PROJECT Digital Issue Volume 4 by MMGNET Group

D I G I TA L I S S U E V O L U M E 4

CONTENTS

On Our Cover: Sweater and Pants by D.RT; Polo by Mind Birdge ALL EVENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY: Pedro Vasquez NEW YORK PHOTOGRAPHER @aim.os * Cole Curtis LAS VEGAS PHOTOGRAPHER @colexcurtis * Krispy LAS VEGAS PHOTOGRAPHER @sokrispy ALL SS24 EUROPEAN FASHION WEEK PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jimin Jeon @jiminphoto

08 In Focus: SS24

Week Recap

Introduction

In Focus: SS24 Must-Haves

In Focus: The Active Influence

Culture: 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop

Culture: Celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Levi’s 501® Jean

SS24 European Market Week Recap

Insights

Behind the Booth

Community Highlights

30 Culture: 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop

SHIRT AND SHORTS BY INIMIGO; BAG BY LAZARO

Must-Haves

52 SS24 European Market

4 5

JACKET BY RAGA MAN

SHIRT BY THALAIVAA; PANTS BY SERGIO TACCHINI; HAT BY AMERICAN NEEDLE

Introduction

elcome to the PROJECT Digital Issue Volume 4. We are still feeling the energy from our SS24 events and are excited to keep the buzz going with this Digital Issue.

incredible journey in developing a brand so heavily intertwined with Hip Hop. We also introduced you to Remy Ma’s Three Fashion Attitudes complete with spunky commentary by the female rapper herself. And to kick it all off, we hosted Now that you’ve experienced this season of an Industry Opening Night Party featuring an PROJECT, it’s time to start styling, merchandising, epic performance by one of Hip Hop’s biggest and planning; browse our SS24 Must-Haves names: Ludacris. lookbook for tips from guest stylist Noah Zagor who pulled pieces directly from participating We love meeting new brands, reconnecting with brands at PROJECT Las Vegas. Look and learn with returning brands, and are committed to PROJECT’s our robust education programming at PROJECT, continuous evolution and overseas explorations – and discover key insights from our special guests see our SS24 recap of Fashion Week in Europe on hot topics like how to incorporate sustainability where our team hosted an event in Paris with and the future of vintage. BEAMS x SPERRY, as well as captured all the best street style in Paris, Milan, and Florence. In The Pair that Started it All, celebrating the 150th Anniversary of the Levi’s 501® Jean, we note Read on for inspiring editorials and energizing the pivotal moments that shaped the history of articles showcasing this season of PROJECT. Join the iconic 501® Jean and Tracey Panek, Historian the PROJECT community at our upcoming events. and Director of Archives at Levi’s Strauss & Co., We hope to see you in 2024. exclusively shares design details you should look for to know if you’ve struck gold with a vintage pair. REGISTER NOW

Building off last season’s celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Hip Hop where we honored Karl Kani, we continued the celebration with a special panel featuring the founders of FUBU and their

LEARN MORE 7

SS2 4

SHIRT AND SHORTS BY RETROVERT; CARDIGAN BY HONOR THE GIFT; SUNGLASSES BY CAZAL

IN FOCUS:

MUST-HAVES Just like any good editorial fashion shoot, the SS24 Must-Haves editorial set was fast-paced and buzzing with colors, prints, and stylist Noah Zagor mixing and matching garments to concoct the perfect looks. Zagor’s overall concept, Beat the Heat, was broken into three key aesthetics: In The Garden, Heritage American Sportswear, and Low Key Luxe. Browse the SS24 Must-Haves lookbook for inspiration.

In The Garden

“[This aesthetic] is a really great way to explore print and pattern. Its commercial viability is really high right now,” explains Zagor. He continues, “It challenges masculinity and makes you ask, ‘What’s the new masculinity?’ Everyone is trying to figure it out; materials that would traditionally be considered feminine, have now gained mainstream acceptance.”

SHIRT BY THALAIVAA; PANTS BY SERGIO TACCHINI; HAT BY AMERICAN NEEDLE

According to Zagor, “many of the smaller brands have sustainability in their ethos...They’re handdyed, hand-printed, ethical, maybe they even use their scraps to make the totes they’re giving out at the tradeshow or in their shop.” A perfect example is this beaded shirt from Indian brand Thalaivaa which he styled with a retro, cream-colored track pant by Sergio Tacchini and a baseball cap by American Needle.

“It challenges masculinity and makes you ask, ‘What’s the new masculinity?’ Everyone is trying to figure it out; materials that would traditionally be considered feminine, have now gained mainstream acceptance.”

