Eighteen months since its last in-person show, New York Fashion Week is back and it really is bigger than ever. Designers who left for Paris years ago are on the calendar, European imports have added themselves to the mix, and thanks to the Black in Fashion Council there are no fewer than 13 emerging Black talents to meet. Capping off the season of rebirth will be the Costume Institute’s timely new exhibition “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” and a Met Gala featuring the youngest-ever crew of co-chairs: Timothée Chalamet, Billie Eilish, Naomi Osaka, and recent Vogue cover star Amanda Gorman. Throw in the US Open and the VMA Awards, and New York will be a very buzzing place.
There will be somber moments, certainly. The city will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks with ceremonies downsized by COVID—some Vogue editors will sit out that day’s shows for a Day of Service—and the Delta variant is circulating both locally and around the country, which means vaccinations are mandatory at most show venues and masks are strongly encouraged. Still, when we see you again after a year-and-a-half, we’ll be smiling behind our face coverings.
Out of the Ashes of COVID, a New Generation Is Thriving
Twenty years ago, the September 11 terrorist attacks brought New York Fashion Week to an abrupt halt and inspired what is now the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, an incubator to support young designers. The program has fostered countless talents, from Proenza Schouler to Telfar; then in 2021 it pivoted slightly to address another tragedy: COVID-19, which put many brands out of business. In April, the CVFF announced that instead of its usual competition, it would award grants to 10 independent American brands. It’s a diverse group—some names are familiar, like Eckhaus Latta and Batsheva, while others are young upstarts.