New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week in its modern iteration was started by Fern Mallis and Stan Herman in 1993.
New York Fashion Week kicks off fashion month, and is followed by fashion weeks in London, Milan and Paris in February and September. Spring collections are historically shown in September, while fall collections are historically shown in February.
New York Fashion Week evolved from Press Week, which began in the '40s. Eleanor Lambert founded Press Week to showcase American fashion during World War II when editors couldn't travel to Europe. The event helped promote American fashion when many major European fashion houses were on hiatus during the war.
Press Week went on for decades. Then in 1993, the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) took over the event, and then-president Stan Herman and executive director Fern Mallis consolidated the citywide events into what became known as New York Fashion Week. It was initially rebranded with the trademark "7th on Sixth."
Throughout the '90s and 2000s, New York Fashion Week was held at Bryant Park in pop-up tents. In 2011, New York Fashion Week left Bryant Park and migrated to Lincoln Center. In 2015, after New York Fashion Week's organizer WME/IMG's contract with Lincoln Center ended, the event was split between Skylight Moynihan and Skylight Clarkson. After Moynihan underwent construction for Penn Station to expand in 2017, Clarkson was the primary venue until 2018. From 2019 until the present, Spring Studios has been the main venue for New York Fashion Week, though a large percentage of designers choose to show off site.
Major American designers have made their runway debuts at New York Fashion Week, including Michael Kors, Christian Siriano, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Prabal Gurung and Anna Sui.
The event has seen some historic fashion moments, such as Ralph Lauren's 50th anniversary show in 2018, when he transformed Central Park's Bethesda Terrace into a runway, drawing everyone from Hillary Clinton to Oprah to watch. There was Marc Jacobs' show for Perry Ellis in 1993, which many saw as the birth of '90s grunge. The show ultimately got Jacobs fired, but the pieces were so popular he reissued them in 2019. In 2000, Alexander McQueen hopped Stateside for a collection he showed on the West Side of Manhattan, famously dropping his jeans at the end of the show to reveal American flag boxer shorts.
nyfw
New Yorkers Feel Nostalgic for Classic Ralph Lauren Styling
Fashion week goers cull style inspiration from Ralph Lauren's 50-year-old archive of American sportswear.
Things You Need to Know for the Week Ahead
Resolution of Sears bankruptcy, earnings from apparel vendors, New York Fashion Week and trade shows are…
10 NYFW Trends Destined for Fast Fashion Retail
From neon hues, to a spotlight on handcrafted details, New York Fashion Week delivered a wealth of…
WWD Recommends
Ralph Lauren Honors American Design in 50th Anniversary Show
Ralph Lauren unveiled a "see-now, buy-now" 50th anniversary collection that embodies the casual elegance he…
This Designer’s 3-D Printed Apparel Targets Fashion’s Environmental Ills
Julia Daviy is making 3-D printed apparel that's more practical and wearable than what's typically associated…
NYFW Designers Call on Cotton for Fall Collections
During the recent New York Fashion Week shows, cotton proved it isn't only the darling of warm weather…
Pantone Color Trend Report for Fall Fashion Expects the Unexpected
The palette for autumn fashion will deliver interpretations of expected seasonal hues mixed with a dash of…
Hong Kong Talent to Show During NYFW
Hong Kong Trade Development Council is set to showcase emerging design talent during New York Fashion Week…
Marcel Ostertag Dishes on His Latest Line with Tamaris at NYFW
German womenswear designer Marcel Ostertag showed his Spring ’18 collection on the final day of New York…
G-Star Raw and Pharrell Williams Air Laundry During NYFW
G-Star Raw celebrated the launch of the brand’s G-Star Elwood X25, alongside Pharrell Williams, the brand’s…
Fenty Puma by Rihanna Plays with Extreme Color & Sports for Spring ’18
What does one wear in a neon pink motocross world? Neoprene creepers, translucent outsoles and bungee cord…
Skip the Front Row. Watson is Fashion’s Latest Trend Forecaster.
IBM's latest innovations could help designers execute upcoming trends in today's instant-fashion landscape.
Cat Footwear Brings Vibram’s Arctic Grip to NYFW
Cat Footwear brought fashion and function to New York Fashion Week by providing rugged footwear designed for…
10 Times Activism Trumped Fashion at NYFW
Forget hem lengths, activism was the single biggest trend at the Fall/Winter 2017 New York Fashion Week.
Chinese Traditions Inspire Fashion Hong Kong NYFW Show
Leading Hong Kong designers are making their mark at New York Fashion Week.