The Council of Fashion Designers of America will set a new precedent for American fashion when it inaugurates the first-ever New York Fashion Week: Men’s next week. The three days of shows, bookended by New York Men’s Day on Monday and the Project trade show on Friday, looks to change the perception editors and retailers have of New York fashion versus its oft-more-prestigious European counterparts.
New York Fashion Week: Men’s was more than two years in the planning. The official trigger was pulled on February 2 after the C.F.D.A. received the unanimous support of the industry, along with the necessary funding. “There were many moving parts,” says Steven Kolb, C.E.O. of the C.F.D.A. “The biggest challenge was finding dates that worked.”
A testament to the interest from both editors and retailers, more than 500 industry professionals are registered for the inaugural event, which will feature more than 40 shows and presentations, more than half of which will be held at the event's official home, Skylight Clarkson Square. The men’s shows will kick off with the already-established New York Men’s Day, spearheaded by Erin Hawker of Agentry PR. In terms of designer showings, Thom Browne will open the shows on July 14, and John Varvatos, who, in a significant gesture moved his show from Milan Fashion week to New York, will close on July 16.
Here's what to expect from the inaugural event:
1. Who's handling the event's production?
While founding partner Skylight Group is providing the venues, including Skylight Clarkson Square and Skylight Modern (Thom Browne will show there), it has no control over the day-to-day production. The C.F.D.A. hired Inca Productions—via an introduction from C.F.D.A. member Simon Spurr—for their first-ever project together. “This is definitely something new to us to not be involved with the transformation and to cede control to somebody else,” says Jennifer Blumin, founder and C.E.O. of Skylight Group. “Because it’s one event with many shows, we’re not as involved with the ‘many shows’ aspect. We never try to take creative control from our clients.”
Inca Productions and its vendor partners begin their build Thursday. It’s the firm’s first large-scale, multiday event in New York and its first time working within Skylight Clarkson Square and with the C.F.D.A. Key production partners include IMCD (full lighting install and lighting design); Clair-Obscur (Platform 2 lighting design); Kadan Productions (set build); GSS Security (security), Event Management Group (H.V.A.C.) and Fashion GPS (registration and invitation management).
2. What spaces are available at Skylight Clarkson Square?
Skylight Clarkson Square is the former terminus of the old High Line railroad, and its history will be celebrated through the design elements at the venue, which will have a “railroad theme.” The three venues will also keep to the theme, labeled Platform 1, Platform 2, and Platform 3.
Platform 1 is the largest venue at 9,000 square feet; it rents for $30,000, holds about 400 seated guests or as many as 100 standing, and features a straight 92-foot runway. Platform 2, at $20,000 for around 6,000 square feet, is the most flexible with four to five seat configurations accommodating anywhere from 110 to 260 guests and a 65-foot runway that also allows for larger presentations. Platform 3, a custom-built 40- by 20-foot blank canvas, is dedicated exclusively to emerging talent and is wholly underwritten by Dockers, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2016.
3. Will there be lounge space?
Approximately 60,000 square feet of space at Skylight Clarkson Square will be utilized, including backstage, where Axe products will be on hand as the official grooming partner of New York Fashion Week: Men’s. Also backstage, and serving refreshments and breakfast/lunch foods, is farm-to-table catering company Dig Inn.
There is no lounge in the traditional sense. Instead, there will be an 8,000-square-foot Terminal area with seating, 20 or so work stations, and refreshments. The venue will be fully Wi-Fi connected. “We kept it very clean and minimal, but warmed up the space with wood finishes, dark charcoal gray tones, and milk chocolate brown leathers,” says Jade Spalding, Inca managing director. “We tried to soften it a little; to add a little luxury and comfort to the mix.” As for the sponsors, “We’re integrating them so that it feels like they’re part of the space—and anything but trade-show-booth-like,” Spalding adds.
4. Are there off-site shows?
Overall, there are 28 shows at Skylight Clarkson Square and 13 off site by leading international designers and brands like Thom Browne, Calvin Klein Collection, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, and Michael Kors. “It’s a tight turnaround but a highly choreographed three days,” says Mark Beckham, the consulting project director for New York Fashion Week: Men’s, brought on by the C.F.D.A.’s Kolb.
Nearly 80 designers and brands applied for slots on the official schedule. That said, many brands are piggybacking off the dates and hosting their own presentations, product launches, dinners, and evening parties.
