With the future of fashion shows in limbo, top-name designers used New York Fashion Week to erase any doubts about their own brands, making definitive statements about the clothes and lifestyle that critics and shoppers alike expect from them.
Diane von Furstenberg, Tommy Hilfiger, Nicole Miller and other designers strove to make their mark during the week-long event that ended yesterday, targeting both buyers and editors sitting at the side of the runway and the consumers who increasingly dictate what they want – and when they want it.
“Brands are taking a second look at what they’re going to be known for,” said Rickie de Sole, a fashion market director at W Magazine. “Everyone is playing to their strengths and pushing that more.”
Pop star Rihanna’s runway show for Puma left little doubt who the designer was, with its androgynous chunky hoodies and sneaker-like heels fit for a good girl gone bad.
Catwalk model Taylor Hill called it “the embodiment of Rihanna”.
Likewise, there was Kanye West’s presentation and listening party at Madison Square Garden, an offering of shredded sweaters and bodysuits from Yeezy Season 3, plus all the tracks on West’s new album The Life of Pablo.
The future of fashion shows designed to fete buyers is being questioned in an increasingly digital world in which consumers want to order items via their mobile phones and not wait months for them in-store.
“These are scary times,” said designer Nicole Miller before the debut of her Nordic-inspired collection in jockeying floral and geometric prints. “The thing to do is keep the press going and keep yourself out there.” — Reuters