S/S 2021 Open Discussion Thread

[vogue28]

The upcoming S/S 2021 season is a major topic of conversation right now given the current global health crisis, so I've decided to start a thread for all things S/S 2021 super early, following the news NYFW will be shortened to a three-day event and (according to Jim Shi on Twitter) going digital:

CFDA Shortens New York Fashion Week to Three Days
Shows will now run from Sept. 14 to 16.

New York Fashion Week is shrinking.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America will cut back the number of days designated for the spring shows in September to three.

On its calendar, the dates are still listed as Sept. 11 to 16. But in a notice sent to members and obtained by WWD, the spring shows will now run Sept. 14 to 16. If there is enough demand, the CFDA said, Sept. 17 will be added as a supplemental day.

The group stressed that the shortened calendar will be for the September shows only and no decision has been made for pre-fall 2021 or beyond.

In its notice, the CFDA said the shorter calendar came about as a result of the “changes we have seen from live events to digital activations, and awareness of city regulations to protect the health and well-being of everyone.”

The group is working on an updated version of the official NYFW application for returning or new brands that will be shared in the coming weeks. It is also planning to provide all participating brands with digital resources to showcase their collections that will allow them to “share their latest work, maximize exposure and operate directly with the industry,” the notice said.

Because so many brands are experiencing financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic, the CFDA said it would provide free listing on its Fashion Calendar for all participating brands, regardless of whether or not they are CFDA members.

Reached for comment, Mark Beckham, vice president of marketing and events for CFDA, said the group will be launching a digital platform shortly that is expected to meet the needs of designers who have historically shown on the official schedule.

He also addressed the shortened week, adding that because no live shows with audiences are expected to be staged in September, “we can fit the same amount of shows in to three days because of no need for travel time in between the shows. The three days of shows is only for this season as a result of COVID-19.” He also acknowledged that the impact of the pandemic on production and budgets “may cause some designers to skip this season.”

So far, Marc Jacobs and Michael Kors — two of the leading names of NYFW — have said they will not be showing in September, although Kors plans to do an event in October related to spring 2021.

The men’s shows, which had originally been scheduled for June, were postponed and are now expected to be part of the calendar in September. Initially, they were going to coincide with the men’s trade shows in New York in July, but those too were pushed to late September as a result of the pandemic.

Erin Hawker, founder and owner of Agentry PR, said her New York Men’s Day, a compilation of emerging designers that historically kicks off New York Fashion Week: Men’s, will now become part of the CFDA’s September calendar. Eight brands are expected to participate and show a transitional spring collection and perhaps a peek at fall 2021.

WWD.COM

 

[vogue28]

As for MFW and PFW:

Milan Fashion Week will go ahead this September

The trade body that looks after Milan Fashion Week has confirmed that the event will go ahead in a physical sense this September. The Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana (CNMI) revealed the news when unveiling the digital schedule for the men's shows, which will take place in a few weeks time.

"Digital fashion week was born as a response to the social distancing and the difficulty of traveling imposed by the world health situation, but also wants to be a dynamic solution to the complexities of the present," CNMI president Carolo Capasa said in a statement.

He added that Milan Fashion Week in September will see digital events used as a creative tool that will go alongside the traditional format: "[Digital fashion week] is designed to support, rather than replace, the physical fashion calendar, which will resume in September and will remain vital in promoting Made in Italy and the value of its manufacturing prowess."

This announcement follows similar news coming out of Paris last week, where the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode confirmed that a schedule of physical shows was in place for September, which would be complimented by the launch of a new digital platform. British brand Burberry also unveiled plans for a physical show for the coming season, suggesting that London Fashion Week may be going ahead in some capacity, although the BFC is yet to confirm any specific details.

HARPERSBAZAAR.COM

Paris Fashion Week will go ahead this September

With countries all around the world living under strict lockdown guidelines since March, a number of fashion events have been postponed or cancelled this year, including the recent July shows for the men's collections, couture fashion week and many of the cruise spectacles, which usually see editors jetting to far-flung destinations across the globe.

