Fashion Week in New York: the most emerging, diverse and sustainable

New York kicks off Fashion Week (NYFW) this Thursday. More than 80 designers will participate in it, some established and others emerging, with greater racial diversity than in previous editions and many of them involved -or at least interested- in sustainability practices.

Although the official calendar starts on Friday, one of the organizers (the IMG company) will have an exit today to the autumn-winter 2023 fashion shows by Christian Siriano and Victor de Souza, known for their feminine and glamorous designs that tend to seduce to celebrities.

The NYFW has suffered for years from an exodus of veteran names, including “made in the USA” emblems such as Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger, a void that has been filled with emerging firms promoted by the designers’ union itself or by important magazines in the sector , like Gabriela Hearst, Elena Vélez, Laquan Smith and Luar.

The reasons for this transformation are varied: before the pandemic, some chose not to follow the pattern of the fashion weeks and experiment with sales models that do not require months of waiting to reach the consumer, and with the arrival of the covid- 19 the digital format prevailed and, generally, the survival.

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The role of racial and sexual diversity

Meanwhile, the Council of Fashion Designers of the United States (CFDA, in English) and main organizer, sought to bring the image of the event closer to the image of its headquarters – a modern cultural melting pot – and its poster already stands out in front of European events for their inclusion of black (or non-white) talent, women and queer people.

Names like Kevan Hall, who was Halston’s creative; Sergio Hudson, who dressed Vice President Kamala Harris at her inauguration; House of Aama, mother and daughter inspired by black history; Heron Preston, a former partner of Virgil Abloh, and Studio 189, which draws on African crafts, stand out among others.

On the racial front, the impact of the Black in Fashion Council stands out, which since 2020 has been working to open doors for black workers in the fashion and beauty sector, and will bring a dozen new designers to this event to be “ Discovered”, including Jeofroi, Madamette and Diotima.

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The first day of the official calendar begins on Friday with the Rodarte fashion show, and the farewell party, a privileged space occupied by Marc Jacobs until last year, will be held next Wednesday by Luar, a brand by New Yorker Raúl López, whose bags are the subject of of desire among the famous.

In those six days, a multitude of names will follow one another, some established such as Carolina Herrera, Prabal Gurung, Jason Wu, Proenza Schouler, Thom Browne and Michael Kors, and others who have gained notoriety in recent years, such as Sergio Hudson, Brandon Maxwell and Markarian. .

Without forgetting those who carry sustainability as their flag, such as Gabriela Hearst, Collina Strada and Alejandra Alonso Rojas, although concern for reducing environmental impact is already beginning to form part of almost all fashion discourses, a sector that has had a hard time make self-criticism and make commitments.

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