5. Will the schedule be as hectic as New York Fashion Week?
Because there is no precedent for New York Fashion Week: Men’s, there are no grandfathered show dates and times to have to deal with. Translation: there will be no overlap in show times. “We didn’t have the baggage of designers having previously selected time slots and days, so we were able to build this from scratch and work with off-site designers to schedule them and do it in a way to allow enough time between shows,” Beckham says.
6. Who are the official sponsors?
Amazon is the presenting sponsor for New York Fashion Week: Men’s and has brought its fashion sites—Amazon Fashion, East Dane, and MyHabit—into the mix. Other sponsors include Shinola, DreamWorks, Cadillac, and Loews Regency Hotel, the latter of which is providing gratis hotel rooms for the select 15 invited international editors. In total, every sponsor is an American company, and each provided “substantial six-figure deals.” “Everything we do is through an American lens,” notes Kolb.
7. How will sponsors be integrated?
Even with a number of key sponsors, there will be no overt signage for the brands other than that for New York Fashion Week: Men’s. “We wanted something more organic and that set the tone for the designers’ collections to shine—not the event itself,” says Beckham. “Our long-term goal is to have New York Fashion Week: Men’s become a cornerstone of menswear and take the global stage.” Adds Kolb, “Since it’s the first time we are doing this, we had a clean slate and our intentions are not influenced by other events but rather by creating an experience that supports the designers and their guests.”
Lead sponsor Amazon worked with American photographer Erik Madigan Heck on artistic collaborations with designers; the resulting images will be displayed in a gallery-like space. Sister site East Dane will house an information center and live stream shows for on-site attendees.
DreamWorks partnered with eight designers to have them reinterpret the studio’s most iconic characters to produce a line of limited edition T-shirts and hoodies that will be sold exclusively at Amazon.com. At Skylight Clarkson Square, there will be an installation showcasing the collection.
Shinola will have a display at Skylight Clarkson Square highlighting all of its product categories as well presenting its Spring 2016 men’s leather collections. Also on hand will be a custom Runwell bike in “Regatta Blue” to match the new leather collection.
Perhaps no brand’s presence will be felt more than that of sponsor Cadillac. The automaker, which recently relocated its global headquarters to a nearby SoHo office, is supporting New York Men’s Day, New York Fashion Week: Men’s, and the Project trade show with a fleet of 30 vehicles to chauffeur editors, retailers, and influencers. “It’s a nice cohesive entrée into the fashion conversation … to be part of all three in one fell swoop,” says Eneuri Acosta, Cadillac’s communications manager for lifestyle communications. “We want to be a credible co-conspirator.”
At New York Men’s Day, designer-wrapped vehicles will be on display outside Industria Superstudio while, at New York Fashion Week: Men’s, the next-generation luxury CT6 sedan will be positioned outside the entrance for a special street-style activation: attendees will be invited to “arrive” and “step in” and be photographed with or near the sedan as part of a connection between the outside and inside. In the Terminal area, 15 to 20 screens will be seamlessly melded together to create a 20-foot-wide rectangular video wall (with on-site printing) showcasing images taken in an art-installation-style presentation.
“Fashion is, and will continue to be, a key pillar for the brand,” says Nathan Tan, Cadillac’s associate director for brand partnerships and experiences. “We wanted to do something that was away from the norm of association partnership. We wanted something more immersive that really embraced the people that will be there. Our priority is not to make sure everyone sees the car; it’s to credibly interact with the audience.” Cadillac has also partnered with a select group of the week’s designers to style a photo shoot integrating the car in an artistic manner—such as reflection off the sheet metal and through the perspective of the windshield or mirror—that will be used in the automakers’ social media channels.
8. How will New York Fashion Week: Men's handle social media?
There will be no live-streaming of Skylight Clarkson Square shows and presentations to those not physically present at the space. There is also no dedicated social media platform for New York Fashion Week: Men’s, aside from the #NYFWM hashtag.
The C.F.D.A. has recruited a bevy of social-media-savvy “ambassadors” to attend the shows. They range from Dwayne Wade and Joe Jonas to Marcus Samuelsson and Andy Cohen.
9. Will New York Fashion Week: Men's be back?
New York Fashion Week: Men’s is already confirmed for a second round, to take place January 28 to 31, 2016.
The C.F.D.A.'s ambitious effort, at least for now, is a zero net gain in profitability for all involved parties. “It only serves to further our mission to promote and build the American menswear designers on a global landscape,” Beckham says.
