A New Fashion Week

2020 has been full of many changes and the United States has been the butt end of many jokes. Our country has been handling the pandemic very differently than most. When it came to New York Fashion Week, it seemed like we would for sure be skipping it this year. So when news broke that NYFW was still a go, it was a huge surprise.

The governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, has set a very strict travel advisory for anyone entering the city. On top of that, indoor and Outdoor events will be capped at 50 people. Everyone must wear masks, maximum of three people per elevator, and temperature checks upon entry. All shows will be digital with an exception of some designers who are choosing to do phygital (physical and digital) presentations.

Normally we would anticipate unique street style, front row guests and attire. This would be enough to get us super excited about fashion week. Now there is a new agenda. The importance of this fashion month comes down to how designers will move forward during a global social injustice movement and a pandemic. Designers also have a major duty to produce a show that editors can write about, customers would like to buy, and a production that viewers will be able to enjoy while not actually being there.

The concept of a digital fashion week is very exciting and has the potential to provide new opportunities for a lot of people. Since we all have access to see the shows, the same way the industry’s elite will, it gives us a feeling of inclusivity. Many of us have only dreamed about being invited to NYFW and now it seems like we are. This will be the cause of many more perspectives than normal. There will also be many new designers showing this fashion week. They will be able to be seen in much better light since most shows are digital and people aren’t scattering around to events that will be getting the most press. The closing of stores like Opening Ceremony and Barneys was a huge loss for up and coming designers. These brands were known to support new designers and the closing of their stores was a major loss. A digital fashion week just might be the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

Fashion Week starts on September 13th with Jason Wu and ends with Tom Ford on September 16th. IMG has decided to cut the event down to three days, for obvious reasons. Since most shows are digital, there will be less confusion on traveling from show to show, a problem many of us would love to have, and most shows are thirty minutes apart. Events will be streamed on Runway360.com, which will launch on September 13th, NYFW.com, and Images will be submitted to Voguerunway.com.

Although this seems like the beginning of a new fashion week, this isn’t the first round of groundbreaking changes for the annual event. During Fall 2020 fashion week earlier this year, many designers decided not to show. This was a bit of a surprise due to the publicity you get from being a part of the event. Since, there has been talk of a new way of doing things. The pressure that goes into showing at fashion week and creating so many collections a year is a commitment that some designers don’t want to be tied to. It seems like last year's no shows had a huge impact on designers participating this year. Designers like Prabal Gurung, Brandon Maxwell, and Proenza Schouler have decided to show at a later date. A date “closer to the time shoppers will want to wear the pieces”, Prabal Gurung explained. He went on to say “pretty clothes are no longer enough. We need to really think about purpose and mission.”.

Fashion week is always a stressful time for designers, but during a pandemic, the stress is tenfold. Show dates aligning with delivery dates was a major issue for designers. From suppliers, to retailers and factories, everyone was falling behind without knowing the event would be taking place this year.

With all that is going on in the world, it gives fashion lovers a sense of normalcy that NYFW will be taking place in some capacity. It will be exciting to see what message designers put forth during very weird times. It is important that this fashion week speaks to and aligns with the change we expect to see in the world. Dressing well is still, and will always be important, however, the world is not how it used to be. Needs have changed and it is important that the desire to put out an unforgettable collection doesn’t interfere with what is actually happening in the world. With hopes that designers use their voices responsibly, this will be an epic event that will display the hard times we have all faced this year.