Like all industries, the fashion world had to make plenty of changes in 2020.
With it suddenly impossible for audiences to enjoy live runways, brands had to come up with some increasingly creative ways to show off their new collections. Whether it was through the use of 3D virtual technology to create self-modelling clothing or by handing the modelling duties over to a series of specially-created marionettes, labels across the world have been putting their best foot forward to keep audiences impressed in the age of COVID-19.
However, nothing quite matches up to the experience of watching a fashion show in person! Fortunately for fans, it’s an experience that we can expect to enjoy again very soon.
Some of the most iconic dates within the fashion calendar have already announced their return for 2021, with the Met Gala having been announced to take place on September 13th with the theme ‘In America: A Lexicon Of Fashion’. Now we know that the Met Gala will follow the finale of one of fashion’s most highly-anticipated events, New York Fashion Week.
Having taken a break in 2020, New York Fashion Week will open for 2021 on September 8th and is expected to take place with no need for virtual audiences, masks or social distancing – it’s hoped that the event can mark fashion’s return to normality.
Brands of all sizes, from world-renowned fashion houses to up-and-coming independent designers, will appear at the event, showcasing designs through both runway shows and carefully constructed displays.
The return is also marked with an exciting new Fashion Alliance, with 11 fashion houses deciding to team up in order to organise and put on this year’s event, as well as two further events in 2022 and 2023 respectively. The labels involved in this bold new organisation include Brandon Maxwell, Markurian, Rodarte and Altuzarra, among other respected brands from across the city.
Big names who have already announced their attendance at the event include Thom Browne and Sergio Hudson, though with just over three months to go, we’re yet to receive a full events schedule and there is expected to be further announcements regarding the brands on show.
Fans of Fashion Week may be familiar with downtown Manhattan’s Spring Studios, where much of the event has been held in previous years. This year, it’s expected that the location will continue to act as a ‘hub’ for New York Fashion Week, but that visitors to the event should expect many of the shows themselves to take place in some alternative locations.
According to Vogue, brands will be pulling out all the stops to impress, with interesting locations for the shows being just one aspect of this. Locations that may be used include extravagant churches and contemporary art galleries.
The hope is that all events can take place in-person, with some digital events offered to allow fashion enthusiasts from across the globe to get in on the fashion week action. As in previous years, some events will be open to the public for a ticket fee, whilst other events will be industry only and can only be accessed via invitation.
Having previously attracted upwards of 100,000 visitors, organisers hope that New York Fashion Week will be the perfect way to reboot New York’s vibrant fashion industry, as well as a way to celebrate normality.
As the chairman of the Council Of Fashion Designers Of America, Tom Ford was the one to make the official announcement of NYFW’s long-awaited return.
“This season’s shows are an opportunity to reaffirm the resilience and independence of American fashion and New York City as a global fashion force,” Ford wrote. If previous NYFW events are anything to go by, we’re sure that it will.
There’s still plenty to be announced in the coming weeks, so be sure to keep an eye on the event’s official website, but the countdown is finally on for the return of this much-loved New York fashion event. We hope we’ll secure a seat of our own.