T-SHIRT AND PANTS BY KUWALLA; SHIRT BY ONE432; BAG BY OTHERWISE; SCARF BY PENDLETON

We definitely are feeling the color-blocking and patchwork present everywhere,” — Ammar Belal, Co-Founder and Design Director at One432 “We definitely are feeling the color-blocking and patchwork present everywhere,” shares Ammar Belal, Co-Founder and Design Director at One432. Zagor paired this One432 floral button down with a pair of jeans from Kuwalla and rain boots from Barbour. Ammar explains the brand’s sustainable model: “We continue to stick to our pledge of using only up-cycled fabrics throughout our production process. Our unique sourcing model strives to collect different assortments of scraps from bigbox [and] leftover factory waste. This inspires our color-blocking with the current palette referencing the pink hues from Grand Budapest Hotel and the sand blue hues from Asteroid City…our ethos has been to bring a retro Wes Anderson-inspired pastel color story to these existing trends.” 12

SWEATER AND PANTS BY D.RT; POLO BY MIND BRIDGE

When it comes to this aesthetic, it’s all about purchasing staple pieces and being able to dress them up or down. “You can make a knit sweater look cool and modern, or go super retro with it and make it look like a Talented Mr. Ripley or French Riviera motif; you can do it in a casual way or in a rich European way,” says Zagor. Perfectly tying it back to the key theme of Low Key Luxe, Zagor points out that “While a knit sweater is ‘quiet luxury,’ it’s not something you necessarily need to spend a million dollars on.”

Low Key Luxe 14

For this look, Zagor explains, “I combined this knitted polo with a johnny collar [from D.RT] with a slightly oversized sweater, which contrasts nicely with the brown collar.” D.RT is a great brand to explore for staple pieces that can be styled up and down. Paula Brunson, the brand’s President and Co-Founder, shares this season’s wide range of classic colors and nostalgic materials: “[for colorways we have], olive, mint, burgundy, cream, navy, chocolate brown colors— all with our signature pop of orange. Our fabrics always have a broad range; this season we see corduroy and fleece as traditional pants and sweatshirts, but also as overshirts and jackets, [as well as] cotton, technical fabrics, and canvas.” 15

JACKET BY RAGA MAN; PANTS BY NOR BLACK NOR WHITE

SWEATER VEST BY WILD THING$; SHORTS BY NANA JUDY; HAT BY ALITY

Heritage American Sportswear

According to Zagor, this aesthetic is “rooted in ‘90s Polo Prep, where Hip Hop and Prep cross. In the editorial, we threw on a really cool collegiate cardigan [from Wild Thing$] and an oversized statement piece on a more basic look and it looked cool; It had that patchworkpreppy vibe and we used lots of bucket hats.” According to Jaron Jones, Owner and Creative Director at Wild Thing$, another exciting piece that works wonderfully with this aesthetic is, the Kirk Wave corduroy: “We’ve integrated snaps at the pant’s bottom, drawing inspiration from the flare and pull-away aesthetic of basketball warm-up pants with an elastic waistband.” Paula Brunson, President and Co-Founder of D.RT is also on the “corduroy wave,” and highlights the material’s multifunctional nature: “Corduroy is back. Our stretchy corduroy pant can be worn to the skate park or the office.” Also present within this aesthetic are: nautical themes, madras, tracksuits, loafers, and slides.

SHIRT BY OTHERWISE; TANK BY CODE 22; PANTS BY LEISURE LAB; BAG BY LAZARO

SWEATER, T-SHIRT AND PANTS BY MIND BRIDGE

18 19

SHIRT AND SHORTS BY RETROVERT; CARDIGAN BY HONOR THE GIFT; SUNGLASSES BY CAZAL

As styles evolve, trends transition, and consumers gain new desires, the PROJECT team makes it our goal, year after year, to provide retailers and brands guidance informed by fashion experts and industry leaders. We can’t wait to see how you’ll bring these pieces to life in your stores.

