New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - September 16, 2022) - The Canvas, a New York City-based marketplace for independent, ethical fashion and lifestyle brands and creators, is taking three new spaces at Manhattan's largest retail and transportation hub, the Westfield Shops at The Oculus. This makes The Canvas among the largest retail tenants by square feet at the Shops.
"We're delighted to welcome The Canvas to Westfield World Trade Center," said Michael Worthman, Vice President of Leasing for Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW). "The Canvas' ethical fashion proposition aligns with our goals of catering to socially conscious shoppers passing through the Oculus, offering leasing and pop-up opportunities for emerging and diverse local businesses and brands."
The Canvas at the Oculus, Neesmith Onzeur
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The Canvas at the Oculus will be its New York City flagship retail store, a 4,200-square foot fashion destination nestled between Kate Spade and Sam Edelman, which will showcase an artfully curated collection of over 60 ethical fashion and lifestyle brands. One floor below, The Canvas has also signed leases on two other spaces. Details to be announced soon.
Devin Gilmartin, founder of The Canvas, Lumia Nocito
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"Fashion and real estate are both in moments of disruption and evolution; The Canvas model is based on the belief that this overlap is an opportunity," said Devin Gilmartin, co-founder, and CEO of The Canvas Global.
The Canvas has quickly established itself in the realm of ethical fashion. There are currently 100+ brands and counting in the store's community, all small to medium-sized, from around the globe and in our own backyard. The e-commerce and retail marketplaces lower market entry barriers for independent, artisanal brands that would otherwise have difficulty gaining exposure to large markets.
"It will be difficult to justify shopping fast fashion that is made using low-quality materials, from human rights abuses, at a tremendous cost to the environment, when the antithesis of that is available at the store beside it. This is why we've created The Canvas and why our arrival at a location like the Westfield Shops at the Oculus marks such a significant moment for the rise of ethical fashion," said Harold Brooks, CEO of Retail at The Canvas.
The Canvas at the Oculus, Lumia Nocito
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The Canvas is among the only retail companies in the world listed as an official partner of the United Nations. This past June, Gilmartin spoke at the first annual United Nations Conscious Fashion and Lifestyle Network Conference. Kerry Bannigan, Executive Director of the Fashion Impact Fund and driving force behind the conference, said: "The Canvas' commitment to advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals reshapes the sector as we know it by integrating impact into the DNA of the business, brands, and consumer experience; overall transitioning society to value people and planet." Each brand sold at The Canvas must achieve at least two of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals.
"In an innovation-starved asset class, where there is a dearth of new retail concepts, The Canvas is a welcome breath of fresh air. It offers relevancy to developers and accessibility to burgeoning brands while also solving landlords' needs for occupancy," said Jason Richter, member of The Canvas Advisory Board.
The Canvas at the Oculus, Lumia Nocito
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"Fast fashion labels will have stiffer competition; independent brands have better transparency, higher quality products, and superior stories to tell. We want to make the transition to a more sustainable fashion industry as simple as possible for the customer. That's how mass shifts in attitude and standards occur: innovation and convenience converge," said Devin Gilmartin, co-founder and CEO of The Canvas Global.
This will be The Canvas' second store opening in Manhattan this year after establishing a new boutique home at The Seaport this past spring. Each retail location highlights a carefully curated selection of brands and unique, one-of-a-kind pieces that are rotated intermittently.
About Devin Gilmartin:
Devin Gilmartin is the Founder and CEO of The Canvas Global. Devin started a t-shirt brand in 2016, which evolved and sparked the idea of a retail platform uniting vacant spaces with independent brands in 2018. Devin is also the Founder of the Future Fashion Group at New York University, the first University-wide club dedicated to promoting ethical fashion.
Entrance to The Canvas, Lumia Nocito
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About Harold Brooks:
Harold Brooks is the CEO of Retail at The Canvas. Brooks has over 40 years of retail experience and has held senior-level positions in management and merchandising with some of the world's most recognized retailers and brands.
For more information:
The Canvas:
@thecanvasnyc
https://thecanvas.global
Press Contact:
Mandie Erickson
Seventh House
Mandie@showroomseven.com
646 479 0777
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