What to expect at New York Fashion Week this September

By Andrea Cheng2 September 2019

A shorter schedule, changed-up show times and unmissable moments from Chromat, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss and more. This is Vogue’s guide to New York Fashion Week SS20

Since Tom Ford took over from Diane von Furstenberg as chair of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) in June, he’s wasted no time in making his mark by overhauling New York Fashion Week (September 6 to September 11).

For spring/summer 2020, the CFDA presented a shorter, less-crowded calendar, running over just six days—a move embraced by the fashion industry after years of navigating bloated schedules.

Tom Ford at he 2019 CFDA Fashion Awards at Brooklyn Museum

New York Fashion Week, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss, Marc Jacobs, Tom Ford, suit, blazer, trending

“The goal wasn’t just to shorten the week, but to also create a more edited and efficient platform for discovery and business,” Steven Kolb, president and CEO of the CFDA, tells Vogue. “We look at this change as a natural progression of fashion week that is more economical and expeditious for attendees, especially those coming to New York from abroad.”

There’s the expectation that a curated calendar will cultivate the sense of urgency and excitement that many felt had been missing from New York—and it’s a shift that has sparked change at every level.

Here, Vogue rounds up what to expect from New York Fashion Week SS20:

Shaking up the schedule

Telfar autumn/winter 2019

New York Fashion Week, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss, Marc Jacobs, New Trends, Fall Outfits, telfar, outfits, fall collection

Tom Ford, the show that’s long-signalled the start of NYFW, has found a new home on the calendar: 8pm, September 9. Officially opening the week at 6pm on September 6 is a performance show by the winner of the 2017 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund, Telfar.

Meanwhile, Ralph Lauren, which would typically present on the last day, has moved its see-now-buy-now collection to the evening slot of 9pm, 7 September. Rest assured, there are still some constants—namely Marc Jacobs, which is sure to close NYFW on a high note at 6pm, September 11.

Fresh formats

Vaquera autumn/winter 2019

New York Fashion Week, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss, Marc Jacobs, New Trends, Fall Outfits, vaquera, white

Condensing the schedule has made it challenging for emerging brands to secure a spot on the calendar. It’s driven three brands in particular—Vaquera, CDLM/Creatures of The Wind, and Section 8—to present a joint show at 9pm, September 9.

Is this an indicator of a future NYFW trend? “The group show is less about a trend and more about a strategy,” says Kolb, acknowledging the cost-saving benefits of a shared presentation. “Designers should be free to try new ways of showing their collections. When the intersection of creative ideas comes about, then perhaps a group show makes sense.”

On the collaboration front, Zero + Maria Cornejo and Hyundai Motor strike a surprising yet meaningful partnership with the debut of Re:Style (8:30pm, September 6), a sustainable capsule collection made with upcycled materials produced by the car company.

This season also marks Georgina Chapman’s first solo Marchesa collection following the June departure of co-founder, Keren Craig, and will be shown on September 11 by appointment only.

Serena Williams attends the 2019 Met at Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York Fashion Week, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss, Marc Jacobs, New Trends, serena williams, yellow sneaker, nike

And after years of sitting front-row and collaborating with HSN, Serena Williams returns to NYFW with the runway debut of her S by Serena line at 3pm, September 10. She’ll also take part in a breakfast for NYFW: The Talks, IMG’s series of conversations with power players in the fashion industry.

Familiar faces

TommyNow spring/summer 2019

New York Fashion Week, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss, Marc Jacobs, zendaya, tommy hilfiger, autumn

After Tommy Hilfiger’s global success with its celebrity co-branded see-now-buy-now collections, it’s once again partnering with Euphoria actress Zendaya for NYFW SS20. TommyNow will take place at Harlem’s landmark Apollo Theater at 8:30pm, September 8.

Tokyo-based designer Tomo Koizumi is back after a spectacular debut last season: a stunning lineup of dreamy rainbow concoctions worn by a cast of top models and celebrities, photos of which flooded social media. Expectations are high for the second show, which takes place at 7pm, September 6.

Tomo Koizumi at New York Fashion Week

After skipping last season, the thought-provoking and socially conscious Kerby Jean-Raymond is back with his first Pyer Moss show since winning the 2018 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund (8pm, September 7).

Unmissable milestones

Becca McCharen-Tran of Chromat and Prabal Gurung are celebrating 10 years this season. As vocal champions of diversity, both have been at the forefront of inclusivity through their thoughtful casting choices, designs, and messaging.

For their anniversary shows (9pm, September 7 for Chromat and 7pm, September 8 for Prabal Gurung), expect a celebration of a decade in the business and everything that they stand for.

Chromat autumn/winter 2019

New York Fashion Week, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss, Marc Jacobs, New Trends, Fall Outfits, neon, neon outfits

Vera Wang also has cause for celebration: The designer makes her return to NYFW after a two-year absence to stage a 30th-anniversary show at 11am, September 10.

Elsewhere in New York City, Nordstrom is giving industry insiders a private tour of its women’s store ahead of its grand opening on 24 October. The seven-story, 320,000sqft flagship will be the largest single-project investment in the brand’s history.

Fashion joins the political conversation

Marc Jacobs autumn/winter 2019

New York Fashion Week, Prabal Gurung, Pyer Moss, Marc Jacobs, New Trends, Fall Outfits, new collection, neon collection

Earlier in August, New York Hudson Yards’ developer Stephen Ross became embroiled in controversy after hosting a re-election fundraiser for Donald Trump. The Shed and The Vessel, located in the development known as “the city within the city”, were tipped as possible venues for NYFW shows, but several brands have pulled out in protest.

Prabal Gurung withdrew from staging his anniversary show at The Vessel, tweeting: “I am not calling this out to be part of the cancel culture or start some tirade against people, but rather to question these individuals whose motivation seems to be nothing but money, and to also challenge our own integrity and choices that we make every day.” Meanwhile, Rag & Bone moved its NYFW show from The Shed.

Ahead of the 2020 US presidential elections in November, it’s difficult to avoid politicising fashion, but Kolb believes this season’s mood is about a unified fresh start. “The shorter [fashion] week had the buy-in of all industry leaders across design, operations, and business,” he says. “The CFDA took on this new format not as a singular authority, but on behalf of a united American fashion industry.”