PRODUCTION CREDITS Hailley Howard PHOTOGRAPHER/PRODUCER/CO-DIRECTOR @hailleyhoward * Jacob Boll CO-DIRECTOR/DIGITECH @jacobboll * Kelli von Maur PRODUCER/PA * Khavory Lee PA @khavory.lee * Marlaine Reiner HMU @mjr_makeup * Noah Zagor MEN’S STYLIST @noahzagor * Sean Hanlon MODEL @cantbeseandon

THE ACTIVE INFLUENCE

ORIGINAL PENGUIN

IN FOCUS:

PROJECT is a destination to discover the latest in contemporary, fashion-forward menswear and now more than ever, sports and active influences are trending in the market. Darren Crawford, CEO of Ellesse USA echoes that notion: “The current outdoor movement is colliding streetwear with club sports in a big way: skate and racquet sports, surf and tennis. Graphics on a silk camp shirt or tennis dress. These are fun, expressive, and flamboyant times.” Read on for insights from some of the most innovative sports and activewear brands at PROJECT. 22

The New Sports Aesthetic: Creating Community and Self Expression Consumers align themselves with certain sports as a way to define their identities. As the “Old Money Aesthetic” popularized by TikTok enters the mainstream, we see consumers actively align themselves with the aesthetics surrounding sports like tennis, golf, and Padel, in some cases regardless of if they’re avid participants in the sport itself. “The outdoor movement is breaking down barriers everywhere we look. Combine that with music and culture and you have some really unique opportunities for self-expression,” says Darren Crawford, CEO of Ellesse USA . This season, Ellesse activated a section of PROJECT Las Vegas with a Padel court where attendees could share the joy of the sport, connect, and shop the clothing that’s made for it.

“Activewear and lifestyle and workwear have all blended together in the last few years. Take Yoga pants in the workspace or T-shirts on the golf course — they are now commonly accepted.” — Darren Crawford, CEO of Ellesse USA

Ellesse’s Padel court at the August edition of PROJECT Las Vegas.

ORIGINAL PENGUIN

Heritage Trends: American-Made “Feel Goods” Heritage is an element that can inspire consumers to identify with a brand. Leisure Lab is proud to manufacture in the U.S. and explains the fiscal benefits of doing so: “I think we will see a huge upswing in [consumers] valuing American-made apparel – not only for the ethos behind the manufacturing, but for the speed to market,” shares Darren Chandlee, the brand’s co-founder. On an emotional level, Chandlee explains how customers will find “feel good” comfort in local manufacturing: “I think customers will start to tune into the soul of the companies they are buying from more than ever before. Lifestyle brands will see a rise in following versus the super trendy throw-n-go fashion moments that last a few weeks to months at most. The customer will start to pay attention to where their dollar is being spent more than ever before as they long to support brands that align with values they feel connected to.”

Dynamic Lifestyles Powered by Tech Fabrics The key ingredient in making clothing multifunctional is material. “I think some of the largest activewear trends are in the development of technical fabrics that are helping garments transition from everyday essentials into active garments that can withstand and benefit the clients throughout their workout. This plays a key role in the garment’s diversity of life and value for the customer,” shares Darren Chandlee of Leisure Lab. He adds: “We’re focused more on multifunctional lifestyles and have items that can be used as both activewear and everyday ready-to-wear. To achieve both stylish and performance-geared, you need to have the right, high-quality fabric. It is key to making things look good, feel good, and perform well.”

LEISURE LAB

On the business side, Chandlee describes how rewarding it feels: “We manufacture our apparel with our own in-house team right here in Los Angeles. We believe paying fair wages and being a part of the process from concept to completion is a beautiful process to embody and be a part of as we grow our brand. We know every hand that cuts and sews our garments and not only does that increase our efficiency, but it also makes our work here feel good to be a part of.”

Developing Collections with Sustainability in Mind “Post-pandemic, print, pattern, and color are important elements [in creating] timeless and versatile clothing that is key from a lifestyle perspective but more importantly, sustainability and environmental consciousness are something else we’re layering in. At Original Penguin, we are creating clothing that has performance attributes like moisture management, sun protection, water repellency, and four-way stretch properties that allow consumers to move seamlessly from active to work to social environment—our clothing moves with them throughout their day. Our collection’s textiles have at least 30% or more recycled yarns and performance finishes that are eco-friendly,” shares Vincent Panzanella, SVP of Global Marketing & Communications at Original Penguin.

“I think we will see a huge upswing in [consumers] valuing American-made apparel – not only for the ethos behind the manufacturing, but for the speed to market.” — Darren Chandlee, Co-founder of Leisure Lab Darren Crawford of Ellesse shares some closing inspiration: “No matter what your ‘focus’ is, PROJECT is a gathering space where creatives, influencers, and business-minded persons get to come together and express themselves in a beautiful way. It’s a community of social conscious-minded people driving fashion in the right way.”

C U LT U R E :

Celebrating 50 Years of Hip Hop

Last season we celebrated Hip-Hop’s 50th anniversary with a panel honoring Karl Kani. This season, we continued the celebration with two new panels honoring the iconic brand FUBU, and a discussion with female rapper Remy Ma, and a live performance by Ludacris. 28

ALL STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY BY HAILLEY HOWARD @HAILLEYHOWARD

THE LEGENDARY:

FUBU

Keith Perrin. Owner + Co-Founder of FUBU and CEO of FUBU Radio.

