to skateboarding for giving me that mindset. The only way you learn in skateboarding is just going in with: ‘I think I could do this right-- Let me just try it,’ and then you try it over and over and over and over. You fail if you fail and then eventually you get it. I think skateboarding just taught me that trying and failing is succeeding. As long as you keep doing it, you’re going to succeed. You only fail when you give up.”

“I pluralized the name of the brand, [The Rad Black Kids], because the idea of what the brand represents is not who the intended wearers are, it’s what their stories [are]. I used to sell this T-shirt with a Black kid who I animated to look a specifc way ... and I remember I was doing a pop up in Oakland and this gentleman walks up to me and says, ‘This is the frst time I’ve ever seen a Black kid on a T-shirt.’ What the brand represents for the community and how we tell those stories is important.”

GENDER FLUIDITY IN FASHION

Gender Fluidity goes beyond masculinity and femininity, it’s a tool to re-imagine how we approach fashion from the design process to merchandising.

JÉRÔME LAMAAR

“I am heavily inspired by Andre 3000, Prince, James Brown, and David Bowie, and all the legends who were already fuid. Just seeing how they moved in the world and were still respected inspired me signifcantly as a creator, as a designer, as a businessperson. And so, I kind of carried that energy with me when it comes to my day-to-day, I played with this idea of, ‘What would an anime character do?’ I see myself almost like an anime character where I can wear absolutely anything, whether it’s a skirt, a good boot... I need things that feel comfortable and play with this idea of what gender could possibly be. When we think of androgyny and gender fuidity, sometimes brands tend to go extremely feminine. They think we want just sparkles and certain things, and I love that, but I’m wearing all men’s clothes right now—literally head-to-toe. What I love about what I’m wearing is that anyone can wear it, right? Whether you throw on a pair of Jordans or you put a heel on or a Margiela Boot, you can still look great. And I think if designers start to think about what they’re designing rather than what gender they designed it for, they can get more out of it. Just make great clothes. Mix it up.

“We’ve been working really hard to change the narrative; to make it more diverse, more welcoming. Hello, I’m here and we’re making changes, opening doors, talking about fuidity, and bringing in fuid brands. We’re letting brands express themselves. In a nutshell, I want PROJECT to be a place where people can come and just be and not have to ft in and not have to explain and just enjoy, shop, and do what they got to do.”

REPRESENTATION IN FASHION CONTENT

Now more than ever, the consumer is involved in a symbiotic relationship with brands when it comes to creating content with the focus shifting from celebrity to relatability and human connection.

“Often times for social media when we’re doing big campaigns, we’re thinking of our point of view and what we want to say to our audience. We want to connect with them while also challenging them to think. ...like most recently we featured TikTok infuencers who are on the rise for our ffth anniversary cover. [We considered:] what do those infuencers say to our audience? [They say,] ‘we can see you, you are seen, we are like you’ and it gives them a little push and motivation to be more themselves. What are people really buying into? Yes, people love brands, but people love connectivity and individuality more.”

“I’m a big believer that campaigns, and marketing dollars, need to create opportunity. So, I was doing some everyday shopping in the same Bryant Park and Sixth Avenue Whole Foods I always go to and I was seeing the same people, actually several of them, that really struck me by how they were expressing themselves. One in particular, is a Black woman -- the way she did her beautiful eye makeup to express herself-- every day was different and it was so artful, so soulful. I asked her if she would model for the campaign. She was really taken aback, thinking, Can I really do this? So I’m like, ‘You’re doing it every day.’ ...Marketing dollars can be put to use to not only tell the story of a jacket or your personal inspiration, but they can also be tied to telling the stories of the models. “

“As a brand, you have to surround yourself with a team that really understands the message. A brand is human in itself.”

PROJECT

LAS VEGAS —

BUSINESS IS BLOOMING

New ideas in this business are blooming. This season at PROJECT, we had the chance to hear from industry experts who shared their insights on emerging trends from rebellious dressing to NFTs and sustainable manufacturing.

RETURN TO SUITS

Suits are back, but with a rebellious twist; designers are incorporating gender fuid infuences and consumers are yearning to make their own rules when it comes to cut and color.

“I think one of the things that I’m fnding most exciting is watching the way this industry has changed. All of a sudden, it’s not so much about ‘look here’s my little rule book about how I can wear my suit and how I can wear my tie,’ but rather like ‘I want to wear it the way I want to wear it and have some fun with it.’ If you’re going to really capture that guy’s attention, you want to let him set his own rules and set his own standards.”

“There’s so many men’s suits or men’s brands, men’s designers that are borrowing from women’s clothes, which is fne-- It’s all borrowed and stuff. And then you have this suit on the left, the fabrication might be more feminine or disco or whatever, but the silhouette is still a classic men’s suit. The lapels might be of a different era, but it’s still very much menswear.”

