Liberty and Capsule keeps things eventful at first partnered show

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Feb 1, 2016

This season, the Capsule Show and Liberty Fairs partnered to host their respective shows in a much different way than past shows. The two trade shows moved next door to each other to make Pier 92 and Pier 94 a hub for the menswear community. While attendees adjusted to the new Capsule Show location, travel became much simpler with four trade shows running at the same time all on the west side of Manhattan, those being Capsule, Liberty, Project at the Javits Center, and MAN at Industria Superstudio.

Capsule’s AW16 show was very unique and was met with mixed reviews. Some attendees preferred the Basketball City venue while others appreciated the railroad style layout at Pier 92 that divided the show according to its many features, including the long-running Above Tree Line and Sundries sections, as well as the new and returning Tomorrow Showroom, London Showcase, New America and Perspective sections.
 
The trade show debuted its newer concepts at its SS16 show in July 2015. Each section showcases new and returning designers and brands in a focused section that can better illustrate aesthetics and principles. The rear of the show this season housed the newer concepts that featured brands like RHUDE and Second/Layer at New America, Rochambeau and Soulland at Perspective: Darren Skey, Markus Lupfer, Diemme and Uniform Wares at Tomorrow Showroom and Baartmans and Siegal and Tourne de Transmission at London Showcase. Each section showed new-to-Capsule brands like KTZ, Christopher Raeburn, Pier Wu, Wil Fry, and ne.sense, among others.

At Liberty, attendees were met with a familiar layout and brands as well as updated showcases and new designers. The booths that were most visible from the show entrance were Zanerobe, a Liberty Fairs mainstay; Fred Perry, which displayed its mainlines; collaboration lines including Fred Perry by Raf Simons, Nigel Cabourn and a new Art Comes First collection that debuted at the show; and the New York Mens Day display that showcased the best looks from each NYMD brand that will show on February 1 at NYFW: Men’s.

Liberty Fairs expanded on its hospitality by placing a Blind Barber station at its Living Room area that was dedicated to grooming brands. The popular Freedom Hall section returned and was joined by a new installation for 14+ Foundation, a New York City-based non-profit that develops, builds and operates schools and orphanages in rural African communities. The installation featured images of the first school the organization built named the Mary Malambo School in Chipakata Children’s Academy, named after the mother of 14+ Foundation Executive Director & Co-founder Nchimunya Wulf, as well as a model of the next school that will be constructed and collaboration pieces with William Okpo, Randy Antonia and the Very Black Project.
 
“The reason why we’re here is because we do the collaborations,” Wulf said. “For this school, we need to make uniforms. I designed uniforms for our first school so I would like to find a brand to collaborate with.” Wulf found interested brands, but did not reveal names as of yet. “The inspiration [for the first uniforms] was taken from what I could find in my research for what they have in Zambia. I chose to have lighter fabrics, but it has to be conservative.”
 
The first season of the partnership between Capsule and Liberty is the beginning of something new and exciting that introduces buyers and press to brands and designers that they have not known or have not been able to get in touch with. The tastemakers behind the shows’ evolutions have the difficult job of keeping things fresh every season and they did not disappoint.
 
Capsule and Liberty will head to Las Vegas in February along with the Agenda Show at the Venetian.