While NYFW has been back from Covid for two official seasons now this may be the first season many people feel is a true New York Fashion Week experience. CFDA CEO Steven Kolb opened fashion week on Thursday night at Gracie Mansion and according to an article on FashionNetwork.com he stated, “This season is about power and action. Of course the pandemic meant a gradual return but this is finally full on fashion week.”
But for many in the industry fashion week is full of new
faces and new challenges this season and rather than feeling a familiar return
there is a new energy in the air. In an exclusive interview industry
veteran Bridget Foley who previously worked as Executive Editor of WWD for over
a decade stated, “New York fashion week has always been about finding new
designers and new talent but I think what we’re seeing this season is a
revalidation.” Industry experts have noted that this season in many cases
reflects a selection of new designers and up and coming talent that has not
been offered in past years. Some notable up and coming brands to watch include
Deity New York, Fe Noel, Puppets and Puppets, Wiederhoeft and more. Foley noted
that while it can be very difficult for new designers to pull together a show
we are seeing a revalidation on the promise of what new talent can bring to the
industry.
Foley also said,“The fashion industry has a sense of
community which is very important. And we are seeing many new faces in the
audience with influencers, social media, etc. which is great. The fashion
industry is one of the most kinetic industries in the world and has continued
to evolve.” Among those new faces includes New York State Governor Kathy Hochul
and Mayor Adams of NYC who have both been spotted attending events this season
and last season. This in itself speaks to the revalidation of the fashion show
as well as this specific fashion week. Foley said, “I think that we’ve realized
we can’t take it for granted. Fashion is an enormous industry that accounts for
many jobs and millions of dollars. In NYC it’s very diverse and we’re seeing
more points of view. It’s very important for the people in power to recognize
that.” She went on to say that she has noticed a renewed focus on the
importance of supporting new talent with the potential to create powerful and
successful businesses and give opportunities to new designers and brands.
While new faces are one side of the coin the lack of some
familiar faces from the scene should also be noted. Some brands who were
fixtures on the NYFW calendar for years such as Ralph Lauren (who instead chose
to show in LA this October) are not showing this season.
When discussing the changing dynamics of this week’s lineup Foley
said, “We’re seeing a clarification of what the fashion show means.” She noted
that many brands have shown an increased selectivity when choosing to
participate in fashion week or not saying, “Even the most low key show is very
very expensive to put on. Some brands have realized the money could be better
spent on other things.”
She added, “I love fashion shows. But it’s true that
sometimes it’s not the best way to communicate the aesthetic for that brand or
collection.” With consumers tightening their belts and many brands still
rebounding from Covid losses budgets have become a deciding factor in many
brands decision to put on a live show. Foley noted, “Some brands realize they
just can’t afford it.” Covid has forced a collective step back and offered all
of us the chance to evaluate what is truly important in our lives and what we
want to spend our energy on and this is true for the fashion industry as well.
Of course many fan favorites are still showing this season.
Foley pointed out that for many designers fashion week creates a creative
rhythm that is hard to replace. She said. “Many designers design for the show
and that’s something that plays into it.”
However, if bigger brands are generally cutting back on
fashion show spending, how can new brands with even tighter budgets afford to
participate?
Foley said, “It’s so hard for young designers to get
established. Staging a fashion show is enormously expensive.” She added that
new designers also must consider if they will stand out against major brands
and get noticed or if they will be lost in the chaos of fashion week news. In
order to put on a successful show designers must pull together sponsors for
hair and makeup, find venues, and hire models and support staff.
According to designer Renee Bishop of the up and coming
brand Deity New York putting together this season’s show was
Despite the challenges the industry has faced navigating the
post covid fashion week landscape many are still excited for the return to in
person events. Foley said, “It’s interesting that for all of the alternatives
no group of options has emerged as a really sound alternative to fashion week.”
For Foley there is no other moment like a fashion show. She feels that whether
it is in person or on a screen it is a truly powerful experience for brands and
audience alike to feel the magic of a live fashion show and presenting a new
collection for the first time. She said she feels it can often be the strongest
way to communicate a collection’s aesthetic.
One of the ways fashion week has been adapting to these new norms is by creating more involved partnerships with sponsors. One example is UPS who has partnered with fashion week the past two seasons by highlighting small designers from minority communities. Designers and UPS have worked together to create new ways of partnering up. Angelo Baque streetwear designer and founder of Awake New York said that his vision is to create new norms for corporate partners and ensure that giving back to the community is the first priority.
According to UPS brand representative Carlos Cuerto, "UPS is ecstatic about the opportunity to support New York Fashion Week. We are developing a very strong partnership and committed to the development of fashion designers and the fashion industry as a whole. UPS is a catalyst of their growth as well because once they scale and you know designers, launch their brands and commercialize their products, UPS wants to serve as a partner when they ship it, you know, and they conquer new markets domestically and internationally. UPS wants to be part of that growth. We are committed to the support of underrepresented minorities and we know that fashion serves as an avenue to access a lot of diversity like latinx, women, also African American owned businesses so we want to make sure that we serve as a catalyst for their growth."
It will be interesting to see how these partnerships and runway shows evolve as fashion designers navigate this new landscape and more exciting developments continue to grow!
