This season, the status of New York Fashion Week itself was the elephant in the room at every show.
Several major names were missing from the schedule: Proenza Schouler and Helmut Lang, in the midst of creative shifts, opted not to show; neither did megabrands Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren, who flit on and off the schedule. There was also the hole left by two-time CFDA menswear designer of the year Willy Chavarria, who had emerged as one of the week’s hottest tickets and showed a few weeks ago in Paris.
It was something of a comedown for New York, which in recent seasons had seen an uptick in shows from big American brands, buzzy debuts and one-off shows and activations by international labels. For the brands that did participate this time, many opted for intimate showcases or pop-up events over grand runway spectacles, and delicately merchandised lines with a mantra of doing what feels right — and can sell.
If there was a theme, it was being cautious and avoiding excess in uncertain times.
“It’s a little lonely, everybody is overseas,” said designer Todd Snyder, after showing his collection in the Upper East Side’s Academy Mansion.
To be sure, the February schedule is usually lighter than September, and the weather – two snowstorms and frigid temperatures throughout – was certainly a factor. There were high-profile debuts at a major brand and a celebrated start-up, with Veronica Leoni’s first collection for Calvin Klein and Frances Howie’s for Fforme. And plenty of designers used their shows to grapple with the emotional impact of the current moment. Collina Strada, Maria McManus, Kallmeyer and Diotima’s collections took aim at addressing the complicated nature of being a woman in today’s world; Luar centred on pride in homosexual identity, reclaiming the Caribbean slur “pato.”
Career instigator, the designer Elena Velez, embraced the darkness with a small show titled “Leech” proclaiming, “the age of the antihero is upon us.” And the notes accompanying Marc Jacobs’ runway, which occurred a few days before the week officially kicked off, set the tone: “I’ve come to understand that fear is not my enemy … It is a necessary companion to creativity, authenticity, integrity and life.”
This season’s more subdued outing is indicative of real challenges American fashion is facing. But, the problems laid bare in New York are symptomatic of shocks being felt across the industry, which is in the midst of a global luxury slowdown, and the precarious reworking of the luxury retail sector: the last 18 months saw Matches Fashion close, and Farfetch, Neiman Marcus and Nordstrom under new ownership.
“There are many designers that are struggling,” said fashion consultant Julie Gilhart. “Fashion is going through a big transformation.”
Staging a splashy runway show in this environment isn’t the right decision for every brand, but deciding not to show or scaling back isn’t necessarily a sign things are going badly, said Steven Kolb, chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Rather, each brand’s choices should be looked at separately, as part of an evolving strategy: perhaps the brand is going through a creative revamp, or a young designer who lost a sponsor made the sound business decision not to show — and that made room for someone new to fill their place, said Kolb.
“The regenerative energy of New York is happening consistently … You can see the negative or you can see the positive,” said Kolb.
The City That Never Sleeps Vs. The City of Light
New York Fashion Week has one big thing going for it: the US economy is the world’s largest, and consumer spending remains stronger than in China, Europe and other major fashion markets.
The power of the American consumer is proving a powerful draw for international labels, which are showing in New York in greater numbers since the pandemic. Paris-based Alaia, Off-White and Ludovic Saint Serin and Stockholm-based Toteme staged shows in the city last year; Kolb said another big European brand is coming in September.
Still, New York’s perceived lack of consistent, anchor brands, and a reputation for prioritising commercial success over creativity, has been blamed for dwindling press and buyer attendance.
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The gravitational pull of all the big brands based in Paris and Milan is often too great to resist, especially when designers get the rare opportunity to be on the official calendar. In addition to Chavarria, Vaquera, Peter Do, Kid Super, Bode, Gabriela Hearst and The Row all show in Paris. (The moves aren’t always permanent: Thom Browne and Altuzarra were back on the schedule after showing across the Atlantic.)
