Granted I wasn’t sure until end of January if I was going to attend this year. So I was a little late on sending out RSVPs. But I ended up attending 3 shows and showcased at Essence Fashion House with my client Ese Azenabor which was more than enough. I was glad that all shows listed on the official calendar were at Spring Studios and not all across town as in previous years. Big trend this year was the influence of Asian designers. More and more Asian designers are trying to break through the U.S. market and have the financial & moral support from their home country. Another major change this year was the charging of an entrance fee of $550+ to the once invite-only shows. It is important to mention that only a certain amount of total seats were sold and that the majority was still invite based. NYFW can be very expensive for designers, so I understand trying to recuperate some of their investment. But some argue that this trend could destroys the industry and keep the real industry leaders away by eliminating the notion of exclusivity. Instead of selling tickets designers could reach out to corporate partners that will help offset the cost. The presence of A-List celebrities and Editors in Chief was also missing at many shows instead Reality Tv Stars and unknown influencers kept snapping selfies sitting front row this year.
The first show I attended was Randi Rahm:
Randi Rahm who’s known for providing gowns to the Bachelorette cast, presented her latest Fall/Winter Evolution Couture/INK for NYFW 2020 at the Public Hotel. Her signature gowns, many inspired by the art of tattoo, stylish party-goers in their luscious dark and gem tones reflected the mood of the evening. I believe the designer was going for a Moulin Rouge vibe but the space was very small for the number of guests in the building. There were approximately only 30 guest seated and everything seemed very unorganized. The runway was elevated in a short T-shaped layout. I’m 5’11 and wore heels so I was able to see standing but the rows behind me couldn’t see a thing. What I loved was that the runway show featured models of all ages, sizes, and gender identities. The garments were beautiful with very sleek silhouettes, high slits, mesh illusion sleeves and backs.
The second show I attended was the Asia Fashion Collection:
An incubation project produced and supported by Vantan Inc. and PARCO, in cooperation with other Asia-based partners. AFC is passionate about widening the reach of the fashion industry by fostering the growth of the continent’s most promising up-and-coming designers. This year’s designers were KTOKA – Japan VEGAN TIGER – South Korea, ito – Japan, zizi shi – Parsons (born in China), chalisa – Thailand, SEANNUNG – Taiwan, aNANA tih sayim – Japan
Third show and one of the most fun shows was Cynthia Rowley:
I was granted behind the scenes access and could witness the prep work of the glam team as well as get a first peek of the looks and runway production layout before the general audience. Hair was sponsored by Moroccanoil and Make-Up by Bobbi Brown. Produced by IMG Focus, models strutted up and down the U-shaped runway.
I loved the unexpected element they included in their show. They scattered models in the audience to storm the runway and shock their seat-mates. People were literally gasping with their mouths wide open.
“Airy dresses over t-shirts, feather-weight silks and cotton, a collage of spicy colors, faux fur
and suede created a season less mix of layers. While it was a mash-up of color, texture, and
print, every piece was designed with intention and is produced in limited quantities keeping
fashion’s impact on the environment in mind.” – Cynthia Rowley PR. The overall theme was very playful with a 70s flair. The models had fun, flirted with audience and photographers.
I will write about Essence Fashion House in a separate post. Until then, read, comment, and share. Would love to hear which shows you’ve attended this year!
XOXO,
Dynamically Branded
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