PROJECT LAS VEGAS —

DIGITIZING FASHION: TRANSFORMING RETAIL & BRAND LOYALTY WITH NFTS

While there may be fear in the unknown, these experts share ideas on how to get started using NFTs and Web3.

“The goal for [our talk] today and also for the fashion industry is to stop talking about what [NFTs] are, and actually start using them. I remember opening our frst Instagram account for our company, and I didn’t have any questions like which technology is behind it-- yeah I knew the basics but you know just starting by using it and doing things is I think the most simple way to understand what these technologies are. And we don’t really need to know what exactly is an NFT, or Web3, or blockchain. I think just starting to use these technologies is the goal of this panel and truly the goal is to decrease pressure about this new space.”

“There’s a lot on the retention side with NFTs. So, I describe them as like a membership card for your brand. So, it might be a 3D wearable, but it can act as a membership card. For example, you can give VIP shopping experiences to those people who are a part of your community, you can give special perks or discounts when they’re shopping, and you can also communicate directly with people through their NFT. So, I guess it just increases the amount of touchpoints that you have with the consumers. It helps retain and keep new purchases coming.”

“That word experience is so important. We’re here with so many retailers and I know everyone is sick of hearing about having to create an experience, but it’s important, especially in store, to drive customers to become consumers. Experience is really important in the digital world and online as well.”

THE SPORTSWEAR GIANT AND THE EVOLUTION OF FOOTWEAR

These industry leaders are taking steps to help footwear brands and their consumers enter a new sustainable, accessible realm.

If anyone here is in the shoe business or has tried to develop a shoe, you know that a factory usually gives you these crazy minimums that you have to follow and that’s deterrent number one. ...FCTRY Lab exists to pretty much circumvent that entire process by developing it and sort of shortening that timeline by utilizing technology such as 3D printing and our manufacturing space and using and some of the other equipment that we have.”

“You know, let’s be honest, you can buy a T-shirt for a cup of coffee and then you throw that Tshirt away. The problem is there’s no way, it goes into our environment and our food system. So we’ve got to educate everyone along this journey, but we can’t ask them to compromise. And we’ve got to use creator labs like what [Omar’s building with FCTRY Lab] to show them how to make beautiful things that are worthy...”

“With these young athletes, and Omar you have the activation at the Super Bowl coming up, you know the NBA All-star. But what’s really great is that they get to come in, create, feel, look and expand their brand uniquely and not under this big umbrella corporation. And I think for most people, that’s what we want to be doing. We want to touch, we want to feel. And I think with both of you, you’re doing exactly that because when it comes to 100% plant-based fashion, that also is something that people are going to want to feel and to touch.”

ON THE HORIZON

This season of PROJECT was all about embarking on a new journey together. From New York to Las Vegas, our community ventured out with us to collaborate on forward movement towards the future of contemporary fashion. Here, we captured on flm some of our most memorable moments from the AW 23/24 season.

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A Circular Fashion Showcase by PROJECT Las Vegas

Ad Infnitum is our curated space that celebrates the importance of circularity, environmental responsibility, and sustainable practices within the fashion industry. Within this showcase, attendees were able to immerse themselves into a circular experience featuring brands who are contributing to the betterment of our global ecosystem.

THE OFFICIAL PROJECT LAS VEGAS PARTY

Sometimes the connections you make happen after the show. This season’s Offcial PROJECT Party in Las Vegas at OMNIA Nightclub was one to remember.

T.P and Perks @BLKIDtwins

James Carter @clean.showroon

Francis London @Iamfrancislondon

UGLYDUKLYN @Uglyduklynclothing

OPENING NIGHT PROJECT NEW YORK PARTY

This season’s Opening Night PROJECT Party on the rooftop at Skylark was where connections continued after the show closed.

PROJECT TREND SPOTTING

Every season the fts are fre, but this season’s standouts were in outerwear and accessories.

THE RIVET BOOTH

AWARD WINNERS

Best Men’s Collection: Nudie Jeans

Best Women’s Collection: Liverpool Los Angeles

Best Collaboration: Hudson

Best New Brand: NoEnd

Best Sustainability: Mavi

Editor’s Pick: Joe’s Jeans

PROJECT Tokyo

Scenes from our March 2023 event at Tokyo International Forum

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

PROJECT Las Vegas: Brandboom

TUNL

SpaceRunners

Pyscho Bunny

Liverpool Los Angeles

Mr. Men

Little Miss

ITKIB

PROJECT New York:

AMER_ICAN Cross Eyed Moose

KROST

NYMD

Snow Peak

Taion