New York Fashion Week: It will open with a rally, not a catwalk

New York Fashion Week officially opens this Friday, although one of the most anticipated events is more of a rally than a catwalk, with a Fashion For Our Future procession from Macy's to Bryant Park to encourage participation in that sacred democratic right and rite: voting.

The action has already begun two days earlier, though, with a wave of international brands. Uniqlo will treat its new creative director Clare Waight Keller to an exclusive cocktail launch; Armani will present a collaboration with Kith; Sacai and Jacquemus have opened department stores at Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom respectively – one of them will be a Bill Cunningham retrospective, the other a new store-within-a-store. But the most exclusive evening will be a conceptual dinner at Villa Zegna around the corner from the Guggenheim Museum.

Although the two most notable shows of the week will be hosted by American masters: Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger: Ralph will be present two hours from the American fashion capital, in the Hamptons, and Tommy on a retired ferry.

Lauren’s latest location is undoubtedly her most stylish. On Thursday afternoon, limo stars and editors will flock to a secret Hamptons location to preview her fall-winter 2024/2025 collection, a year after her glittery, shabby chic show that combined haute bohemia, New England barns and Rocky Mountain chic, presented at a Brooklyn naval shipyard.

Hilfiger’s Sunday night show will take place on the MV John F. Kennedy, a former Staten Island ferry, retired in 2021, and known for its open-air promenades and open-air deck space. It will be docked at Pier 17, beneath the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River.

In a nod to the geographical dispersion of the New York season, shows will be held in Chelsea art galleries, Wall Street banks, under the Williamsburg Bridge or in a cemetery on the Lower East Side. Even though fashion is not experiencing a boom year, the American season remains a powerful magnet for international brands. Parisian house Alaïa will therefore present a show on Friday evening in Manhattan. Cos of Sweden will show in New York, as will Dutch designer Ronald Van Der Kemp, one of the first designers to emphasise sustainability in his collections.

“New York City is a global hub of design and innovation and a gateway to one of the world’s largest consumer markets. NYFW embodies this by combining innovation with influence. This season, five international brands are on the runway, including Alaïa and Off-White, alongside American powerhouses such as Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren. Many other designers also contribute to the creative and commercial force of NYFW,” enthuses Steven Kolb, CEO of the US fashion governing body, the Council of Fashion Designers of America. In total, 98 brands are included in the calendar.

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Kolb will join a regiment of fashionistas on Friday for the march, noting that: “The Fashion For Our Future event will unite over 1,000 people from the American fashion industry, including designers, models, retailers, factory workers, editors, influencers and students, to raise awareness about the importance of voting in the upcoming election. With NYFW’s global reach generating billions of impressions, we see this as an opportunity to highlight our collective commitment to voting, positive change and social issues. It allows the American fashion industry and everyone in the world to come together, learn from each other and support democracy and peace.”

Later that day, industry leaders will gather at Rockefeller Center for another new project designed by the CFDA, offering New Yorkers and visitors a front-row seat to the creativity and innovation of American fashion. The organization has partnered with Rockefeller Center to livestream and record the shows from September 6-11, making it the only hub (physical or digital) where the public can watch the NYFW shows. Screenings will be free and open to the public at the iconic skating rink.

In another innovative move, the CFDA has created a shuttle system between shows, which are typically held in several districts on the same day. The FHCM in Paris and the Camera in Milan have long had shuttle buses shuttling visiting professionals around their fashion capitals during catwalk seasons, but this is a welcome development for the CFDA.

““We are introducing a shuttle service for editors, buyers, and others with limited expense reimbursements to support the industry. This idea came from industry veterans and our NYFW advisory group. Our long-time partner, Shop with Google, recognized its importance and made it possible. The shuttle service will operate daily, following the official schedule, by invitation, and with some seating available,” Kolb notes.

Plus, after several years of dozens of shows in outer boroughs, Manhattan's appeal is proving strong again, even as Tory Burch will stage her show in the city's hottest new building: The Refinery, the former Domino sugar factory in Brooklyn; while Cos will be at the nearby Agger Fish building and Off-White at Brooklyn Bridge Park.

“New York has many beautiful locations for fashion shows. While Brooklyn will always attract designers, Manhattan remains the most centrally located borough. As the official organizer of NYFW, the CFDA encourages producers and brands to take this into account when planning their shows,” Kolb stresses.

Reflecting on New York's remarkable ability to generate new talent, the CFDA chief was keen to highlight the many new names emerging in New York.

““New York Fashion Week in September introduces the industry to many of the current designers from the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, a group that reflects the creativity and diversity of American design. These designers are shaping the future of American fashion. Look out for Taylor Thompson, 5000, Connor McKnight, Grace Ling, Kate Barton, Dynasty and Soull Ogun of L'Enchanteur, Spencer Phipps of Phipps, Presley Oldham, Sebastien and Marianne Amisial of Sebastien Ami, Jane Wade and Jackson Wiederhoeft of Wiederhoeft,” he emphasized.

In addition, the new generation will be represented by the latest annual Supima design competition, in which eight students from leading American design schools compete in a joint show at the Prince George Ballroom. Each one displays five types of fabrics made from American supima, the cashmere of cotton.