With the women's spring/summer 2021 season set to be shown this September, there was plenty of uncertainty about whether any physical shows would be going ahead. But, the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode has confirmed that some physical shows are set to take place, at least in Paris.

The organisation has confirmed that Paris Fashion Week will be taking place from 28 September to the 6 October with a schedule of physical shows, as well as a new digital platform, which will unveiled soon.

Social distancing guidelines are likely to be in place for both those taking part in the show and those watching, meaning that the events may look slightly different than we are used to.

In addition to this, there might be some changes to the usual schedule with a number of fashion houses already choosing to step off the traditional calendar into a new format. This includes Saint Laurent, who revealed in April that it would not be continuing to show during Paris Fashion Week.

The French capital is always the final city to show in the schedule with New York, London and Milan hosting their fashion weeks first. There is yet to be confirmation as to whether physical shows will take place across every fashion capital, but there is at least one London show that will definitely be going ahead, following Burberry's announcement this week.

HARPERSBAZAAR.COM

 

[jeremydante]

Does anyone have an actual fashion calendar that they can share so we can see an outline of dates for NYFW, even with the digital streams and those who may have said they're planning web/still image/lookbook release for the season.

 

[DivineStyle]

Is NYFW being shrunk to 3 days bittersweet? I don’t wish a global pandemic on anyone or industry but I can imagine it being kept tight, packed, short & sweet, could also be beneficial.

 

[MissMagAddict]

 

[MissMagAddict]

CFDA Launches Runway360

This September, the CFDA will launch RUNWAY360, a unique and innovative digital platform developed to support American designers by bringing together every aspect of a collection launch in a one-stop-shop environment.

The groundbreaking portal incorporates key aspects of the designer business, from show to press, sales, and consumer activations, to help drive sales while providing the industry with a simple tool to experience the best of American fashion creativity.

Designers will be able to present their collections, providing each participating brand with a modular, customizable page for their storytelling and digital activations. The portal will support AR/VR, 360-degree capabilities, live video streams, e-commerce extensions, consumer shopping features, and social media integrations. The hub allows designers to host virtual press conferences, and present press kits and show and product images, for example.

The 360-degree platform is seasonless and will serve as a permanent fixture and main destination at any time of the year for consumers, press, trade, and retailers from around the world to explore and engage with collections from American fashion designers.

RUNWAY360’s launch will coincide with September New York Fashion Week, which for this season only, is set for Monday, September 14th through Wednesday, September 16th.

The portal is being developed by New York-based multidisciplinary design studio DE-YAN.

In a year during which the American fashion industry is going through unprecedented challenges, the CFDA has developed this multimedia industry resource to support designers and further its mission of strengthening the impact of American fashion in the global economy.

“This transformational time in fashion requires innovative business tools,” said Steven Kolb, President and CEO of the CFDA. “The CFDA is proud to launch RUNWAY360 and champion the talent of our members and our industry. RUNWAY 360 is more than a response to social distancing and restricted travel. The digital platform will help designers faced with short term needs caused by COVID-19 and support future market weeks including live fashion shows.”
source | cfda

 

[jeanclaude]

I expect nothing but the same crap...with tons of fabric masks!

 

[RedSmokeRise]

Boy I hope this doesn't lead to a weird trend of buying virtual fashion show "seats" ....

 

[Lola701]

I only care about Tom Ford for NYFW. Thank god he is even showing cause it would have been a disaster for that « relaunch ».
I wonder if Kozaburo is going to show real clothes this time.

 

[Benn98]

THE CFDA RELEASE OFFICIAL NYFW CALENDAR: WHO IS SHOWING AND WHO IS SITTING THIS ONE OUT?

written by Eddie Roche August 27, 2020

The CFDA has released the official calendar of participating designers showing next month at a very different New York Fashion Week. It’s a little confusing to know who is showing in person and who is only showing digitally, but we’ll figure that out in the next few weeks.

Let’s start with the designers who are not on the calendar at all: Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Pyer Moss, Michael Kors, Brandon Maxwell. The Row, Prabal Gurung, Telfar, Proezna Schouler, Vaquera, Christopher John Rogers, Batsheva, Lela Rose, and The Blonds. Sies Marjan is also out after shuttering in June.

