Project NY looks to the future of streetwear and beyond this January

By

Robin Driver

Published
Jan 18, 2019

Set to kick off on Sunday as part of UBM’s Men’s January Marketplace, menswear trade show Project NY has revealed a program showcasing the hottest trends for Fall/Winter 2019-20 and looking to address one of the biggest questions in contemporary men’s fashion: where next for streetwear?

 
The three-day show will feature five neighborhoods, each dedicated to a different aspect of menswear. The Tents, for example, will play host to high-end contemporary luxury brands such as Troubadour, Eden Park and Ace & Everett, while The Foundry will offer visitors a curated selection of men’s apparel, home goods and male grooming products, among other “purposeful objects”, with confirmed exhibitors including Raw Shaving, Beltology and The Frenchie Group.
 
Elsewhere, Project Sole will focus on footwear and Blue will present buyers with a range of premium denim brands.

The final neighborhood, N:OW, which is making its New York debut, is described by the trade show as “an immersive 360 experience hosted by culturally relevant brands that drive fashion forward, while remaining commercially viable,” and will offer panels, installations, happenings and entertainment.
 
Developed in partnership with style-forecasting company WGSN, the N:OW Stage’s seminar program covers a range of topics including “Slanguage – How to Speak Zillenial” and “The New Luxury: Buying In Is The New Selling Out”.
 
Taking its lead from the trend’s ongoing dominance of the current menswear conversation, the program for the last day of the show is dedicated to streetwear, consisting of talks entitled “Streetwear Starter Pack: FW19 Edition”, led by Brian Trunzo, senior consultant at WGSN, and “The Future of Streetwear”, led by WGSN associate editor Quentin Humphrey.
 
However, following a Milan Men’s Fashion Week where the once ubiquitous trend seemed to lose ground to a more classic silhouette, Project NY will also be looking beyond streetwear to discuss other growing tendencies in menswear. Moderated by Trunzo, the “Take (Back) Ivy & The Great Prep Revival” panel, featuring Jack Carlson of Rowing Blazers, GQ’s Sam Hine, Jeremy Kirkland of Blamo! and vintage collector Josh Matthews, will explore the resurgence of the prep style in men’s fashion.
 
Other events include Champagne Hour at The Tents, video games on the big screen, a Barbour 125th Anniversary Mannequin Display and a Vince giveaway of cashmere beanies and scarves which can be monogrammed live.
 
As well as WGSN, Project NY has also teamed up with design, culture and technology publication and consultancy platform Cool Hunting this January. As part of the partnership, Cool Hunting will also be running a scavenger hunt which aims to help visitors explore the Project show floor and discover new brands.
 
Taking place in an adjacent show space, luxury menswear trade fair MRKET will also open on Sunday and will spotlight British and Italian fashion before drawing to a close one day earlier than Project.
 
Project NY runs Sunday, January 20, through Tuesday, January 22, at NYC’s Jacob Javits Center.