The enormous importance of Fashion Week in NY, to the economy, has emerged, the cultural credit is cemented by the semi-annual event of the sector. Spring 2023 was no exception and was marked by a full return to live presentations, diversity, political endorsements, celebration of city landmarks and the fate of tropical climates, countless parties and last but not least less important, the promise of exciting merchandising found in the retail trade.

At the kickoff party, Mayor Eric Adams drew $ 600 million from cheap fashion week by promising to host the kickoff party every year, one of the ways Hizzoner understands the creative contributions of fashion. Governor Hochul, attending the Coach show  , pledged $ 10 million for a new Fashion Innovation Center, affirming his commitment to job creation in the industry.

The week was also a barometer of how well the industry is doing with regards to diversity. Anna Wintour told FashionNetwork.com  at the Gracie Mansion party that while more is always needed, the room was much more iconic than ever before. Designer Victor Glemaud stressed the need for more support for color designers at all levels: retail, wholesale, finance and marketing.
“It can’t be seasonal,” he stressed .

Europeans came to New York on and off the runway with the press and shoppers returning in strength for the first time since the pandemic. As their first big show in New York,  Marni staged their runway as a fascinating stroll along the Dumbo waterfront. The real buzz was the night before at  Fendi .

The Italian luxury brand announced a show in New York in late summer and the rumors involving  Marc Jacobs  turned out to be true. The designer has teamed up with Kim Jones – designer collaborations are becoming his “thing” – to celebrate Baguette’s 25th year for a show that merged their various aesthetics to promote the reissue. The show featured many supermodels from the 1990s, including Linda Evangelista, who appeared wrapped in a huge bright blue robe in the manner of the late  André  Leon Talley. The stars of the show also included  Kate Moss ,  Christy Turlington , Amber Valletta, and  Sarah Jessica Parker .(Elsewhere in the week, Lil ‘Nas X and  Madonna reportedly caused a  stir in Coach and  Tom Ford respectively .  Cara Delevingne’s failure to show up at the launch of her dresses caused another kind of brouhaha.)

While locals have largely avoided the digital formats popularized during the pandemic, some have delved into the metaverse. Tommy Hilfiger  simultaneously streamed a digital show on Roblox with his live show. The case for a digital viewing was particularly poignant considering the Andy Warhol Factory-inspired set was outdoors on a rainy Sunday night on the Greenpoint, Brooklyn waterfront. Rebecca Minkoff  merged the two worlds with the NFT prints spread over the white IRL garments on display.

Museums were also in fashion. The  Cooper Hewitt , the Frick Collection and the Brooklyn Museum have hosted LoveShackFancy, Area and Ulla Johnson respectively. LaQuan Smith  exhibited at the Intrepid Museum while Peter Do traveled to New York Harbor to a rough office space on the 59th floor of downtown 28  Liberty  Street. Willy Chavarria chose Marble Collegiate  Church , known for its welcoming LGBTQI + policies.Batsheva took over Ben’s Kosher Deli in the clothing center for his collection, and Flipper’s hosted at least three fashion shows and events, while a fourth show featured roller skaters, who came close to the latest New York fashion. Givenchy ‘s rooftop extravaganza shone a literal light on a “4G” emblem on a rotunda atop the building for the party celebrating the Soho store opening.

“It’s a New York selling point that isn’t a cookie cutter, a show-stopping white city,” said Steven Kolb, while acknowledging the benefit of plug-and-play ready-made show spaces like Spring Studios for young brands. However, with their generic rooms, the heavily commercialized Spring Studios proved less desirable as designers sought out unique locations. (As well as treating the press, publicists, and accredited shoppers, as consumer fans crashing into the gates that throng there have left many with a bad taste for the facility.)

Consumer events have been plentiful, such as  Vogue  World debuting its fun and loud fall runway extravaganza, broadcast live on  Instagram . Presumably, the franchise will move seasonally to other cities.So he staged their first show at NYFW, a “see now, buy now” deal at the top of 601 West 26th Street with no consumers in sight but plenty of layered wool and mohair designs from head to toe on a hot day. 81 degrees. were the kind of modeling working conditions Sarah Ziff of the Model Alliance talked about at the rally she organized to help pass legislation on the Fashion Worker’s Act. The tropical temperatures in September caught many non-New Yorkers in town by surprise. for shows.

Fortunately, the scorching temperatures and excitement have inspired many great warm-weather dresses to hit retail in the spring. Jodi Kahn, Neiman Marcus Vice President of Luxury Fashion  , said, “The energy during NYFW was electric,” continuing, “Khaite was definitely an extraordinary sight: an edgy yet sophisticated collection. We were particularly inspired by the energetic musical setting of  Gabriela Hearst . It was a joyful backdrop for her bold and fresh and striking gold pieces. “

The retailer was particularly enthusiastic about yellows, metallic purples, and handcrafted details. “We continue to bring new and emerging designers to Neiman Marcus and were thrilled to see Interior’s first show and Peter Do’s latest collection,” he added.

Roopal Patel , SVP, fashion director of  Saks , sensed a similar atmosphere. “The energy in New York this season has been electric, kicking off fashion month in full force,” she said, calling out the collections of Khaite,  Carolina Herrera , LaQuan Smith,  Jason Wu ,  Proenza Schouler , Brandon Maxwell, Ulla Johnson, Gabriela Hearst, and  Tory Burch  as protagonists.

“The Saks customer will be delighted with the trends we’ve seen for Spring 2023, such as sheer fabrics, sheen and sparkle, day-to-night bustiers, space-age gold and silver, and bold, vibrant pop colors in shades of pink. neon, orange, green and purple, “he added.

New Yorkers, known for their fondness for black, will need to add some color to their wardrobe this spring.