NEW YORK FASHION WEEK
Written by Lauren Veum
New York Fashion Week, referred to as NYFW, is the Big Apple’s bi-annual fashion event, consisting of extravagant runway shows and presentations that showcases designers’ collections and sparks trends for the upcoming season. This event happens in February for the fall and winter collections and in September for the spring and summer collections. The first ever NYFW took place in 1943 and was founded by Eleanor Lambert, the promotional director of the New York Dress Institute. While these events are mostly held to give a sneak peak of the new trends, some designers use them to commemorate current fascinations within the design community. This event is organized by WME/IMG and the Council of Fashion Designers America (CFDA). Prior to the fall of 2015, NYFW was held at the Lincoln Center when Mercedes-Benz was the sponsor. Now that WME/IMG took over, the two main venues are Skylight Clarkson Square and Skylight Moynihan Station. There are also other shows scattered around Manhattan such as the Hammerstein Ballroom, which highlight work from Marc Jacobs and the Museum of Modern Art which was used for Caroline Herrera’s Spring 2018 show. Not only is this a fashion week, but it is a fashion month. Events similar to the ones in New York are also held in London, Milan, and Paris, which are attended by hundreds of thousands of visitors attending hundreds of shows between seven to nine days.
NYFW is incredibly influential and important to designers, New York City, and visitors. This is an opportunity for small designers to make it big in the fashion world - the publicity, traction, and money associated with NYFW can kick-start creator’s careers. Every time New York Fashion Week approaches, more and more emerging or little-known labels make their mark. Additionally, out of the four locations of The Fashion Month, New York outnumbers its peer three cities in regards to popularity, revenue, and people by over three times. NYFW is truly an outlet for trailblazing designers to showcase their hardwork and dedication, as well as one for them to create new trends for the citizens of the world. It is also considered the most diverse fashion week of them all because of the range of styles, textures, colors, and visions.
Some of the memorable designers that displayed their expertise on the runway are Gabriela Hearst, Prabal Gurung, LaQuan Smith, Collinda Strada, and Batsheva. Alongside them, Carolina Herrera, the creative director of Wes Gordon, showcased her collection of lush florals inspired by none other than The Plaza Hotel’s “Secret Garden”. Victor Glemaud designed knits on rollerskating models at the famous Rockefeller Center. Famous designer Tommy Hilfiger teamed up with British designer Richard Quinn to create a modern take on the class Americana which took place on the Brooklyn waterfront over the New York skyline.
Some of the memorable designers that displayed their expertise on the runway are Gabriela Hearst, Prabal Gurung, LaQuan Smith, Collinda Strada, and Batsheva. Alongside them, Carolina Herrera, the creative director of Wes Gordon, showcased her collection of lush florals inspired by none other than The Plaza Hotel’s “Secret Garden”. Victor Glemaud designed knits on rollerskating models at the famous Rockefeller Center. Famous designer Tommy Hilfiger teamed up with British designer Richard Quinn to create a modern take on the class Americana which took place on the Brooklyn waterfront over the New York skyline.
While the designers should be highlighted, it is also important to mention the A-listers who attended the events. Celebrities such as Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Travis Barker, John Legend, and Kate Moss attend NYFW. Iconic models such as Lila Moss, Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Anok Yai, Julia Fox, Precious Lee, Winnie Harlow, and Hari Nef walked multiple runways wearing big and little designers’ masterpieces.
The state of New York brings revenue in from many different angles. For starters, the tickets for the shows, renting out the venues, plane tickets to the city, hotels to stay at, and places to eat. Renting out venues in the city that never sleeps can be extremely expensive, which directly puts money right into the state’s pocket. On average, the combined cost of renting out every venue is 199 million dollars. Additionally, from the influx of visitors who shop which includes general sales tax, use tax, food tax, and service tax, the city gains around 17.5 million dollars in sales tax. The average visitor spends approximately $986.66 on food each day, keeping in mind those invited are in the top 1% of economic status. The city brings in about 132 million dollars from hotels alone, and 119 million dollars from retail stores. Overall, this event generates over 900 million dollars for the city’s economy yearly, which is why New York Fashion Week is crucial to the city and state of New York.
My two favorite looks from the 2023 New York Fashion Week happen to be Michael Kors’ monochromatic looks incorporating spiritual naturals and Rodarte’s fall/winter collection. The white fluffy down coat is versatile, chic, and unforgettable. Secondly, Rodarte had a more fairytale-esk approach with his dark magic vibe. As a fan of Wednesday Addams and The Corpse Bride, his vision and expertise mix goth and winter into a perfect blend.
Michael Kors
Rodarte
