New York Fashion Week hangs by a thread in reimagined format

NOTNew York Fashion Week is dead, long live New York Fashion Week!

It might be a bit of a stretch to declare that the biannual rollout of the latest American fashions in America’s Fashion Capital is over. But New York Fashion Week appears to be hanging by a thread as it faces pandemic restrictions that have made live catwalks nearly impossible, a plethora of social media allowing anyone to become a home fashion critic and changing. shopping methods. .

And that’s not bad at all.

Hard times are forcing designers to think outside the box, with new ways of doing things. A noticeably shrunk New York Fashion Week kicked off on Sunday in a revamped format that included digital offerings as original as a military-style boot camp course run by AARMY Online fitness guru Akin Akman and electronic music mix with a party vibe of fashion (but without the people) as a model and DJ Mona Matsuoka tunes shot in an empty room after the Franco-Japanese brand’s debut at NYFW Kitsun House.

Renowned designer Jason wu one of the few to show his collection live before a small audience transforms the setting into a farmers market with thousands of groceries, fresh fruits, vegetables and flowers, and an old machine Coca Cola (Coca was one of the sponsors). Then the edibles were donated to City Harvest, a New York City food bank. Wu said he cooks a lot more during the pandemic and has tried 150 food recipes for his @MrWuEats food diary on Instagram.

Jason Wu pleated print dress and dark coat. (Photo courtesy of Jason Wu)

The in-person and socially distant show of “Wu’s General Store” showcased the designer’s contemporary fall collection of oversized woven sweaters and skirts, printed dresses, tweed pants, tie blouses, coats with handcrafted details and heart pendant jewelry but, alas, no kitchen aprons.

However, Wu’s collection included a red print dress featuring the Coca-C0la logo in multiple languages ​​and a bow blouse printed with the classic Coke bottle. It also offers a red hoodie with the Coca-Cola logo in Chinese as part of a series of limited edition casual t-shirts, hoodies and loungewear from five designers (the other four are AARMY, Rodarte, Prabal Gurung and La Quan Smith) during New York Fashion Week, with a different designer every day. (Articles are available at NYFW.com).

No Name and Big Name Designers

The five-day fashion week’s short cut program has turned into a showcase for new brands and emerging designers, although a handful of top designers including Tom Ford, Naeem Khan, Rodarte, Badgley Mischka, Veronica Beard, Bibhu Mohapatra and Proenza Schouler will unveil her fall collections in digital presentations.

But it’s not over after that. Other designer shows will continue to roll out in the coming months as part of the new U.S. collections calendar of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. The CFDA has expanded the fashion calendar well outside the confines of New York Fashion Week to showcase designers as they show off their collections anytime that’s convenient for them.

“As CFDA will continue to encourage American designers to show up in New York City during New York Fashion Week, we recognize the need for some to expand their global visibility,” said Tom Ford, CEO of CFDA, in a statement. “The events of the past year have only highlighted the need for flexibility within the fashion system.”

Thus, the Carolina Herrera fall collection will be unveiled on February 23, while Christian Siriano will wait until February 25 to show off his latest collection, and the new Oscar de la Renta collection will debut on March 2. Mainstays such as Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren are expected to show their fall collections later in the spring, closer to when the clothes will be shipped to stores.

Fashion is in a really tough place. People don’t shop anymore, there are no events, no parties, there is nothing to necessarily buy, said Siriano Everyday women’s clothing. The most important thing to understand is how to get people interested in clothes again?

Accessible Fashion Week

On the positive side, all new collections are available for anyone to view online at the appointed time or anytime. Fashionistas can see most shows New York Fashion Week website, the CFCA Runway360 website, or on their favorite creator’s website or Instagram page.

Even in its truncated form, fashion devotees still have a lot to see in the coming days. Sunday’s lineup also included new collections of Markarian,the fashion label that created the Dr. Jill Bidens shimmering blue inauguration coat and dress, and the buzzing fashion brands Imitation of Christ and Monse. Monday is devoted to a full day of men’s clothing collections, dubbed “New York Men’s Day”.

Other days famous designers like Gabriella Hearst, Kevan Hall, Rosetta Getty, Tanya Taylor and Erin Beatty, creator of the sustainable line Clutch, are returning to NYFW after a hiatus or an overseas presentation last season.

Several new fashion brands are also gaining attention. Among those on this week’s calendar are Maisie Wilen, designed by Maisie Schloss, the first recipient of the Kanye Wests Fashion Incubator Fellowship; No sex, a creative collective led by Pierre Davis, who became the first trans woman to appear on the official program in 2019; and Atia House, a faux fur brand from Gilles Mendel’s daughter, Chloe Mendel.

Despite its woes, New York Fashion Week is still talking about the latest trends, and already observers are seeing the back and forth between comfortable clothes for staying at home (for now) and the return of dresses for special events. (too distant future).

Wu focused on raised American sportswear, with comfortable pieces that could be worn at home or in the supermarket. Markarian Artistic Director Alexandra O’Neill sprinkled her brand’s fall collection with welcoming silk pajamas trimmed with Swarovski crystals, sustainable recycled cashmere knits (the one with an attached shawl to throw over your shoulders) and shirt dresses that look like dresses, as well as a cocktail dress with firework crystal embellishments for that rare special occasion.

Known for creating party clothes, Tadashi shoji mixed with medieval motifs for her fall collection and photographed them in a post-apocalyptic setting, so her clients could channel their inner warrior during this time of turmoil. Her cocktail dresses and gowns feature metallic colors of burnished bronze and shimmering silver, armor-like embroidery, ornate necklines that wrap around the neck, and textured fabrics with structured sleeves and dramatic pleats. .

“This season, I wanted to design pieces that inspire a sense of protection, a collection that reflects our strength, a strength so palpable you could hit your fingers on it, and it would sound like steel. We carry our strength with us. So why not present it? Shoji said. “Make it sexy. Make it shine. Celebrate it! “