The week will begin on Sunday, September 13th with a live show by Jason Wu at 5pm at Spring Studios. (The full schedule can be read HERE.) Harlem Fashion Row will also be showing digitally the same day. The rest of the week will be a combo of live and virtual shows with the digital platform RUNWAY360 hosting the bulk of the shows. Familiar brands include Carolina Herrera, Anna Sui, Dennis Basso, Nicole Miller, Alice + Olivia, Jonathan Simkhai, and LeQuan Smith. Marchesa also makes a return to the schedule.

Fifteen names are new to the schedule: Aknvas, Anne Klein, Colleen Allen, Dur Doux, Duncan, Frederick Anderson, Frère, Imitation of Christ (back for the first time since 2013), Oak & Acorn, Theophilio, Venicew, Wiederhoeft. LA-based brand Wolk Morais (formerly Ruffian) are on the NYFW calendar for the first time too. The week will conclude on Wednesday with an assumed digital event from Tom Ford.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the global fashion industry and hit New York particularly hard,” said Steven
Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA. “Fashion week is a critical time when brands are able to connect with
press, retailers and consumers, and I’m proud of how quickly the CFDA pivoted to support the needs of the industry
by creating RUNWAY360. We are excited to see 15 new American brands on the schedule – many for the first time –
who might not have had the opportunity to share their collections to a global audience without access to
RUNWAY360.”

New York Men’s Day (NYMD) is also returning to the official calendar to showcase ten menswear and gender fluid designers, including four new designers. The featured designers who are showing digitally are APOTTS, Carter Young, David Hart, Future Lovers of Tomorrow, Ka Wa Key, Official Rebrand, Stan, Teddy Vonranson, Timo Weiland, and Wataru Tominga. The digital launches are scheduled for September 15th from 9am to 11am EST. (One has to wonder if digital presentations will run 15 minutes late like real shows usually do…)

“This season is obviously very different from the past NYMD’s we have done, but it’s now more important than ever to provide a platform for emerging designers to showcase their collections and its why NYMD was conceived in the first place,” Erin Hawker, founder of NYMD explains. “We’re extremely happy to continue our mission of supporting new and young talent and even though we might not be showing in physical spaces this season, we’re still proud to be able to offer a digital space for our designers to make it uniquely their own to showcase their creations to the world.”

NYFW is September September 13th-16th.

Fashionweekdaily

 

[Phuel]

I only care about Tom Ford for NYFW. Thank god he is even showing cause it would have been a disaster for that « relaunch ».
I wonder if Kozaburo is going to show real clothes this time.

I find Kozaburo’s stuff too real— as in it’s that brand of menswear that is abundantly generic in Asia: Part street/part retro/part highend, rinse and repeat. Maybe Americans find it newish and exciting-ish, but I wouldn’t pay to dress like a Triade member from the 70s when I already get followed by security dressed in Dries and OG Helmut.

Tom and Marc have been the only worthwhile live contenders at NYFW for a long while now. NYFW should have gone digital/online even before this pandemic. Shows have devolved into these mundane homogenized droning parades with absolutely not a sign of personality worldwide anyway. But NYC is the worst I can’t imagine having to physically sit through them even before being surrounded by the most obnoxious photo-wh*ring influencers/faux-activists these days. (And before them, there were the insufferable bloggers. Hopefully like the extinction of bloggers, influencers/faux activists will follow the same fate.)

The possibilities for unleashed and innovative creativity that could launch a new brand into stardom— or relaunch a stale brand into iconic status would be ripe for such a platform. But knowing the lack of talents that are ruling this pitiful industry now, it’ll predictably be the same old same old laziness and sloppiness hyped by tiresome diversity and inclusivity (but never really is either diverse nor inclusive). It’s just going to be the same old mean girls horse-and-pony show— just online so no one has to show up at the venues LOL

 

[Lola701]

I find Kozaburo’s stuff too real— as in it’s that brand of menswear that is abundantly generic in Asia: Part street/part retro/part highend, rinse and repeat. Maybe Americans find it newish and exciting-ish, but I wouldn’t pay to dress like a Triade member from the 70s when I already get followed by security dressed in Dries and OG Helmut.

