In September, New York City will host a new edition of its Fashion Week, scheduled for September 11-16. More than sixty fashion shows are expected, distributed in various parts of the city and organized under the coordination of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, the association representing U.S. fashion designers. It is one of the industry’s most closely watched events: for many brands it is the time to present the collections that will arrive in stores next season, and for the city it is an occasion of international appeal.
New York Fashion Week was born during World War II, when blocked connections to Europe prevented Americans from following the runways in Paris and Milan. It was press secretary Eleanor Lambert who organized a series of fashion shows to draw journalists’ attention to local production: it was successful, and the formula has remained virtually unchanged ever since, with two editions a year, in February and September.
In the 1990s, catwalks were held in a large marquee erected in Bryant Park, behind the Public Library, which became the week’s most recognizable image. Then it moved to Lincoln Center, and more recently to a widespread form in different neighborhoods: lofts, repurposed warehouses, art galleries. It’s a pattern that has made the event more fragmented, but also more integrated into the life of the city, where the comings and goings of black cars and guests in flashy outfits easily mark the areas where a parade is about to begin.
This year, historic brands such as Calvin Klein, Jason Wu, and Prabal Gurung will be showing alongside designers participating for the first time, such as Alexis Bittar and Zoe Gustavia Anna Whalen. This mixing of established brands and emerging names has become a recurring feature of New York compared to other fashion weeks: it allows the collections of brands that have built much of the event’s reputation to be juxtaposed with the experiments of those seeking to enter.
The shows are largely reserved for insiders, but some are open to the public and tickets can be purchased online. Part of the program is also streamed on the official website, which also keeps recordings of past editions. Beyond the catwalks, the week generates an industry that ranges from restaurants to cocktail bars, ready to welcome the international clientele that arrives for the occasion.
The article What’s new at New York Fashion Week in September comes from TheNewyorker.
