A Look into the Past, Present, and Future of New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week is always a highly anticipated event. Whether it be designers who want to show off their looks for the spring season, press who are eager to be the first to harp on new trends appearing in the collections, or the public who wants to be in on the most unique and in-fashion outfits, a different story unfolds each year. And as we close the door to NYFW 2018, lets first travel 75 years back in time, to when New York Fashion Week was just blossoming.
The event began in the midsts of World War Two, created by a woman named Eleanor Lambert, a fashion publicist. She is the mind behind showcasing high fashion during one week each year, where press would come to New York and report on the never-before-seen looks. Before Lambert created a fashion week featuring American designers, U.S. designers were dependent upon Parisian couture for inspiration. That soon changed as Fashion Week grew and accentuated the talent and incredible minds of American designers. By the 70s and 80s, fashion shows were being held in unique spaces all around New York City, such as lofts, art galleries, nightclubs and restaurants. Fashion week was first called press week, but as the shows continued through the decades, the event grew into the title we are all familiar with today: New York Fashion Week.
Every year at NYFW, an unfamiliar name belonging to an up-and-coming designer trickles through the crowds as they make their debut in the fashion industry. One interesting story that unfolded this year was a collaboration between Hunting Season – founded by Danielle Corona – and Colombian female artisans to create a collection of handbags. Corona’s first New York Fashion Week presentation was held on September 6th, showcasing these intricate purses. The presentation was held at Café Altro Paradiso, located in West Soho, for a cocktail hour. This debut included Corona’s most anticipated piece, a purse small enough for the essentials, perhaps a wallet, car keys and a piece of gum, but not an iPhone. Vogue called the creation “a luxurious new accessory and a digital detox in one.” Mini bags and envelope clutches are very in this season, but something unique about Corona’s handbags is that the intricacy of their production opens the door for a new group of workers from Colombia. And finally, a great strength of this Hunting Season collection is that despite the undeniably chic aura they exude, they are affordable, allowing the product to appeal to a wider audience.
Despite the excitement surrounding the new talent that infiltrates NYFW every year, there are always well-renowned designers who come back and somehow top the incredible collection they left us last season. For example, Marc Jacobs is a name that always makes a statement on the runway, and this year he did not disappoint. Jacobs’ 2019 collection was full of floral sundresses and head-wraps, consisting of vibrant and energetic summer colors. Vogue described the collection as “surf culture with the easy glamour that’s come to define his brand.”
Overall, New York fashion week always excites with new trends that surprise and intrigue the public eye. From handbags to head scarfs, the 2018 NYFW highlighting looks for spring of 2019 in our near future did not disappoint.