Read on to discover how the FUBU team made it through challenging times by relying on each other’s strength, and gaining support from the Hip Hop community, plus their visions for the future. 30

Carl Brown, Co-Founder of FUBU and Founder of HotelFUBU with Keith Perrin. Owner + Co-Founder of FUBU and CEO of FUBU Radio.

“It actually felt good to go to work because I knew that once I [clock out], I will be with my guys and we’ll be getting some real work done at home.”

It Was All A Dream

— Carl Brown, Co-Founder of FUBU and Founder of HotelFUBU

The Origin Story

A Labor of Love

Growing up in the same neighborhood, every member of the FUBU team had big dreams, and even more importantly, they believed in each other’s ability to succeed. Daymond John, Co-Founder of FUBU and Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank reminisces: “...I think it was Carl and I who stood on the corner in ‘89 and sold a couple of hats – we were kind of just messing around and wanted to be part of something, but the business had closed three times from ‘89 to ‘92. J. was the one who had just come back from fighting Desert Storm, meanwhile I was the one that was beat up and wanted to give up on this brand. J. said, ‘Yo, I believe in you man – let me help you out,’ and then he convinced Carl and me to keep going and next, he came aboard.”

“It was a labor of love,” shared Carl Brown, Co-Founder of FUBU and Founder of HotelFUBU. He continues: “I didn’t look at [my other job] as work …It actually felt good to go to work because I knew that once I [clock out], I will be with my guys and we’ll be getting some real work done at home. So, when you have a little situation that you believe in, whether it makes you $1,000,000 or not, you stick to it, because for me, it gave me my refuge – something to do, something I enjoy. We just happened to make some money from it, but I probably would’ve done it for free anyway.”

“A lot of people have this fear about A.I. and how it’s going to take over, but I think it gives you a step up. Back in the day, I designed with crayons and markers and things like that, and all of a sudden came this CAD system that helped me revolutionize what we’re doing.” — J. Alexander Martin, Co-Founder & Creative Director of FUBU, and host of podcast Behind The Money

A Trade Event Start

The Set Up Just like so many brands, FUBU got its commercial start at MAGIC. When it came to setting up a booth, FUBU’s authenticity garnered attention. Carl Brown illustrates the scene: “We were straight off the street, so there were no rules in our heads about anything; we did what we thought was coming from the soul and our hearts and it attracted a lot of people, a lot of customers, a lot of retailers.” Despite their success, the team continually pushed forward. “It was really competitive,” started Keith Perrin, Owner and Co-Founder of FUBU and CEO of FUBU Radio, “We were like the new kids on the block not even knowing the other guys were new too, but we always asked ourselves: ‘How can we improve each and every time we come here to make sure that we’re in the running with these other brands?’ We started with a 10x20 booth and we were on fire so much that the fire department had to come and shut us down because there were too many people blocking the aisle. So the next season, we decided …we should do stadium seating so this way all the people at the booth won’t be crowding the aisles.”

“We were like the new kids on the block not even knowing the other guys were new too, but we always asked ourselves: ‘How can we improve each and every time we come [to the tradeshow] to make sure that we’re in the running with these other brands?’ — Keith Perrin, Owner and Co-Founder of FUBU and CEO of FUBU Radio

Authentic Representation & Collaborations

Expanding Beyond Fashion

FUBU translates to “For Us, By Us,” so it’s vital to the brand’s ethos to, “have people that think or look or act or believe in the same things as the people that you serve,” shares John. And even so, today, that’s what we do. That’s why we end up [hiring] younger talent into our company and do licensing and collaborations with great people that really know what they’re doing here and around the globe. Because that’s the only way that we’re going to keep the brand going for 30, 40, 50, 100 years.”

“You’ve got to have people that think or look or act or believe in the same things as the people that you serve.”

Datwon Thomas, Editor-In-Chief of Vibe magazine with FUBU’s Keith Perrin and Carl Brown at PROJECT Las Vegas.

— Daymond John, Co-Founder of FUBU and Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank Making Music

Cross Promotion

“The brand got so big and it became so monstrous that y’all didn’t know what else to do but expand and go into other avenues,” shared panel host Datwon Thomas, EditorIn-Chief of Vibe magazine. “The bottom line is, entertainment and FUBU always went hand-inhand,” stated Brown, “Rap was …the soundtrack to our whole company. When it came time to expand, we knew that a lot of artists were coming into the clothing business, so we solidified a deal with Universal: a 50/50 joint venture, and we came out with the first compilation album of all original music.”

