New York Fashion Week shortened to three days

The upcoming September edition of New York Fashion Week has been shortened to three days.

The Council of Fashion Designers (CFDA) told members in a note, seen by WWD, that the official dates will now be from 14 - 16 September, as opposed to 11 - 16 September as listed on the website. The CFDA said that if there is enough demand, the event could be extended until 17 September.

It comes as fashion shows face huge disruption from the Covid-19 pandemic, with organisers scrambling to launch digital iterations of traditionally physical events.

London and Shanghai have already showcased their first digital fashion weeks, while Paris Haute Couture Week kicked off on Monday.

“[W]e can fit the same amount of shows into three days because of no need for travel time in between the shows,” Mark Beckham, vice president of marketing and events for CFDA, told WWD. “The three days of shows is only for this season as a result of Covid-19.” He also acknowledged that the financial impact of the pandemic could cause some designers to skip the season.

Michael Kors already said he wouldn’t be showing his spring/summer 2021 collections in September as he joins a growing number of luxury labels such as Gucci and Saint Laurent to announce plans to move away from the traditional fashion calendar.

“I have for a long time thought that the fashion calendar needs to change,” Kors said in a statement last month. “It’s exciting for me to see the open dialogue within the fashion community about the calendar - from Giorgio Armani to Dries Van Noten to Gucci to YSL to major retailers around the globe - about ways in which we can slow down the process and improve the way we work. We’ve all had time to reflect and analyze things, and I think many agree that it’s time for a new approach for a new era.”

Picture: Marc Jacobs autumn/winter 2020, via Catwalkpictures