Big Changes for New York Fashion Week Fall 2020

New York Fashion Week, which begins Feb. 7, will usher in scores of new runway looks for the fall 2020 season, but the bigger news could be the industry-wide shifts that are happening off the catwalk.

Fashion fans will remember that just a few months ago the NYFW spring 2020 season had its fair share of entertainment-meets-fashion shows. Rihanna made waves by debuting her second Savage x Fenty collection with a star-studded, theatrical lingerie fashion show that rivaled Victoria’s Secret’s. Hilfiger, for another, took to the Apollo Theater for his second Tommy x Zendaya collection. Lauren changed gears as well, when he created an Art Deco-themed Ralph’s Club complete with a performance by Janelle Monáe.

But none of these designers — with the exception of Lauren, who has yet to reveal his NYFW plans — will be showing this season. The Council of Fashion Designers of America released the official NYFW fall 2020 schedule in December, which showed the upcoming fashion week would not include some major designers, including a number of heritage New York-based brands like Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Jeremy Scott and CFDA chairman Tom Ford.

Lauren, who has been a mainstay on the NYFW calendar for more than 50 years, is noticeably absent from the fall 2020 schedule. A spokesperson for Ralph Lauren Corp. stated to WWD that the designer has yet to release his plans for his upcoming show.  Hilfiger is also skipping out on NYFW, instead showing his fourth Tommy x Lewis collaboration with race car driver Lewis Hamilton during London Fashion Week at the Tate Modern on Feb. 16.  Hilfiger had one of the buzziest shows last New York Fashion Week, teaming with actress Zendaya for their second Tommy x Zendaya fashion show held at the historic Apollo Theater.  Scott revealed on Jan. 27 that he won’t be showing during New York Fashion Week, instead opting to present his fall collection in Paris during couture week in July.  And Tom Ford is taking his show on the road to his hometown of Los Angeles just prior to NYFW.

Despite these major absences, the NYFW fall 2020 schedule still includes a number of notable New York-based designer brands, such as Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Tory Burch, Jason Wu, Proenza Schouler and Prabal Gurung, among others.  Perhaps in light of the defections, many New York-based brands are changing up their New York Fashion Week strategies.

Phillip Lim, for one, revealed to WWD that he is forgoing a traditional runway show for the fall 2020 season. Lim, who launched the 3.1 Phillip Lim brand in 2005, stated: “As my brand looks ahead to this important [15-year] milestone, grateful for all of the success and blessings we have enjoyed, it feels like we have lost some spontaneity, and dare I say, humanity.”  Lim is instead hosting a relaxed “house party” at his New York store located at 48 Great Jones Street on Feb. 10 — the day his runway show was slated for — that will be open to retailers, press, clients and the public.  Veronica Beard, for another, is forgoing its traditional presentation format this season, instead showing on the runway on Feb. 10 for the first time.

The pressure is on the remaining NYFW mainstays to show fans why New York still matters in the grand fashion scheme of things.

—
Photo Credit:  FashionStock.com / Shutterstock.com