“The expense of showing at New York Fashion Week is exceeding the reward and we have to reverse that,” said Gary Wassner, chief executive of fashion financing and factoring firm Hilldun Corp. “We don’t want to lose [it], we don’t want it to be a second thought.”
Still, the gaps left when a Willy Chavarria or Bode departs can create opportunities for others to fill the space. Gilhart said the schedule is so full of exciting talent, she isn’t focused on who isn’t there.
Even in a quieter season, there are brands that make the case for staying put in New York: Khaite designer Cate Holstein told BoF last year she would “never” show outside New York. Ulla Johnson has built a strong wholesale business, and Tory Burch prompted the so-called “Toryssaince” by doubling down on funky wearability and deepening relationships with New York tastemakers. Others are making progress. Collina Strada’s collection was one of its “most sophisticated,” while Zankov’s was “really well merchandised,” said Gilhart. The global impact of Calvin Klein being back in the mix can’t be overstated, said Kolb.
Emerging designers still see New York as a good place to start. Patricio Campillo, the designer behind Campillo, a 2024 LVMH Prize Semifinalist who hosted showrooms in Paris, came to New York after he saw how Chavarria and Luar were growing.
“I never felt like there was a community around the brand. New York is interesting right now because of all the Latinos in the industry,” said Campillo. “It’s become this hub for Latino identity to thrive.”
When the schedule dropped his first season, Campillo was highlighted as a brand-to-see in a Vogue story, perhaps receiving more of the spotlight than it would have on a busier Paris schedule. For Danielle Kallmeyer, who showed her first collection last year, being close to her American shopper is all-important.
“Don’t abandon the base because it doesn’t feel like the right place anymore, [batten] down the hatches,” said Kallmeyer. She opened her Orchard Street store in 2019 and is opening a second on Madison Avenue in April, partially in hopes of observing how that particular client shops.
The Show Doesn’t Have to Go On and On
There’s a simple reason some brands get their start at New York Fashion Week, but don’t stick around: money.
Where designers in Milan and Paris can receive support from the Italian and French governments, that’s not an option in New York. The CFDA, a nonprofit, operates on a smaller scale, hosting a prize and mentoring programmes for emerging designers and, increasingly, bringing international buyers and press to New York through its travel fund. Last season, it introduced a bus to shuttle editors and buyers between shows.
The comparative lack of support in New York is a real problem for an industry that runs on creativity and risk-taking, according to Vaquera designer and co-founder Patric DiCaprio, who started showing in Paris with the help of Dover Street Market in 2022.
With a subsidy from the Paris Fashion Week’s governing body, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode, the brand can afford a better venue.
“New York has become this very strange landscape where you’re really high budget and commercial, or you’re way off the radar and punk. We are interested in existing between those,” DiCaprio said. He plans to officially move the brand’s headquarters to Paris this summer.
Some brands made the most of their limited resources, landing on budget-friendly show formats that still got the message across.
After just two seasons, Colleen Allen, an alumnus of The Row, has built a strong, nascent following engaging the right, interested parties with intimate previews where her designs can be seen up-close. Bach Mai, a three-year-old “American Couture” label put on a dinner re-showing designs it felt hadn’t gotten enough attention in the past. Theophilio, which returned to the calendar in September after a hiatus, hosted appointments rather than a runway. That allowed designer Edvin Thompson to highlight the clothes “without a lot of noise,” he said, but it also emphasised a larger point.
“I want to be here for a long time, not a short time,” said Thompson.
Fashion has always been a risky business and waiting for outside support is futile, said designer Anna Sui, who launched her label in 1981, which she admits ended up being an advantageous time, as designers like herself, Marc Jacobs and Calvin Klein helped make New York the subject of international fashion interest. Securing a beauty license has also helped keep the business humming for decades.
“There’s alternatives to thinking someone’s going to drop a load of money in your lap. It doesn’t happen,” said Sui. “You really depend on politics and world economics for your time of success … The world’s circumstances are in flux again, and it could quickly change.”
Additional reporting by Malique Morris.