Tom and Marc have been the only worthwhile live contenders at NYFW for a long while now. NYFW should have gone digital/online even before this pandemic. Shows have devolved into these mundane homogenized droning parades with absolutely not a sign of personality worldwide anyway. But NYC is the worst I can’t imagine having to physically sit through them even before being surrounded by the most obnoxious photo-wh*ring influencers/faux-activists these days. (And before them, there were the insufferable bloggers. Hopefully like the extinction of bloggers, influencers/faux activists will follow the same fate.)

The possibilities for unleashed and innovative creativity that could launch a new brand into stardom— or relaunch a stale brand into iconic status would be ripe for such a platform. But knowing the lack of talents that are ruling this pitiful industry now, it’ll predictably be the same old same old laziness and sloppiness hyped by tiresome diversity and inclusivity (but never really is either diverse nor inclusive). It’s just going to be the same old mean girls horse-and-pony show— just online so no one has to show up at the venues LOL

The real big issue with NYFW (and it’s actually weird for American Fashion) is that they don’t have a fashion brand that is a creative, cultural, commercial And international force. It’s either one but not all at the time. So, they are depended on those big brands that they are trying their hardest to dismiss...

Tom Ford is hardly THE creative force but he is both culturally and commercially important and has an international reach...Something that a Telfar or Pyer Moss don’t have.

It’s so weird because 10 years ago, with our high standards, NYFW attracted the world with Wang, Altuzarra, Phillip Lim, Rodarte, Proenza Schouler. Even with those names today, I don’t think NYFW would be interesting.

Marc is a creative force but he is hardly culturally and commercially relevant unfortunately.

I wonder if instead of new names coming each seasons, NYFW doesn’t need new blood in existing houses. I feel like LFW is facing the same issues.

A lot of American brands seems to be really for the American Market nowadays when Wang, back then had a spirit that touched the whole world...

Tbh, the only winner of this digital FW, in NYC, is Tom Ford. Just in terms of exposure, he already won.

 

[Phuel]

^^^ Tom's such a master at branding and presentation that i'm actually hopeful he will give us something we can really feel.

Would it be fair to say that the last time NYFW was relevant on a global scale was the 90s? That was the rebirth of Calvin; Donna had a strong influence on how women dressed with campaigns that defined a believable yet always glamorous lifestyle (and in that sense, Tom is very much like Donna in both his designs and branding); and these new punky designers, like Daryl K and Anna Sui received international hype. There was solid collective as a whole of the NY/American aesthetic during that time, which had a global influence, of which even the likes of Wang/Proenza/Rodarte at their strongest couldn't quite achieve. (To be fair, these labels didn’t and likely will never have the strong and visionary brandbuilding contributions of iconic imagery that Donna and Calvin had.)

 

[MissMagAddict]

Would it be fair to say that the last time NYFW was relevant on a global scale was the 90s? That was the rebirth of Calvin

NY always showed last and then in the 90s Calvin went rogue with the idea that NY would start showing first. It was a really big deal because Europe would always accuse NY of imitating them if they showed anything innovative.

Calvin when accused of imitating Helmut Lang said something like, “It was always in the air.”

Nanooked is a perfect example.

 

[Fulton St Critique]

THE CFDA RELEASE OFFICIAL NYFW CALENDAR: WHO IS SHOWING AND WHO IS SITTING THIS ONE OUT?

written by Eddie Roche August 27, 2020

The CFDA has released the official calendar of participating designers showing next month at a very different New York Fashion Week. It’s a little confusing to know who is showing in person and who is only showing digitally, but we’ll figure that out in the next few weeks.

Let’s start with the designers who are not on the calendar at all: Ralph Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, Pyer Moss, Michael Kors, Brandon Maxwell. The Row, Prabal Gurung, Telfar, Proezna Schouler, Vaquera, Christopher John Rogers, Batsheva, Lela Rose, and The Blonds. Sies Marjan is also out after shuttering in June.

