The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) has announced that
it is launching its own dedicated menswear fashion week, underlining the
growing importance of menswear fashion not just in American but globally.
The standalone showcase, New York Fashion Week: Men, will kick off with
the spring/summer 2016 shows, running from July 13-16 at Skylight Clarkson
Square in Manhattan, and will pave the way for a biannual event to rival
that of London Collections: Men, Pitti Uomo and Paris, where most menswear
designers currently showcase their new collections.
“American menswear has never been stronger or more creative. There are
many reasons the CFDA is launching New York Fashion Week: Men’s,” said
Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA. “It gives the designers a business platform
to show during their market dates and is an opportunity to demonstrate the
collective talent of an important segment of our industry.”
Kolb added: “The effort to create standalone men’s shows is not just
backed by CFDA and participating designers, but also by the American
editors and retailers who have contributed as we have built this, and they
will continue to be involved in our planning.”
CFDA launching dedicated menswear fashion week in New York
New York Fashion Week: Men’s will feature a combination of runway
shows, presentations and special events, and the CFDA has stated that
designers including Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein Collection, Michael Kors,
Rag & Bone, Public School, Billy Reid, Todd Snyder, Michael Bastian, Ovadia
& Sons, Robert Geller, Duckie Brown, Patrik Ervell, Timo Weiland and Kent
and Curwen have confirmed their participation at the inaugural event.
Amazon’s portfolio of fashion sites, which include Amazon Fashion, East
Dane, and MyHabit, will serve as ‘Presenting Sponsors’, with additional
support from Detroit-based leather goods company Shinola.
Commenting on their partnership, Cathy Beaudoin, president of Amazon
Fashion, said: “When the CFDA decided to create a dedicated men’s fashion
week in New York, we knew we wanted to help in a meaningful way.
“We are committed to our menswear business across Amazon Fashion, East
Dane, and MyHabit, and are proud to support an initiative that both
celebrates strong design and talent, and solves a very real challenge for
menswear designers today.”
New York Fashion Week: Men will take place from July 13-16 at Skylight
Clarkson Square.
Image: Public School SS15