It’s pretty crazy to think another NYFW is around the corner.

This year, of course, will be MUCH different.

I haven’t attended NYFW since September 2019.  For someone who never missed a season in 5 years – even while extremely pregnant or with a newborn – I feel like the tides have finally turned.

Before the pandemic, my goal for this year was to skip NYFW and attend Copenhagen fashion week.  I adore Scandi style.

Even though I live and die for NY and all it has to offer by way of fashion, it was starting to feel a bit “been there, done that.”  I craved something new.  That newness will have to wait another year.  In the meantime, let’s talk about what the heck is actually going to happen with NYFW in September.

NYFW S/S 2021

The typical 7-day schedule has been whittled down to 3 days.  But here’s the kicker.  Not ONE runway show is confirmed.  Every major brand has pulled out and those that will show have yet to lock in their plan.  Fashion week is always chaos, but this?  I’ll be watching through tightly closed eyes (with a quick peek).

Conversely, Milan has 28 confirmed runway shows.  Including Fendi and Prada!

The Future of the Fashion Show

This is a long debated question with no clear answer.  Boston Consulting Group dubbed the fashion calendar broken almost 4 years ago.  While we saw designers experiment with see-now-buy-now collections, on the whole, the model didn’t change much.

Will this finally be the turning of the tides?  The minimum cost to host a runway show is $200,000.  The big shows cost upwards of $1 million.  All of that fanfare for clothes that won’t be available for 6 months after you see them on the runway?  No wonder experts think it’s broken.

Moving forward I see a huge emphasis placed on pre-orders.  I see smart brands engaging their customers even more to outline their strategies.  I see conversations, open-dialogue, performance art and intimate gatherings in place of the large-scale show.

Fashion conglomerate brands will always have the money to host what we know as “the norm.”  And I think they’ll stick to that model for the foreseeable future.  Afterall, they can afford to stage a multi-million dollar runway show that will leave people talking for seasons to come.

But for the indie designers, the industry disruptors, I predict a new revolution.

Time will tell.  T-minus 3 weeks.