The week will begin on Sunday, September 13th with a live show by Jason Wu at 5pm at Spring Studios. (The full schedule can be read HERE.) Harlem Fashion Row will also be showing digitally the same day. The rest of the week will be a combo of live and virtual shows with the digital platform RUNWAY360 hosting the bulk of the shows. Familiar brands include Carolina Herrera, Anna Sui, Dennis Basso, Nicole Miller, Alice + Olivia, Jonathan Simkhai, and LeQuan Smith. Marchesa also makes a return to the schedule.

Fifteen names are new to the schedule: Aknvas, Anne Klein, Colleen Allen, Dur Doux, Duncan, Frederick Anderson, Frère, Imitation of Christ (back for the first time since 2013), Oak & Acorn, Theophilio, Venicew, Wiederhoeft. LA-based brand Wolk Morais (formerly Ruffian) are on the NYFW calendar for the first time too. The week will conclude on Wednesday with an assumed digital event from Tom Ford.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has upended the global fashion industry and hit New York particularly hard,” said Steven
Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA. “Fashion week is a critical time when brands are able to connect with
press, retailers and consumers, and I’m proud of how quickly the CFDA pivoted to support the needs of the industry
by creating RUNWAY360. We are excited to see 15 new American brands on the schedule – many for the first time –
who might not have had the opportunity to share their collections to a global audience without access to
RUNWAY360.”

New York Men’s Day (NYMD) is also returning to the official calendar to showcase ten menswear and gender fluid designers, including four new designers. The featured designers who are showing digitally are APOTTS, Carter Young, David Hart, Future Lovers of Tomorrow, Ka Wa Key, Official Rebrand, Stan, Teddy Vonranson, Timo Weiland, and Wataru Tominga. The digital launches are scheduled for September 15th from 9am to 11am EST. (One has to wonder if digital presentations will run 15 minutes late like real shows usually do…)

“This season is obviously very different from the past NYMD’s we have done, but it’s now more important than ever to provide a platform for emerging designers to showcase their collections and its why NYMD was conceived in the first place,” Erin Hawker, founder of NYMD explains. “We’re extremely happy to continue our mission of supporting new and young talent and even though we might not be showing in physical spaces this season, we’re still proud to be able to offer a digital space for our designers to make it uniquely their own to showcase their creations to the world.”

NYFW is September September 13th-16th.

Fashionweekdaily

What I can’t wrap my head around is the amount of negative press surrounding NYFW season after season. It is almost easier to dismiss NYFW as boring and uninteresting than really take a look at who is showing and what creative forces may arise in the coming years. The past several seasons have offered glimpses of hope. Kerby Jean Raymond, Emily Bode, and Sander Lak have been noteworthy designers to come out of the city in the past few years. Established designers like Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Stuart Vevers, etc. continue to offer somewhat interesting collections yet I can understand the lack of excitement that comes with these names.

New York is not Milan or Paris, we understand that. But I am hopeful we can continue to look towards the future instead of glorifying the 1990s New York Fashion Week that has taken place now over 20 years ago! Living and being in New York during fashion week holds with it a different vibe. Yes, annoying influencers flood social media and undoubtably take away from the vibe but the city itself is still in love with fashion and continues to create a pulse here in North America that is still alive and well, it is just hard to see and experience through a 6 inch screen...

 

[Phuel]

^^^ That’s all very good, and your personal preferences are just as valid as anyone’s. But none of these people you mentioned could ever compare to the greats in talent and influence, frankly. Other than consistently whining about anti-Black racism in the industry and how everybody needs to support Black designers, Kerby’s a mediocre designer if I’m being kind. You know, when I first started making money, one of the first designers I had to invest in was Ozwald Boetang: His skilled bespoke tailoring with a certain discreet flair of individuality has kept him a consistent player in the industry even after all these years. Why isn’t he spoken of higher esteem when people accuse the industry of anti-Black racism? Perhaps it’s because it’s his talent that has defined him and not any sort of representation.

NY always showed last and then in the 90s Calvin went rogue with the idea that NY would start showing first. It was a really big deal because Europe would always accuse NY of imitating them if they showed anything innovative.

Calvin when accused of imitating Helmut Lang said something like, “It was always in the air.”

Nanooked is a perfect example.

