Translated by
Clementine Martin
Published on
9 Feb 2023
New York Fashion Week officially kicks off on Friday, absent several notable American designers but with a plethora of high-profile events. The six days of fashion shows will be marked by diversity, reflecting a growing trend in the industry.
Rodarte, the Californian label founded by the two sisters Kate and Laura Mulleavy, will have the honor of opening the official calendar of the Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA, the thinking head of American fashion). But there should also be people the night before at Christie’s auction house, during the presentation of André Leon Talley’s collection.
Died in January 2022, this former fashion editor for Vogue is perhaps the one who did the most to open the doors of the sector to people of color. Originally from the southern United States in the midst of a segregationist period, he rose through the ranks to become director of Women’s Wear Daily in Paris and quickly positioned himself as one of the pioneers of diversity in fashion.
During this new fashion week in New York, 17 designers on the calendar are black. Creators of Asian origin, 23 in number, have never been so represented. The descendants of immigrants from Latin America, meanwhile, will be eight, a figure never reached before. And brands headed by women make up exactly half of the calendar.
“I think we really have to point out that this is a season that is literally dominated by diversity and women,” says Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA.
This will be New York Fashion Week’s first edition since Thom Browne, who took over from Tom Ford, took over the CFDA presidency last October. Like Thom Browne, Heron Preston presented his latest collection in Paris but is returning to the New York calendar this season.
“Thom is going to present his show on Valentine’s Day, as a kind of declaration of love to American fashion. Heron Preston will parade for the first time in New York, a great pride for the city. Rodarte returns to the calendar and opens the season for the first time. The Mulleavy sisters are world-famous and respected creators,” says Steven Kolb.
A total of 110 brands are listed on the official calendar. 76 of them will parade live and 19 will hold showrooms. 22 other brands will organize digital fashion shows or presentations by appointment.
Unlike the other three major fashion capitals, New York always publishes two parallel calendars: that of the CFDA and NYFW The Shows, compiled by the talent agency IMG. A decade ago, some New York seasons had up to 200 events, making it physically impossible to attend everything given the sprawling size of the city and New York designers’ taste for fashion shows in high above the skyscrapers and across the East River in Brooklyn. Spread the word: journalists, buyers, and influencers better prepare for a crossover sprint-marathon experience if they want to catch LaQuan Smith’s show in the Rainbow Room at the same time. 65th floor of Rockefeller Plaza, Gabriela Hearst’s presentation at the Agger Fish building in Brooklyn, Jason Wu’s show at the Guggenheim Museum and the many events planned at the New York Public Library.
New York continues to produce young, up-and-coming talent, and many fledgling brands are backed by the CFDA and Vogue joint fund. Steven Kolb notably cites the names of Raul Lopez, crowned American accessories designer of the year 2022, of House of Aama, the Californian label founded by mother and daughter Rebecca Henry and Akua Shabaka, of Judy Turner, specialist in avant-garde knitwear and Sukeina by Omar Salam. They all benefited from the support of the CFDA.
“CFDA support doesn’t focus on infrastructure or showcasing a parade, it’s more of a holistic investment and coaching to learn how to start a business, build a supply chain… I’ve also noticed that many young designers say they would have liked to dedicate more time to direct selling. Some of them are a little naive. When asked what their ambition is, they answer that they want to become an international lifestyle brand. Ralph Lauren fits that description perfectly, but he founded his company over 60 years ago and he worked hard to get where he is today!“
The only disappointment: several big names in American fashion have abandoned New York this season. Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, who hasn’t shown in five years, will all be absent, and Marc Jacobs withdrew from the calendar last week.
“Honestly, I’m not really concerned about the list of who scrolls and who doesn’t. Some time ago in American fashion history, Bill Blass, Scaasi, Perry Ellis and Geoffrey Beene were the big names. Calvin, Donna and Ralph were the young talents. The same is happening today. This does not mean that Tommy, Marc and Ralph are turning their backs on us: they are just doing what best suits their current activity“, points out the CEO of the CFDA.
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