Although fashion week officially began a year ago, a few designers were absent owing to Covid’s aftereffects. Either due to quarantine regulations in their home countries or because they were not psychically prepared for The Return. The bulk of limitations have been lifted, and a full in-person season will resume on September 9. With a four-week calendar that is just as jam-packed with IRL shows as it was before the virus. As a consequence, fashion month is not only back, but it is back again.
The streets of New York, London, Milan, and Paris will be crowded with members of the traveling fashion circus in their black cars. Recommendations for how we should dress next — in this world and maybe in the virtual one — will flood in.
The musical cities game has been restarted
The fashion sector is suffering the consequences of this summer’s pent-up travel trends, which have raised airport wait times and pushed up costs. A lot of enterprises are now making the rounds, whether out of boredom, a desire for adventure, or a genuine interest in visiting their clients. Fendi kicks off New York Fashion Week with an “ode to the Baguette,” a whole show and collection honoring the 25th anniversary of an original It bag. Fendi will also host a spring presentation in Milan. Since if one show is fantastic, two are… well, what are you going to do? More material space!
The next day, Marni brings its trademark creative pandemonium to Manhattan. Marni will be replaced in Milan by British knitwear designer Matty Bovan, who will be sponsored by Dolce & Gabbana. David and Victoria Beckham are leaving London for the first time since February 2020 to perform in Paris. Raf Simons is moving his gender-bending runway show from Paris to London due to more space and a change in customer interest. But, while we’re on the subject of the City of Light…
The invaders from Japan have returned
Rei Kawakubo, Junya Watanabe, and Kei Ninomiya of Comme des Garçons have returned to Paris after being confined for two years. Dries Van Noten has presented all of his performances either online or as a presentation since the epidemic started. Thom Browne, like his colleague Andrew Bolton, curator in charge of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute. It has been presenting in New York for the past year to demonstrate support for Bolton’s two-part American fashion spectacular. Because all five of these designers are among the greatest conceptualists in the fashion world, expect some spectacular explosions.
Burberry’s return to the main calendar in London after displaying off-piste shows for the previous three seasons will bring financial and celebrity weight to the week. For the first time in three years, Tommy Hilfiger is bringing his see now, buy now circus to New York. He’s bringing a simultaneous metaverse exhibition with him.
After the official spectacle has concluded, Ralph Lauren and Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen will both unveil their collections in California and London. Oscar de la Renta, selling directly to clients rather than creating a catwalk exhibition has been the standard.
As a consequence, new enterprises, particularly in New York, will have greater opportunities. Raul Lopez of Luar, Elena Velez of Luar, Edvin Thompson of Theophilio, and Everard Best and Téla D’Amore of Who Decides War are among the designers to watch.
There will be several highly anticipated debuts
Milan, in particular, has three such institutions. Maximilian Davis, a 27-year-old British designer who started his eponymous collection in 2020, has been elected CEO of Ferragamo. With the task of revitalizing the historic but stodgy Italian business. Rhuigi Villasenor, a somewhat older designer, will debut his first collection for the Swiss firm Bally. As an extra bonus, fashion colorist Marco de Vincenzo will be the company’s first non-family member to design an Etro collection since its inception in 1968.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and politics are two contemporary phenomena
Most fashion firms are more interested in the metaverse, bitcoin. The possibility for NFTs to function as passwords and community signifiers than in collections.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is kicking off the season with a cocktail reception at Gracie Mansion to highlight his continuous support for the fashion sector.
In addition to him, several major politicians will be there. The Milan fashion week coincided with Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, providing a stark contrast between the gravity of the situation and the superficiality of the attire. Roe v. Wade and women’s authority over their bodies will be prominent this season. As this will show promises of sustainability and carbon neutrality, as well as the forthcoming US midterm elections.
After all, women’s clothing (since, despite the existence of dual-gender shows, it is still the women’s season) is designed to be a mirror of women’s lives and desires, as well as armor for everyday life. Orly Color Labs collaborated with a women’s rights attorney to produce You Don’t Control Me, a blazing red nail polish. Furthermore, “1973” merchandise is flying off the shelves. The runway is just another battlefield. Prepare accordingly.