Isaac was so harmless that he was never even anywhere remotely on the same plane, let alone level as Gaultier LOL His Inuit-inspired offering (back then it was still OK to use the term Eskimos) was cute but so basic, while Gaultier’s was so complex and rich in weaving in so many Asian cultures as influences into his very own signature: I’m still spellbound when I watch his Grande Voyage show.

And despite Isaac’s shortcomings, he still had a point of view that was immediately identifiable as his own. His branding was always so much better than the actual clothes. Which in hindsight now, was always what American designers excelled so well at— from Halston, Ralph, Donna to Calvin. None of the American new guard Wang/Proenza/Rodarte has this going for them. Maybe they just couldn’t afford Fabien…???

 

[Fulton St Critique]

^^^ That’s all very good, and your personal preferences are just as valid as anyone’s. But none of these people you mentioned could ever compare to the greats in talent and influence, frankly. Other than consistently whining about anti-Black racism in the industry and how everybody needs to support Black designers, Kerby’s a mediocre designer if I’m being kind. You know, when I first started making money, one of the first designers I had to invest in was Ozwald Boetang: His skilled bespoke tailoring with a certain discreet flair of individuality has kept him a consistent player in the industry even after all these years. Why isn’t he spoken of higher esteem when people accuse the industry of anti-Black racism? Perhaps it’s because it’s his talent that has defined him and not any sort of representation.



Isaac was so harmless that he was never even anywhere remotely on the same plane, let alone level as Gaultier LOL His Inuit-inspired offering (back then it was still OK to use the term Eskimos) was cute but so basic, while Gaultier’s was so complex and rich in weaving in so many Asian cultures as influences into his very own signature: I’m still spellbound when I watch his Grande Voyage show.

And despite Isaac’s shortcomings, he still had a point of view that was immediately identifiable as his own. His branding was always so much better than the actual clothes. Which in hindsight now, was always what American designers excelled so well at— from Halston, Ralph, Donna to Calvin. None of the American new guard Wang/Proenza/Rodarte has this going for them. Maybe they just couldn’t afford Fabien…???

You offer such detailed replies I always look forward to seeing your posts on these threads!

 

[Lola701]

What I can’t wrap my head around is the amount of negative press surrounding NYFW season after season. It is almost easier to dismiss NYFW as boring and uninteresting than really take a look at who is showing and what creative forces may arise in the coming years. The past several seasons have offered glimpses of hope. Kerby Jean Raymond, Emily Bode, and Sander Lak have been noteworthy designers to come out of the city in the past few years. Established designers like Tom Ford, Marc Jacobs, Stuart Vevers, etc. continue to offer somewhat interesting collections yet I can understand the lack of excitement that comes with these names.

New York is not Milan or Paris, we understand that. But I am hopeful we can continue to look towards the future instead of glorifying the 1990s New York Fashion Week that has taken place now over 20 years ago! Living and being in New York during fashion week holds with it a different vibe. Yes, annoying influencers flood social media and undoubtably take away from the vibe but the city itself is still in love with fashion and continues to create a pulse here in North America that is still alive and well, it is just hard to see and experience through a 6 inch screen...

I think that the criticism around NYFW are much larger than that and kinda extend towards the American fashion industry as a whole. The model of American fashion (retail, creation, communication) has somehow became obsolete over the years and the codes that defined American fashion became mainstream but were used with more creativity, humor or intelligence by Europeans designers.

American fashion today is relevant in terms of politics, the meaning of fashion but there’s no base to creatively build it around. And let’s be honest, the model of expansion of the big American brands became out of control in the late 90’s/early 00´s for the creativity to be at the center of the discussion...

Add to that the fact that NYC is not THE city anymore. Brands are also defined by their environment and while the energy of the city is still inspiring, there’s a feeling that fashion is shown in NYC to be worn in LA. And that’s not the case in all the big cities of fashion.

The real ICONS of American Fashion today don’t need NYFW: Tom Ford, Rick Owens, Thom Browne. They can show wherever they wants, people will still pay attention because their clothes, their aesthetic speaks to people.

That’s what people miss today from the notion of « young, new, designers ». Being young and new doesn’t mean anything! Some of the most talented designers delivered their best work later in age/career.

