For decades, a Fashion Week show was the one glamorous, media-laden event that young designers aimed to achieve. But across the industry, people are beginning to ask whether fashion week, as we know it, is still a relevant concept. It is possible that the next generation of aspiring designers will have other methods of displaying their new collections to the public.
New York Fashion Week began in the early ’90s, when it was still valuable for designers to show their collections to editors and buyers twice a year. But these days, consumers don’t have the patience to wait months to buy the products their favorite designers showed on the runway. In any case, fast-fashion brands like H&M and Zara have made an art of ripping off the hottest designs of the season and making them available in stores within weeks. And a Fashion Week show is an incredibly costly endeavor: Even with a partner like IMG, which can help keep costs down, a half-hour show can cost upwards of $100,000. Is it still worth it?
Some designers are already saying, “No.” As the “see now, buy now” model takes root, designers are beginning to replace the traditional runway show with a launch party for their new products. And with the consumer’s relentless desire for new products, shows no longer need to happen twice a year. Many designers are doing small capsule drops over the course of the year.
Designers have very different takes on New York Fashion Week. We chatted with two fashion icons, Rebecca Minkoff and Anna Sui, who have taken very different approaches. Sui, who has had a long career in American fashion, had her first runway show in 1991 and has been on the New York Fashion Week calendar ever since. Her shows tend to be theatrical performances, often with a clear overarching narrative, and are among the most popular events at Fashion Week.
Minkoff, a successful millennial designer, also began by showing her collections at New York Fashion Week in 2009, but over the last three years, she’s tweaked the model. She’s been experimenting with different approaches, such as doing live performances on the street outside her store, or moving the event to Los Angeles. She now always makes her product available for purchase immediately after the show.
I talked to both of them about whether they believe Fashion Week is still a worthwhile endeavor. Here are edited excerpts from our conversations.
The Case For Fashion Week–Anna Sui
The best showcase for what I am trying to say is a show. Every designer is different. I’m wired to do a show. I like to transport my audience and take them on a journey. I think that this is why people have always been interested in my vision. It’s never just about a pretty dress. There’s a lot more that goes along with it. There’s storytelling: The theme could be about rock stars, or Americana, or androgyny. But everything goes through my brain, so it has that Anna Sui flavor to it. I love casting the show. I’m known for my music. I’m involved with every part of the performance.