After five years at Lincoln Center, the time has come that we bid adieu to the tents of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. Location changes and the loss of the title sponsor may seem like big scary changes, but let’s not forget Fashion Week is still standing strong after its far share of mishaps, like that one time a ceiling collapsed during the Michael Kors show. While you may be chaotically running around the concrete jungle September 10th – 17th, fashion week isn’t going anywhere. Also, remember that change can also be good. For example, The Washington Times says that the highly anticipated, open to the public, Givenchy show by designer Riccardo Tisci should be the new norm and “fashion should invite more outsiders into the bleacher seats”.
Okay, okay, enough rambling. Here’s everything you need to know about the who’s who and what’s what of NYFW SS16. PS – I’m revealing some BIG fashion week news at the end of this post that you guys will LOVE.
Let’s start with the Council of Fashion Designers of America. As Renata Certo-Ware from Bustle put it, CFDA is the industry’s fairy godmother. CFDA is the driving force behind attempts to make a more cohesive and unified NYFW experience. While I must say I’m not in love with the color selection and logo for the new NYFW brand identity, I do appreciate and value what they’re trying to do. 
“The campaign unifies New York Fashion Week as a whole, including runway venues and independent shows that are not part of a major venue, which account for almost two-thirds of the two main women’s seasons,” said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. “We want to bring across the message that New York Fashion Week is connected to the entire fashion community and industry.” In the event you have time to eat actual food during the time of your coverage, NYC & Company, the City’s marketing and tourism organization working jointly with CFDA, has put together a list of restaurants with special offers during NYFW.
New York Fashion Week is officially organized under the Fashion Calendar, which was acquired by CFDA last June, and features the complete list of approved NYFW runway shows, presentations, and events.
Then we have IMG (formally WME-IMG thanks to a new merger), who owns and runs the “official” fashion week venues where about a third of the designers will be presenting (the more well-established names), which are Skylight at Moynihan Station in Midtown and Skylight Clarkson Sq in Soho. The shows held at these two venues will collectively be called, “NYFW: The Shows” – take note of the very original and innovative name… The full schedule, with 59 designers, includes previous regulars like BCBGMaxazria, Betsey Johnson, Mara Hoffman, Nicole Miller, and Rebecca Minkoff. Several designers, like Public School and Alice + Olive, will be showing at IMG venues for the first time this season.
If you’re looking for some comforting consistency, MADE Fashion Week, known for it’s focus on up-and-coming and indie brands, will continue to take place at Milk Studios. Founded in September 2009 to support emerging designers, MADE was recently acquired by IMG. Additionally, IMG unveiled a new brand identity and digital home for its NYFW properties. The new digital home for NYFW: The Shows will be NYFW.com and @NYFW across Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. MADE will retain its standalone branding under the IMG umbrella. So Made Fashion Week, NYFW, or CFDAFW? The goal is to consolidate simply to NYFW. While CFDA, IMG, and MADE are the major NYFW players, there are several independent organizations and showcases with incredible talent worth noting.
Fashion Shows & Presentations:
Kia STYLE360 – An 11-year-old platform known for hosting celebrity fashion shows and presentations will be showing at Metropolitan West from September 14th to 17th. Participating celebrities this season include Serena Williams, who will show her Signature collection by HSN, and Adam Levine, who will preview his line for Kmart.
Nolcha Shows – New York’s leading showcase for independent fashion designers to showcase their collections to a global audience of press, retailers, stylists, and industry influencers. Over the past six years the Nolcha Shows have become established as a platform of discovery; promoting cutting-edge, innovative fashion designers through runway shows and exhibitions. We had a great time covering Nolcha last year and met some amazing brands! This year’s runway shows are on September 13th at Pier 59.
Fashion as Art Exhibit – On Thursday, September 17th from 6 – 9 pm, celebrity wardrobe stylist Shatonia Amee will celebrate 8 years in the fashion industry by displaying artistic pieces of her styling work along with a model presentation showcasing some of her favorite men’s and women’s wear clothing and accessory designers. Amee has had the amazing opportunity to work with great people like models Heidi Klum, Karlie Kloss, Kendall Jenner, Selita Ebanks and Coco Rocha. Additionally, she has worked behind the scenes with luxury brands such as Hermes, Dior, Chanel, YSL, Prada, and Michael Kors. Guests will enjoy fashionable food, and cocktails throughout the night, along with a few surprises. Email ShatoniaAmee@gmail.com for additional info and to RSVP.
#NYFWPlus – New York Fashion Week just got better with a new week-long series of fashion presentations bringing the newest and best independent plus-size designers together during NYFW. Featuring the latest in ready-to-wear, couture, and evening wear, NYFW+ will showcase S/S 16 collections and offers a unique shop lounge to engage plus-size fashion lovers. The series will run from September 9th to 13th. For more information: www.nyfwplus.com
Fun Stuff:
Triumph Hotels “Get Puckered” Pop-Up – Triumph Hotels, in partnership with the on-demand makeup application service Pucker, is offering beauty respites in seven locations throughout Manhattan. Guests and the public will receive complimentary makeup applications, which include sheer facial coverage, lip color, concealer, blush, mascara, and brow services. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis. View locations and times at nycgo.com.
Michael Stars Party – Michael Stars is partnering with blogger Lisa Dengler of Just Another and non profit organization Ms. Foundation for an event at the brand’s SoHo store on Wednesday, September 16th. DJ Linsday Luv will be spinning while guests mingle and shop the fall collection at 20% off. Plus, 20% of event sales will be donated to the Ms. Foundation in support of their efforts to fund a movement towards women’s equality and social justice! For additional details: NYFW@michaelstars.com
Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row – To close out New York Fashion Week, Macy’s will host a music-meets-fashion event at Madison Square Garden featuring performances by Jason Derulo and Nate Ruess from Fun on Thursday, September 17th. Hitting the runway will be spectacular presentations featuring the fall season’s hottest designs from Heidi by Heidi Klum Intimates, Hello Kitty®, I•N•C International Concepts, Jessica Simpson, Levi’s®, Ryan Seacrest Distinction, Sean John, Thalía Sodi, and Tommy Hilfiger. Macy’s Presents Fashion’s Front Row is set to support Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and the Council of Fashion Designers of America Foundation (CFDA), with 100% of the proceeds from ticket sales ($55 – $80).
Important Links & Resources:
- CFDA Fashion Calendar
- NYFW: The Shows Schedule
- MADE Fashion Week Schedule SS16
- The Cut Fashion Calendar
- WWD: New York Fashion Week Events
- NYC GO Fashion Calendar
- Modem Online NYFW Spring Summer 16 Press Contacts
Can’t get enough fashion week? Catch up on my previous NYFW coverage. This season, I’m the most excited to attend Carrie Underwood’s CALIA presentation, Desigual, and Betsey Johnson! Have an event, show, or info you’d like me to add to this post? Email me at allyn@allynlewis.com. AND for my BIG news… I’m launching my SnapChat specially for NYFW so that you can have access to behind the scenes coverage, first looks at the runway fashions, and so much more. Find me: @allyn_lewis