FUBU’s first hit was “Fatty Girl,” and they also created a jean called “Fatty Girl Jean.” Brown explains: “So, on two different levels we were able to not only sell our CDs in record stores, we made deals with all of these independent stores and Macy’s to sell our record and our jeans – we were one of the first companies to create that [cross-promotional] platform.” Brown is now working on a hospitality concept, HotelFUBU.

“How can we make this industry a better industry and more inclusive? We’re [at the tradeshow] because everybody stuck together. We have one objective to share: our beautiful love for this culture that caught up with the entire world.” 36

Daymond John, Co-Founder of FUBU and Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank

— Daymond John, Co-Founder of FUBU and Shark on ABC’s Shark Tank

New Technologies Provide New Opportunities

Be Open-Minded “A lot of people have this fear about A.I. and how it’s going to take over, but I think it gives you a step up,” shared J. Alexander Martin, Co-Founder & Creative Director of FUBU and host of podcast Behind The Money. “Back in the day, I designed with crayons and markers and things like that, and all of a sudden came this CAD system that helped me revolutionize what we’re doing. Remember when we had to spend money on ads in magazines? Now everyone has their own magazine. Instagram is your own magazine and your niche is your followers… So I think [A.I.] can help.” In the same breath, Carl Brown has firsthand experience of new technologies benefiting the next generation; he shared: “I watch kids sit in their basements and they become superstars overnight – my son is one of them. Now, he is DJ Carnage [most recently known as GORDO, an EDM DJ]. I watched him in the basement on MySpace building a fanbase, then Facebook and Instagram came around, and now he’s on tour all around the world.” Stay Authentic With the positivity surrounding new technologies, Brown also warns of a new challenge that has come to the surface: staying authentic. “[Technology] has that [positive] component to it, but it also kind of waters everything down because you have so many options. So, you have got to be creative, stick to your guns, and stick to what you believe in and don’t just change every time the trends change. Build your fanbase, focus on your consumer, and cater to them,” urges Brown. And according to Perrin, sometimes being authentic means taking your own direction: “We used to say: ‘when everyone zigs, we zag,’ because everybody can’t be in the same lane. It just gets crowded, so you have to do something else.”

“We used to say: ‘when everyone zigs, we zag,’ because everybody can’t be in the same lane. It just gets crowded, so you have to do something else,” — Keith Perrin, Owner and Co-Founder of FUBU and CEO of FUBU Radio. 38

THERE’S SOMETHING ABOUT

REMY

Embrace Individuality: When it comes to dressing, Remy opts for individuality on and off the stage: “I never want to have to come outside and say ‘Okay, I’ve got to go to a convention, time to put on my Remy Ma outfit.’” She echoes the same concept when discussing how celebrities in “Who Wore It Best” columns in blogs or magazines often look too similar anyway, or how she would never buy an entire outfit off a mannequin: “I try to have some type of individuality… I like to come up with my own swag.” Evolve through the Ages: When it came to her “tomboy aesthetic” back in the day, Remy does not attribute it to being the one female around a bunch of male artists in Terror Squad, instead she jokingly attributes it to her tough persona in her youth. Remy recounts, “I used to be like, in case anything like a fight happens… this is what I’m wearing. But that was in my youth – now I’m like, ‘Security!’” Empower with Style: “I’ve been lucky enough to have the life and opportunities that I’ve had; I could’ve been one of these girls that has a family, has kids, has the talent, but no outlet to make any money or make a career out of it. I had the resources and that’s what inspired me to start [a battle rap tournament]... And I’m adamant about the fashion with them too... I turned into their stylist. I look at their page, I think about what would look good on their body …if you look at my closet you’d think I have like 4 different chicks living in my house, because I have everything from like a size 6 to a size 12…”

Vibe magazine Editor-In-Chief Datwon Thomas with Hip Hop Star Remy Ma at PROJECT Las Vegas.

