Another Bite Of The Big Apple

It was only a year ago when designers uprooted their labels from New York Fashion Week en masse. JACQUIE ANG investigates how the tide has changed

- Jacquie Ang

THE NEW YORK Fashion Week (NYFW) has been plagued by designer departures since the first wave of exodus in 2017, led by Tommy Hilfiger, Rebecca Minkoff and Rachel Comey when the trio moved their presentations to Los Angeles.

NYFW anchors Rodarte and Proenza Schouler followed suit, rocking the New York fashion establishment by breaking away from the traditional fashion week calendar and shifting their shows to January and July for Paris Couture Week. Both cited earlier deliveries and longer lifespan on the sales floor as key reasons.

Months later, Joseph Altuzarra decided to decamp to the French capital where he was born and raised. “The city holds a very deep personal significance for me,” he shared. “This has been a dream of mine since the very beginning, and now the time feels right.” He staged his SS18 show during Paris Fashion Week, where Thom Browne revealed his SS18 womenswear collection in Paris for the first time (after his SS18 menswear).

The most recent NYFW dropout was Alexander Wang, who premiered his SS19 collection ahead of the others. Though it was shown in New York, his radical reboot quit the February-September time frame for June and December instead. He will release two collections with strategic product drops throughout the year, which accommodates collaborations and partnerships. Re-introducing his SS19 offerings as Collection 1, he left a note on each guest’s seat that read: “Today marks a new beginning, a new identity, and a new day for my brand.”

Bright Lights, Big City

But things are looking up for the beleaguered affair. Amid disheartening exits, transatlantic designers keep the spotlights lit.