One of the must-see events this September is New York Fashion Week (NYFW), which officially begins on September 7, 2019. There will be a lot to look forward to this season as Tom Ford has taken over from Diane von Furstenberg as President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) and a new schedule of 6 days, instead of the previous 8 days, has been announced.
From veteran designers, emerging names to political protests... these are considered the most anticipated things in New York Fashion Week 2019.
Rihanna and lingerie brand Savage X Fenty
One of the hottest shows of NYFW this year was fashion designer and pop star Rihanna's second annual Savage X Fenty show, which took place on September 10 in Brooklyn.
Viewers can expect to see a star-studded line-up on the catwalk. Both Bella and Gigi Hadid walked last year, while Slick Woods – who was pregnant and went into labour shortly after the show – also made a big impression on the audience.
It is rumored that this year's show will include several surprise musical performances, however it has not been revealed whether Rihanna herself will take the stage.
In addition to the live show, this year's Savage X Fenty show will be streamed on Amazon Prime on September 20, along with behind-the-scenes footage from the making of the show.
Political protests
Fashion is often influenced and created to meet political demands. So with a number of notable issues such as climate change, immigration, abortion and the US presidential election, audiences are expecting to see designers make a statement through their collections on show.
NYFW reporters are already on hand, so it’s possible that the events could become runway “protests” in a very special way.
Last year, Prabal Gurung brought the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and assault to the catwalk by having models carry white roses, a symbol of the movement.
That same week, on the final night of his SS19 show, Jeremy Scott wore a T-shirt that read: “Tell your senator not to vote for Kavanaugh” to protest Donald Trump’s nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the US Supreme Court. (Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexually assaulting Dr. Christine Blasey Ford.)
The Return of Hilfiger x Zendaya
Tommy Hilfiger will bring his TommyNow fashion show back to NYFW this season after successfully holding the event in Paris last March.
The show marks Hilfiger's second collaboration with “Spider-Man” star Zendaya and will take place at the Apollo Theater in Harlem on September 8.
During the event, Hilfiger introduced a new online virtual reality commerce experience to give audiences around the world access to the show. Through the VR experience, viewers were able to visit a virtual pop-up store and see the clothes worn by the models.
The collection will also be available on a bus parked outside the venue for customers to purchase in advance of the show. The bus will travel to a location in New York City the following week for customers to continue shopping.
Top models who will be appearing in Hilfiger's show include: Halima Aden, Winnie Harlow and Jourdan Dunn.
Haves and Have Nots at NYFW
In addition to this season's schedule being shorter and more rushed than ever, there are quite a few big names announcing their absence, including Calvin Klein (which held its final show last year) and Derek Lam (whose flagship store closed last July).
Several other designers also decided to skip shows and instead opt for appointments or other events. Diane Von Furstenberg hosted an intimate lunch; Telfar hosted a film screening, and Rodarte launched a lookbook of the latest designs worn by Hollywood superstars.
Calvin Klein's final show at NYFS 2018.
While the absence of familiar brands was disappointing, the arrival of new brands was also welcome. This season, NYFW was filled with newcomers like 85 Eldridge, the new venture from artist Doug Abraham (who owned the legendary Bess store in the 2000s) and Christopher John Rogers (who dressed the likes of Tracee Ellis Ross, Tessa Thompson, and Michelle Obama).
Another name to watch out for is Caroline Hu, a Chinese designer who won the Business of Fashion China award this spring, which comes with a $100,000 prize.