A celebration of the 50th anniversary of Hip Hop would not be complete without shining a light on the women who have contributed to the genre. Vibe magazine Editor-In-Chief Datwon Thomas sat down with Hip Hop star Remy Ma at the August edition of PROJECT Las Vegas. Here, she lets us in on her Three Fashion Attitudes. 40

Industry Scene:

Opening Night Party

C U LT U R E :

CELEBRATING THE 150th ANNIVERSARY OF THE LEVI’S 501� JEAN

The Pair That Started It All Name a more iconic wardrobe staple han a good pair of denim jeans. As the fashion industry evolves, denim remains a key category within many contemporary retail assortments, as well as a key pillar of PROJECT’s DNA. In celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Levi’s 501® Jean, PROJECT invited Tracey Panek, Historian and Director of Archives at Levi Strauss & Co., to give an inside look at some of Levi’s most pivotal design moments, and the tips and tricks that’ll let you know if you’ve struck gold with a rare, vintage pair of jeans. Here, we summarize some of those key moments Panek spoke about during her Education Session, Creating An Icon: the History of the 501®, at PROJECT. 44

501® Denim Timeline: Left: The first iteration of Levi’s 501® Denim, with only one pocket in the back. A second pocket wasn’t added until 1901.

“[Levi Strauss] became extremely successful and he had a whole corps of sales people… You can see them in their bowler hats, dressed as they would when they went out to states all over the American West like Nevada, Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington to sell products. And they would do it with horse and buggy, because this was years before automobiles were around.”

Below: This photograph taken at the Calico mines in the Mojave Desert ( just a couple of hours from Las Vegas) shows some of earliest Levi’s-wearing workers and is also where one of the earliest pair of Levi’s were found in perfect condition.

– Tracey Panek, Historian and Director of Archives at Levi Strauss & Co.

Tracey Panek, Historian and Director of Archives at Levi Strauss & Co., at PROJECT Las Vegas.

1853

1872

1873

The Levi Strauss Company is born.

Levi Strauss receives a letter that would change his life, and the course of fashion history, forever.

Patent accepted: Levi’s denim pants are officially born.

Levi’s starts as an importerexporter of wholesale dry goods during the California Gold Rush, making this its 170th year in existence and its 150th anniversary of developing the original 501® Jean.

Jacob Davis, a tailor and customer of Levi’s living in Reno, Nevada, sent in a letter requesting another order of denim as well as an invitation to patent his unusual way of making work pants. “He had this idea and it was a tiny but important innovation …it was all based on this tiny little piece of metal; a rivet added to the pockets of a pair of pants so that if you’re putting your hands in and out [of the pants] they don’t tear, they’re just going to last longer,” shared Tracey Panek, Historian and Director of Archives at Levi Strauss & Co. “He started selling those and got such rave reviews that he couldn’t keep up with the demand. And that’s why he wrote to Levi, his fabric supplier, and invited him to take out a patent for this unusual way of riveting pants. Levi Strauss accepts the invitation despite his lack of experience in the manufacturing space.”

The US government grants Levi’s an official US patent for the 501® Jean — known then as riveted pants — on May 20th. They are developed and sold as work pants for miners, cowboys, railroad engineers, and carpenters in the American West.

In 1938, the tagline: “It’s no use, they can’t be ripped,” was put to the test; historian Tracy Panek holds up a pair of 501s® and a copy of a thank-you letter that was sent to headquarters: “[The letter] was written by someone whose car had broken down and all they had in the back of their truck was a pair of our 501s®. So, they told a friend to stop by, attached the 501s® to the car with a little bit of rope, and towed the car about five miles to their home.”

How do you know if you’ve struck gold with a very vintage pair of Levi’s?

1886

Look for clues like only one pocket on the back, no belt loops, and no red tab.

The iconic leather trademark comes to life. As US patents only last 20 years, Levi’s develops a trademark in hopes of continuing to set itself apart under the assumption that other denim companies will start incorporating the unique riveting technique. Still used to this day, the leather patch on the back of the pants features two horses running in opposite directions which compliments Levi’s original tagline meant to express the strength and quality of Levi’s: “It’s no use, they can’t be ripped.” 48

1890s

1901

1922

1936

The jeans are given the official name “501® Denim.”

A second pocket is added to the back of the 501s®.

Levi’s adds belt loops to the top of the 501s®.

A little red tab is added to the back right pocket of the 501s®.

Prior to 1922, a buckle above the back pockets was used to cinch the pants in by the wearer.

Demetrious Peterson and Tracey Panek.

The Levi’s team at PROJECT Las Vegas. Pictured from left to right: Mike Mecham, Demetrious Peterson, Tracey Panek, and Michelle Gatonye.

1940s

1960s

1969

Levi’s goes global.

501s® go from workwear to fashion statement.

Patchwork and bell bottoms make their Woodstock debut.

As young US soldiers are deployed overseas, their off-duty uniforms are a pair of 501s® and a white T-shirt. People outside of the US see Levi’s for the first time.

Once worn and purchased solely as workwear in the American West, 501s® are now sold to young consumers across the United States, Hawaii, Japan, and throughout various parts of Asia.

