New York getting standalone men’s fashion week

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has announced that it is launching its own dedicated menswear fashion week, underlining the growing importance of menswear fashion not just in American but globally.

The standalone showcase, New York Fashion Week: Men, will kick off with the spring/summer 2016 shows, running from July 13-16 at Skylight Clarkson Square in Manhattan, and will pave the way for a biannual event to rival that of London Collections: Men, Pitti Uomo and Paris, where most menswear designers currently showcase their new collections.

"American menswear has never been stronger or more creative. There are many reasons the CFDA is launching New York Fashion Week: Men's," said Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. "It gives the designers a business platform to show during their market dates and is an opportunity to demonstrate the collective talent of an important segment of our industry.”

Kolb added: “The effort to create standalone men's shows is not just backed by CFDA and participating designers, but also by the American editors and retailers who have contributed as we have built this, and they will continue to be involved in our planning."

CFDA launching dedicated menswear fashion week in New York

New York Fashion Week: Men's will feature a combination of runway shows, presentations and special events, and the CFDA has stated that designers including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein Collection, Michael Kors, Rag & Bone, Public School, Billy Reid, Todd Snyder, Michael Bastian, Ovadia & Sons, Robert Geller, Duckie Brown, Patrik Ervell, Timo Weiland and Kent and Curwen have confirmed their participation at the inaugural event.

Amazon's portfolio of fashion sites, which include Amazon Fashion, East Dane, and MyHabit, will serve as ‘Presenting Sponsors’, with additional support from Detroit-based leather goods company Shinola.

Commenting on their partnership, Cathy Beaudoin, president of Amazon Fashion, said: "When the CFDA decided to create a dedicated men's fashion week in New York, we knew we wanted to help in a meaningful way.

“We are committed to our menswear business across Amazon Fashion, East Dane, and MyHabit, and are proud to support an initiative that both celebrates strong design and talent, and solves a very real challenge for menswear designers today."

New York Fashion Week: Men will take place from July 13-16 at Skylight Clarkson Square.

Image: Public School SS15