I like Kerby of Pyer Moss buy his body of work doesn’t give me an idea of who he is as a designer. And when I say that, it means, what is his taste? Who is it for? Laquan Smith for example in terms of techniques is a very limited designer but you have a clear vision of what his work is all about. There’s no quality feel to what he does but with the right people with him, a bit of polishing, he has the potential to be a Kind of Alexandre Vauthier.

The problem with the new guard of designers in America is that they believes that their culture defines their fashion. But no! American culture, and therefore black American culture, is mainstream for years now. So you needs more than Rappers, sweaters, sneakers worn with dresses and easy styling tricks to be special. Look at Jacquemus! He offers a totally new perspective of French fashion. The same way Sarah Diouf And Kenneth Ize offers a new perspective on African fashion.

Before the wave of black designer, there was the wave of Asian designers 10 years ago. For me, the real talent was Phillip Lim! He may never had the hype of all the others but today he has a real following of loyal clients just because he did clothes that connects with people with the right dose of creativity.

Do people really look at the clothes in American fashion? I don’t think so...

 

[TianCouture]

I look forward to paying no attention to any fashion week this year and probably indefinitely. The idea of fashion week and shows seems so gross and unhealthy now, especially with the way the world is, that I'm not really sure I'll ever care again.

 

[Phuel]

I think that the criticism around NYFW are much larger than that and kinda extend towards the American fashion industry as a whole. The model of American fashion (retail, creation, communication) has somehow became obsolete over the years and the codes that defined American fashion became mainstream but were used with more creativity, humor or intelligence by Europeans designers.

American fashion today is relevant in terms of politics, the meaning of fashion but there’s no base to creatively build it around. And let’s be honest, the model of expansion of the big American brands became out of control in the late 90’s/early 00´s for the creativity to be at the center of the discussion...

Add to that the fact that NYC is not THE city anymore. Brands are also defined by their environment and while the energy of the city is still inspiring, there’s a feeling that fashion is shown in NYC to be worn in LA. And that’s not the case in all the big cities of fashion.

The real ICONS of American Fashion today don’t need NYFW: Tom Ford, Rick Owens, Thom Browne. They can show wherever they wants, people will still pay attention because their clothes, their aesthetic speaks to people.

That’s what people miss today from the notion of « young, new, designers ». Being young and new doesn’t mean anything! Some of the most talented designers delivered their best work later in age/career.

I like Kerby of Pyer Moss buy his body of work doesn’t give me an idea of who he is as a designer. And when I say that, it means, what is his taste? Who is it for? Laquan Smith for example in terms of techniques is a very limited designer but you have a clear vision of what his work is all about. There’s no quality feel to what he does but with the right people with him, a bit of polishing, he has the potential to be a Kind of Alexandre Vauthier.

The problem with the new guard of designers in America is that they believes that their culture defines their fashion. But no! American culture, and therefore black American culture, is mainstream for years now. So you needs more than Rappers, sweaters, sneakers worn with dresses and easy styling tricks to be special. Look at Jacquemus! He offers a totally new perspective of French fashion. The same way Sarah Diouf And Kenneth Ize offers a new perspective on African fashion.

Before the wave of black designer, there was the wave of Asian designers 10 years ago. For me, the real talent was Phillip Lim! He may never had the hype of all the others but today he has a real following of loyal clients just because he did clothes that connects with people with the right dose of creativity.

Do people really look at the clothes in American fashion? I don’t think so...

To be perfectly blunt, the whole wave of Asian designers are at best, experienced and skilled tailors/dressmakers. And as much as I like Phililp Lim and Derek Lam— and they’ve always been quietly plugging away doing their own thing impressively, they also fall into that classification for me. And that goes for the entire new guard, with the exception of Rodarte— who’ve learned the art of PR by pushing ridiculously overwrought OTTdresses but just end up selling hoodies and tees.

Sadly, this generation of American Black designers are riding the wave of representation and nothing more. But that seems to be the claim to fame for Americans these days: Representation. And the kidz have sadly learn this all too well instead of investing the time and passion into honing their craft.