The iconic festival was described as a “sea of denim.” The youth customized their Levi’s 501s® with patchwork and opened up the bottom seams to create bell bottoms.

During World War II, Levi’s would stencil on the trademark with paint instead of attaching the leather patch and use fabric scraps for the pocket linings, which were otherwise always white, to help with rationing goods for the war effort. 50

SS24 EUROPEAN MARKET WEEK RECAP

The PROJECT team touched down in Florence, Milan, and Paris for Men’s Market in Europe this summer. Here, we recap some of our favorite moments from the PROJECT x SPERRY x BEAMS Party. 52

PROJECT x SPERRY x BEAMS PARTY PROJECT partnered with Sperry and Beams Japan to celebrate their limited-edition shoe collaboration “MIL CVO” during a private event at Paris Fashion Week. 54

Paris

TREND SPOTTING IN EUROPE 56

The PROJECT team captured the best of the best style from the streets of Paris, Milan, and Florence. The matching set, the tailored jacket, the unbuttoned suit, and the vest were some of the trends we saw flooding the streets of Europe.

Milan

Florence

INSIGHTS:

Experts and Industry Insiders Sound Off

Education Sessions returned during this season of PROJECT; panelists provided an inside look at the obstacles their companies are facing and how they are overcoming them. We’re highlighting the key insights from the panels that will help you navigate the ever-evolving fashion industry. 62

Circular Sustainability in Fashion

Jessica Kelly

Case Davis

Camille Tagle

Augusto Céspedes Espejo

Founder + CEO, THR3EFOLD

VP of Operations, GOT BAG

Co-Founder, FABSCRAP

CEO + Co-Founder, INPERCA

1 64

Keep your fabric alive: Camille Tagle, co-founder of FABSCRAP, urges brands to continue the life of a fabric by keeping it in circulation. In addition to environmental benefits, she shares, “There are so many students— sorry, entrepreneurs—for whom that accessibility to your ‘waste’ is game changing and allows them to pursue their creative endeavors and their dreams.” Jessica Kelly, founder and CEO of THR3EFOLD provides further insight on the challenges surrounding fabric recycling: “It’s super hard to recycle materials because a lot of them are blended. And if they’re blended, you can’t spin them back down into cotton because plastic is all stuck up in there...So, if the fabric is really, really small and difficult to reuse, those little scraps and bits get shredded into industrial insulation.”

Hire locally: Sustainability is not only an environmental effort, it’s a social one too. This panel inspires you to question: how might our brand create jobs for the local communities producing our goods while simultaneously improving their environments? GOT BAG developed its own Ocean Cleanup Program in Indonesia, which pays locals to collect the ocean plastics used to make the brand’s travel accessories. Peru-based sock manufacturer INPERCA donates trees to farmers in Peru to catalyze the reforestation effort.

Beyond the Music: Gavin Rossdale’s Fashion Venture Gavin Rossdale, best known as the lead singer and guitarist of the band Bush, is a man of many trades. He’s tackled the music industry, explored the culinary world, and now he’s ventured into the fashion industry with his collection, Sea of Sound, at PROJECT Las Vegas. Discover how this artist’s past and present have informed his design process and personal style. Here, Rossdale talks about how fit can impact mood. Tim Chan of Rolling Stone magazine with Gavin Rossdale at PROJECT Las Vegas.

3 66

Design for comfort: Whether Rossdale is at home or on stage, he recognizes the relationship between how comfortable clothing boosts his confidence: “I want to go downstairs and catch myself in the mirror and be like, ‘Yeah, I feel good about today.’ And so, the T-shirts flow and move; we work so hard on sampling so that everything really fits right. I don’t believe fashion should be uncomfortable; the fit and the comfort [of an item] is really important to me because then you feel comfortable.”

Gavin Rossdale 67

Vintage is the New Luxury

David Casavant

Nikki Mirsaeid

Luke Fracher

Stylist and Archival Fashion Collector

Creative Director and Brand Partnerships at Highsnobiety

Co-Founder of Round Two and Luke’s NYC

4 68

Designers are the new artists: As pop culture icons shift to include fashion designers, the value of archival pieces will increase. “People pay millions for Warhols and I think [vintage] is just going to become more like that…” forecasts David Casavant, stylist and archival fashion collector. Consider how you can display vintage pieces as collectible art beyond the confines of your consumer’s closet.

Archival pieces are the new “product drops”: As the internet increased accessibility to otherwise hard-to-find clothing and subcultures, vintage clothing now provides consumers with “a rare form of expression,” describes Nikki Mirsaeid, Creative Director and Brand Partnerships at Highsnobiety. Luke Fracher, co-founder of Round Two and Luke’s NYC, adds: “At the end of the day, 90% of the clothes you [used to buy to stand out are now available online] … So finding something that no one else has means a lot to a lot of people.”

