Why NYFW & Met Gala Are Needed Now – Journal of Resources

More than a year after COVID-19 brought New York to its knees; and a year after the riots and social upheaval in 2020; and just days after Ida’s flash floods crippled the city; and on the 20th anniversary of 9/11, New York Fashion Week and Met Gala serves as a glittering display of the resilience not only of the American garment industry but of New York City itself.

vaccine mandate and capacity restrictions serve as weapons of hope against a relentless pandemic. But finally, after a year and a half of mostly virtual shows, New York Fashion Week (NYFW) is back with a face-to-face event. And like the cherry blossoms above, the Met Gala returns the day after the show ends. The show, which was canceled last year, returns with megastar, TikTok influencers, fashion candy everywhere and even — yes — marching bands. During a hectic week, it’s as if every dress, jacket, fleece and crystal is a stark call to retailers and consumers everywhere, reminding and inviting them to re-embrace the city, the designers, and the purpose of life post-COVID. .

“It’s exciting,” said R. Scott French of VERY New York, co-founder of the events and public relations company, in an interview for Lifestyle Monitor™. He weighed in after the NYFW Albright College runway show. “I think the downtime sort of re-energizes the whole system, if you will. People are happy to be back. They are very grateful and it is very nice to see the courtesy, on the one hand, return.”

Mai Vu, co-founder of VERY New York, agrees, saying the pandemic gives the industry a chance to reassess priorities.

“I think it gave us time to see what really matters, and now we’re proving it and showing that time isn’t wasted,” he said in an interview with Monitor™. “I think there’s a lot of fresh new looks and new ways of doing things. And I’m excited to see how our industry as a whole is developing.”

It’s not just a growing industry. Consumers are spending the pandemic learning all about buying online/street pick-up, or having everything but a kitchen sink – or maybe even a kitchen sink – delivered to their homes. But now, they’re looking forward to getting out and doing more over the next few months, things like going out to dinner (43 percent), dressing up (41 percent), and shopping at the mall (39 percent) according to Cotton’s Coronavirus Incorporated Consumer Response Survey. , (Wave 7, August 6, 2021).

Fashion Week seems poised to inspire consumers and acknowledge all that has happened since 2020 began. It also wants to celebrate the city itself—just see LaQuan Smith’s runway space — as well as racial diversity and size/gender/identity inclusivity. Designer Ricardo Seco titled his collection Reborn, said it was inspired by the human resilience, diversity and hope that can be found in NYC. It is also meant to be a reflection of the past year, as well as a dream for the future. Street clothing brand CHAANCE showcased various BIPOC models for the film which became his virtual fashion show. And a genderless brand Fried rice debuted during New York Men’s Day with a collection based on the convergent cultures of the city’s Lower East Side.

Contrary to tradition, NYFW included a series of panel discussions called The Talks. Topics include “Representation and Identity in Fashion Image,” and “My American Dream: Understanding the World of Fashion Through the Immigrant Experience.”

NS Black in Fashion Board set up a showroom where over four days, 16 black designers, including Third Crown, Chelsea Paris and Michel Men, were in the spotlight for their work.

And in an effort to satisfy shoppers who can’t wait to buy Spring/Summer ’22 pieces, several designers — including LaQuan Smith, Sergio Hudson and Altuzarra — offered see now/buy now options for certain items in their collection.

VERY New York handles a number of designer events during Fashion Week, including Tasou, Byron Lars, Kevan Hall, and Albright College. French says live streaming of his brand and other industries is inspiring retailers to return to the show.

“Retailers realize it can still be done,” he said in an interview for Monitor™. “We have a lot of retail interest in almost every show we do. It’s great to see fashion representatives from major stores in the audience.”

This increased interest reflects the views of 66 percent of consumers who said they spent more (39 percent) or the same amount (26 percent) on clothing since the start of the pandemic, according to the Coronavirus Response Survey (Wave 7). Going forward, the number who expect to spend more on clothes than they currently spend increased to 44 percent, while 33 percent expect to spend about the same as today.

When thinking about the next outfit they plan to buy, nearly 4 in 10 (38 percent) say they want to buy it simply because they want something new, according to the Coronavirus Response Survey (Wave 7). Followed by the need to replace outdated items (31 percent), want a new style (30 percent), want something more comfortable (29 percent), change the season/weather (27 percent), need a new size (26 percent), buy when available sales or promotions (23 percent), needing something for a new activity such as going back to work or exercising (23 percent), needing something for a certain event/event (22 percent), and wanting to try a new brand (22 percent).

Fashion buffs can get ideas for future outfits by watching one of NYFW’s many publicly available shows via live stream. Such virtual shows are the hallmark of a pandemic shutdown. At the Albright College runway show, Joshua Polk batch 2017, said he appreciated how the industry brought together creative virtual shows that were able to garner global views during the shutdown.

“It’s great to see this industry bring fashion to the public, so anyone who couldn’t attend Fashion Week can see it,” said Polk, swimwear designer for InMocean Group, in an interview for Monitor™. “But I’m so grateful it’s back because I was able to do something like this show.”

Amanda Boandl, also of Albright’s 2017 class, says performing at NYFW is the opportunity of a lifetime—even with the specter of COVID hanging in the air.

“I really want to be careful but I also want to live in the moment and appreciate all of it,” he said before the show. “I’m so excited to see my designs take to the grandest stage they’ve ever been on. And the fact that it’s alive only increases the excitement. ”