Gird your loins!
New York Fashion Week (often abbreviated NYFW) takes place twice a year—once in February and once in September—and kicks off what’s become known as Fashion Month, during which designers showcase their collections for the upcoming season.
New York Fashion Week is expected to be jam-packed with runway shows, presentations, lectures, and even digital events centering around upcoming trends. NYFW is highly anticipated by fashion lovers and the industry alike, as it’s every designer’s time to share their vision. Although fashion is always changing and evolving, it's also cyclical; you never know what’s going to come into style and what will return. In New York and the cities that follow (London, Milan, and Paris, consecutively) the runways unveil it all.
Where Is NYFW?
NYFW has been held in a few locations over the years. It was first established by the fashion industry’s first-ever publicist, Eleanor Lambert back in 1943 to give American designers exposure during World War II. She called it “Press Week,” and designers gave presentations exclusively to the press and buyers at the Plaza Hotel.
Press Week gained traction quickly, and the success inspired designers to take their presentations beyond The Plaza. Choosing their setting became artistically strategic. In addition to department stores and showrooms, nightclubs, lofts, and galleries were often booked, according to Vogue UK.
Cut to 1993, and NYFW would take place in Bryant Park to centralize the shows (a luxury for attendees who had been running around the city to view one presentation after another). The venue was dubbed “Seventh on Sixth”—a reference to the fashion district moving east one avenue—and tents were stationed around midtown Manhattan for designers to show their collections. It was a significant move, attracting corporate sponsorships and leading to the event’s rebranding to Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in 2007.
Who Attends NYFW?
Originally, invitations were only sent to fashion editors and writers, along with fashion buyers. Now, stylists, influencers, and celebrities are also at the top of the invite list. However, that isn’t to say fashion lovers outside the industry can’t partake in some festivities. Some brands stream their runway shows live, and clips of presentations are bound to circulate on social media, whether on the brand’s channels or those of attendees.
What Brands Are Showing During NYFW?
The NYFW schedule is often packed with both American and foreign labels that are betting on New York City to stage their latest collections. Some of the overseas names hosting shows have included Off-White, Alaïa, Nanushka, and Palomo Spain. Meanwhile, American mainstays like Carolina Herrera, Tory Burch, Tibi, and Michael Kors are also often featured in the schedule. However, New York Fashion Week is known for its emerging talents, and this season includes a slew of brands making big buzz in the industry—Bach Mai, Sandy Liang, Collina Strada, and Luar among them.