Designers & Agents is an independent, international alternative marketplace for over 1000 collections and thousands of retailers who define the cutting edge in fashion and lifestyle. Identifying emerging talent and creating an intimate, synergistic environment that fosters relationships between designers and buyers, each of D&A's Spring and Fall shows in London, Los Angeles and New York (which typically attract 3000 retail and media visitors) are pre-edited, art-directed, and merchandised to create a sense of camaraderie and discovery.
Over the past 9 years D&A's Spring and Fall shows, which began in Los Angeles with the support of the New Mart, have grown from eight exhibitors to a collection of nearly 1000 fashion companies. As a result, Designers & Agents has become a leading resource for the downtown LA Fashion Center during market week, with a dedicated following of buyers from the major stores in USA and Europe to the hippest store on the block
Designers & Agents showcases more than 1000 companies in Los Angeles, New York and London dedicated to serving a targeted, fashion-forward audience. Designers & Agents is structured to be a pleasurable experience, though still very much about business.
In keeping with the aesthetic ideals of D&A and its participants, all of the shows are held in bright open loft spaces with high ceilings and cements floors that offer sweeping views which create the perfect backdrop for the vendors. This attention to the architecture and design, along with customized booths designed with a minimalist aesthetic showcases the clothing and accessories to their best advantage. Each season, Kramer and Mandelbaum work with notable design firms Modernica and Dr.Propper Art & Industry to create an exciting and inviting decor for their chic buyers lounges and pressrooms.
Art Installation and Mannequins dressed in selected pieces from their various designers are displayed in the New York Art Lounge which is where the Press Breakfast is held. The music selection for the shows is made by some of today's top DJ's that spin live during the show.