New York Fashion Week Fall 2020 Pre-coverage

It’s that time again, the clattering of stilettoes—for those who still wear them—the hustle and bustle, and exhausted look of fashion industry professionals!! If you haven’t guessed it, the dawning of New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is on the horizon.

NYFW is a biannual occurrence with hordes of fashion industry professionals on the prowl to witness the industry’s latest collections from a coterie of top designers/brands and emerging talent. With New York City being one of the four major fashion capitals, NYFW is still globally one of the premier fashion weeks. Yet, in the past ten years so much has changed about NYFW.

Ten years ago, NYFW moved from Bryant Park—a very hallowed venue for some industry professionals—to Lincoln Center. The fashion industry felt as though it had arrived once it secured a place at the culturally rich Lincoln Center, a bastion of everything excellent when it comes to the performing arts. Fashion was finally establishing itself as a curator of great art, albeit art that you actually wear, but art none the less, and one of the great fashion capitals was recognizing that.

Unfortunately, the alliance with Lincoln Center did not last long—only five years—and on some level was ill-fated. And hence, NYFW has really been without a home. Though Spring Studios and Pier 59 have provided some respite from venue insecurity, these venues no way compare to Lincoln Center or Bryant Park.

So, we are in the present state of NYFW, a global fashion week that is very short on sponsors, experiencing major household designer/brand defections, and still without a permanent home. Add to that, the CFDA instituted a pay-to-go-to-shows policy—leaving front row seats, at many of the shows open to anyone who can afford the pricey tickets—and you have a global fashion week that has lost much of its luster.

Still, NYFW soldiers on. And this season promises to be one of great introspection. As the US heads into an unpredictable election and global disaster fires rage across the planet, it is time for the fashion industry to escape from their own proverbial bubble. What affects the rest of the world, affects fashion as well. Sustainability, inclusion, and truth and justice are not only the rest of the world’s concerns, it should also be the concern of the fashion community.

For the fall 2020 season, the absence of perennial favorites Monique Lhuillier, John Varvatos, Vera Wang, Venexiana, and Donna Karan continue to be felt. But those were the good old days. It is time to acknowledge that the only thing constant in life is change. And in this new day there are some sustainable brands to look forward to, as well as some emerging designers.

Emerging brands or brands debuting at NYFW include Wiederhoeft, Tia Adeola, Just in XX, Luooiff Studios, Palm Angels, Sheguang Hu, Fe Noel, S by Serena, and others. True to form, some are the diehard brands continue show—Michael Kors, The Blonds, Jeremy Scott, Libertine, Pamella Roland, Bibhu Mohapatra, Sally LaPointe, Cynthia Rowley, Alice + Olivia, Badgley Mischka, Naeem Khan, Nicole Miller, and Christian Siriano.

Happy Fashion Week!!

—William S. Gooch