In January 2019, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), responsible for promoting fashion professionals in the United States, appointed designer Tom Ford as its head. He therefore took the place of Diane von Furstenberg, who had held the post for thirteen years. For many, this appointment allowed to breathe new life into the CFDA and New York Fashion Week, the latter being considered to be losing ground against those of Milan, Paris and London, which have nevertheless also slowed down in recent seasons. In May 2019, the designer announced to shorten American Fashion Week to five days instead of one week. A decision hailed by many professionals, who saw in her a new start for New York Fashion Week, after a succession of inconclusive seasons.
Fewer and fewer parades
Eight months after Tom Ford made the decision and on the first day of the presentation of the fall-winter 2020-2021 collections, New York Fashion Week does not seem to be doing better. Rihanna, whose Savage x Fenty show was widely praised by critics last September, this time will not organize a parade in the “Big Apple”. The same goes for Ralph Lauren, Pyer Moss and Alexander Wang, who have chosen not to parade this season. Tommy Hilfiger, yet a regular at New York fashion week, will present his new collection in London. For his part, the eccentric Jeremy Scott, who was to open Fashion Week this Friday February 7 at 8 p.m., will finally parade in Paris next July, during Haute Couture week. The designer, however, paid a vibrant tribute to New York style during the last show of his eponymous label.
Tom Ford, yet president of the CFDA, has also decided to parade outside the Big Apple, flying instead to Los Angeles. “Someone asked me the other day how I could justify showing off in Los Angeles since I am now the president of CFDA,” explains the designer in the pages of Business of Fashion. I reminded him that it is the Council of Fashion Designers of America and not the Council of Fashion Designers of New York ”.
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The finale of the Tommy Hilfiger Fall / Winter 2019-2020 show, in New York © Jonas Gustavsson / SPUS / ABACAPRESS.COM
New York Fashion Week: a complex organization
Another problem is the very organization of New York Fashion Week. While the majority of the shows are on the official CFDA calendar, the event faces competition from NYFW The Shows, supported by IMG, which is attracting more and more designers. This is particularly the case of Christian Siriano, who presented his new collection this Thursday, February 6 at Spring Studios, where most of the parades supervised by NYFW The Shows take place. Others take place in Los Angeles, like that of M Missoni, who launched the event this Tuesday, February 4. A Fashion Week framed by two distinct organizations which only accentuates the confusion that reigns around the event.
Faced with so many changes, it is legitimate to wonder about the future of New York Fashion Week. But while the big names in American fashion seem to desert the Big Apple this season, many must-see designers remain loyal to the event. Among them, Gabriela Hearst, Carolina Herrera, Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch and Oscar de la Renta. A few brands will also make their return to the official calendar, including the Monse label, launched by Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia, designers of Oscar de la Renta, Rag & Bone and Rodarte. To fill its calendar, Fashion Week will also welcome new talents such as Sukeina by Omar Salam, Private Policy and e1972, a brand launched by Elite World Group, parent company of Elite Model Mangement.
A Fashion Week rooted in its time
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Silhouette of the Prabal Gurung Spring / Summer 2020 show © Imaxtree
Despite the issues it faces, New York Fashion Week continues to stand out from its peers thanks to the strong commitment of its designers. The latter do not hesitate to use their parades to take hold of contemporary societal issues, setting themselves up in turn as defenders of immigrant rights or the right to abortion, issues raised in the face of the various restrictive measures put in place. in place by the government of President Donald Trump. This was particularly the case last September with the parade of designer Prabal Gurung, who did not deprive himself of a pique against the Trump administration with his models dressed in a scarf branded with an insolent “Who gets to be American? ”(Who has the right to be American?), With the disturbing resemblance to those of the Miss Universe contest (whose ex-owner is none other than Donald Trump). We also remember the Pyer Moss show (which will not be parading this season), which delivered a true tribute to African-American culture with a 100% black cast and sixty singers on the podium to accompany the models. We can’t wait to find out what New York Fashion Week has in store for us this season.
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