New York Fashion Week officially opens this Friday, though one of the most anticipated events is a rally rather than a runway, with a Fashion For Our Future procession from Macy’s to Bryant Park to encourage participation in that sacred democratic right and rite – voting.

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Though the action already kicks off two days before hand with a flurry of international brands. Uniqlo will fete its new creative director Clare Waight Keller with a cocktail exclusive unveiling; Armani will present a collab’ with Kith; Sacai and Jacquemus have department store openings in Bergdorf Goodman and Nordstrom’s respectively  – one a Bill Cunningham retrospective, the other a new shop-in-shop. Though the most upmarket soirée will be a Villa Zegna concept dinner around the corner from the Guggenheim Museum.
 
Though the week’s two block-buster shows will be by American masters: Ralph Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger – Ralph staging two hours from the American fashion capital in the Hamptons and Tommy on a retired ferry.

Lauren’s latest location is certainly the poshest. It will see limousine stars and editors out to a secret location in the Hamptons on Thursday afternoon to see his fall-winter 2024/2025 collection, one year after his brilliant, faded elegance show that blended haute bohemian; New England barns and Rocky Mountain chic, staged inside a Brooklyn navy yard.
 
Hilfiger’s show on Sunday evening is on the MV John F. Kennedy, a former Staten Island ferry, retired in 2021, and known for its outdoor promenades and open-air deck space. It will be docked at Pier 17, underneath the Brooklyn Bridge on the East River.
 
In a tribute to the geographic dispersity of the New York season, shows will be thrown in Chelsea art galleries; Wall Street banks; underneath the Williamsburg Bridge; or in a Lower East Side cemetery. Though fashion is not exactly having a boom year, the American season remains a powerful magnate for international marques. Hence, the Paris-based house of Alaïa will stage a Friday evening show in Manhattan. While Cos of Sweden will show in New York, as will Holland’s Ronald Van Der Kemp, one of the earliest designers to emphasize sustainability in his collections.
 
“New York City is a global hub of design and innovation and a gateway to one of the world’s largest consumer markets. NYFW embodies this by blending ‘Innovation Meets Influence.’ This season, five international brands are showing, including Alaïa and Off-White, alongside American powerhouses like Tory Burch, Tommy Hilfiger, and Ralph Lauren. Many other designers are also contributing to the creative and business strength of NYFW,” enthuses Steven Kolb, CEO of American fashion’s governing body, the Council of Fashion Designers of America. All told, 98 brands are listed on the calendar.

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Kolb will join a regiment of fashionistas on Friday for the march, noting that: “The Fashion For Our Future event will unite over 1,000 people from the American fashion industry, including designers, models, retailers, factory workers, editors, influencers, and students, to raise awareness about the importance of voting in the upcoming election. With NYFW’s global reach generating billions of impressions, we see this as an opportunity to highlight our collective commitment to voting, positive change, and societal issues. It allows the American fashion industry and everyone worldwide to stand together, learn from each other, and support democracy and peace.”
 
Later that day, industry leaders will gather in Rockefeller Center for another fresh project designed by the CFDA, giving New Yorkers and visitors a front-row seat to American fashion’s creativity and innovation. The organization has partnered with Rockefeller Center to stream live, and recorded runway shows from September 6 to 11, making it the only central hub—physical or digital—where the public can view NYFW shows. Screenings will be free and open to the public at the iconic Rink.
 
In another innovative move, the CFDA has created a shuttle system between shows, which regularly happen in multiple boroughs on the same day. The FHCM in Paris and the Camera in Milan have long had shuttles or buses that ferry visiting professionals around their fashion capitals during the runway seasons, but this marks a very welcome first for CFDA.
 
“We are introducing a shuttle service for editors, buyers, and others with limited expense reimbursement to support the industry. This idea came from industry veterans and our NYFW advisory group. Our long-time partner, Shop with Google, recognized its importance and made it possible. The shuttle will operate daily, following the official schedule, by invitation and with some open seats available,” notes Kolb.
 
Plus, after several years with dozens of shows in outer boroughs, the lure of Manhattan is proving strong again, even if Tory Burch will host her show in the hottest new building of the city – The Refinery, the former Domino sugar factory in Brooklyn; while Cos is in the nearby Agger Fish Building and Off-White in the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
 
“NYC has many beautiful locations for fashion shows. While Brooklyn will always attract designers, Manhattan remains the most central borough. As the official organizer of NYFW, CFDA encourages producers and brands to consider this when planning their shows,” underlines Kolb.
 
Reflecting on New York’s remarkable ability to throw up fresh talent, the CFDA honcho was keen to highlight multiple new names showing in New York.
 
“September’s NYFW introduces the industry to many of the current CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund designers, a group reflecting the creativity and diversity of American design. These designers are shaping the future of American fashion.  Look out for Taylor Thompson, 5000, Connor McKnight, Grace Ling, Kate Barton, Dynasty and Soull Ogun of L’Enchanteur, Spencer Phipps of Phipps, Presley Oldham, Sebastien and Marianne Amisial of Sebastien Ami, Jane Wade, and Jackson Wiederhoeft of Wiederhoeft,” he stressed.
 
Additionally, the newest generation will be represented by the latest Supima Annual Design Competition, where eight students from major American design schools compete in a joint show in the Prince George Ballroom. Each showing five fabric types made of American supima, the cashmere of cotton.