PROJECT x NYMD: Brands to Watch

thesalting

New York Men’s Day was launched in 2014 by Agentry PR out of a passion for supporting emergent talent. The speakers inspired us with new ways to boost creativity from the design process to the work environment. We had the honor of hearing from Aaron Potts, Designer of A.POTTS, Clara Son, Designer of Clara Son, Erin Hawker, Owner + Founder of Agentry PR and NYMD, Manel Garcia Espejo, co-designer of thesalting, Michael Ward Espejo, co-designer of thesalting, and our moderator, Edwina Kulego, VP of International + Men’s, Informa Markets Fashion.

Aaron Potts

Designing for Diversity: “...for me, [the design process] is about stripping away the idea of gender and just looking at beautiful silhouettes that work on a lot of different body types—whether it’s a cis male body, cis female body, a trans body or someone who is non-binary...a lot of times our definitions of gender can put people in boxes that they really shouldn’t be in,” says Aaron Potts, Designer of A.POTTS. And when it comes to work, Potts explains why he strives to create a diverse environment: “Most of the people that we work with are women, people of color, LGBTQIA+ people; and diversity is such an important part for me because it’s something I didn’t have and a lot of my friends didn’t have and the places they worked at weren’t actually welcoming to them and their ideas, so I wanted to create something where there’s a creative element but also a social message.”

Create Fearlessly — You’ll Find Your Audience: Scared to take the leap of starting your own brand? Michael Ward Espejo, co-designer of thesalting, assures you that as long as you trust your vision there will be others who appreciate your brand too. He explains, “If you’re making what you love, you will find your audience, your audience will find you. If you’re lucky to take that time to go on that journey, it’ll happen. So the most rewarding experience thus far [of owning your own business] is that there are no rules.”

Nate Brown: Telling His Story + Helping You Tell Yours

Nate Brown Edwina Kulego, VP International & Men’s, Informa Markets Fashion with Nate Brown, Founder / Creative Director, Studio Institute

“The number one lesson that I learned in that process was storytelling is really just communicating a purpose to someone — a why — and that has been a career’s lifetime of learning. “It’s more than just presenting pretty visuals...that can only go a certain distance before people start to lose interest in something... The primary lesson I’ve learned is to create a story around something and understand what it is you’re trying to communicate. And by the way, the end result might end up just being a pretty image, but at least it has a mission to it...” “I’ve grown to have deeper levels of appreciation for that over the course of my career, and now it’s actually my starting point...It starts with a why, and I try to challenge people that your why should translate to text. You should be able to write it in a sentence and then you can layer the visual components on top of that.” 72

The PROJECT social team went behind the booth to get a deeper look into some of the brands showing at the SS24 edition of PROJECT New York.

BEHIND THE BOOTH 74

Clean Showroom

“Clean Showroom is an international brand development agency with a specialty in launching emerging and heritage designers into the market. Think futuristic, fresh, timeless, cool.” — James Carter, Clean Showroom 75

OAS

“Our SS24 collection draws inspiration from a Mediterranean heat wave and the ray of light which casts its luminous touch on limestone walls and terracotta-colored pots.” — Nicklas Barry, OAS 76

Sundek

“We are presenting our capsule collection GOLDENWAVE made with handmade treatment dying, washing, and a new kind of print.” — Daniele Bianucci, Sundek 78

Unsettle Co.

“Specializing in multi-functional utilitarian pieces, Unsettle is all about multi-dimensional living and I’m grateful that PROJECT New York reflects that spirit as well.” — Charlie Yip, Unsettle Co. 80

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

THE OFFICIAL PROJECT PARTY The Official PROJECT Party at OMNIA Nightclub in Las Vegas featuring John Summit was one we’ll always remember.

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

SS24 MEN’S MARKET EVENT

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

We loved connecting with some of our colleagues and friends at the SS24 Men’s Market Event in New York. 86

STREET STYLE

Our community knows how to show up in style. Here are some of our favorite looks from this season’s events. 88

STREET STYLE

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS Blend Cottonworks Fitflop Gilded Age GFA Manasseh Levi Strauss & Co. Lightspeed Commerce Inc. Meison QAD Peepers by Peeperspecs Sperry Sundek The Laundry Room

BE A PART OF THE PROJECT COMMUNITY JOIN US AT AN UPCOMING EVENT REGISTER NOW

LEARN MORE