Rendez-Vous in New York

Rendez-Vous, the contemporary fashion tradeshow from Paris, is coming to New York. The first American edition will launch during the Mercedes Benz Fashion Week New York in February 2009. The event will showcase 75 contemporary fashion collections from North America, Europe and the Far East.

Rendez-Vous, will take place at the Altman Building, a landmark venue in the heart of Chelsea. It will bring the same format as the Paris event but tailor-made for the American market.

The trade show was created in Paris almost five years ago by Nick Jones, one of the partners of globally renowned brand Surface To Air. To run the New York edition, Jones is teaming up with Joshua Safalow, director of the New York based showroom Mexico and head buyer of Lower East Side boutique 'BBlessing' .

Jones is confident that there is a void in New York that can be filled by Rendez-Vous. He hopes to attract at least 50 percent local stylists. Jones is pushing hard to have the list of participants unveiled before the end of the year, and also to make it an impressive one. "Many professionals consider us as the most directional fashion event in the world" he underlines. "Mostly because we are very selective. And the American market is always looking out for that European touch."

Rendez-Vous began in January 2004 and over the course of the last five years has supported, hand picked and presented some of the best contemporary international collections: menswear from the likes of Kim Jones, Gaspard Yurkievich, Henrik Vibskov, Opening Ceremony, Surface to Air, Acne, Wood Wood, Chronicles of Never, Obedient Sons, Loden Dager, 5th Avenue Shoe Repair, Mjolk, Unconditional, SNS, Blaak and womenswear from names as diverse as Richard Nicoll, Roksanda Ilincic, Emma Cook, Antoni & Alison, Cathy Pill, Alexandre Hercovitch, United Bamboo, Txell Miras, Own, Camilla Staerk, C.Neeon, Wendy & Jim, Pam and many more.