August, 24th, 2013

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK | SPRING 2014 | THE HYSTERIA IS UPON US

Mercedes-Benz New York Fashion Week, which will be held September 5 – 12 at the iconic Lincoln Center in Mid town Manhattan, is a mere two weeks away. The industry’s most influential edi tors, stylist, buyers, pho tographers, bloggers, and icons will gather to kick off a series of international Spring/Summer 2014 shows.

For those of you unable to envision the chaos, I will highlight several predictable events will occur at this year’s NYFW: personal style bloggers will swarm outside shows, hundreds of pho tographers will be snapping celebrities in carefully crafted looks, shows will be live-streamed on Twitter or MBFashionWeek.com, and there will be dozens of men and women dressed in opulent ensembles.

Welcome, to today’s New York Fashion Week.

Many have blamed these phenomenons on the rise and influence social media but some are pleased with the fact that social media has molded the fashion industry in to one that is “democratic” and “accessible”. Yet New Yorkers on both sides are asking themselves, “What’s next”?

For starters legendary designer and CFDA chairwoman Diane von Furstenberg has teamed up with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg to build the Culture Shed, which is expected to be completed in the next four years.

The Culture Shed is being designed by Diller Scofidio + Renfro and the Rockwell Group and it will be located on West 30th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues. Renderings revealed an airy, soaring structure made of steel and glass, comprising 198,000 square feet of space and five floors. As Culture Shed exp ands and contracts, it will work in many configurations, welcoming multiple events simultaneously and serving diverse artists and audiences from across New York City and beyond.

Hudson Yards is pushing hard to be the next home for fashion week with The New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, Diane von Furstenberg and the Council of Fashion Designers of America as its support.

A (permanent) change in venue could be the breath of fresh air the industry needs. On the other h and, there could very well be the return of fashion week exclusivity—meaning adieu to personal style bloggers and reality stars. Ahhh, je croise les doigts!

Seeing as that fashion is just as ever changing as the streets of New York City, we are all sure to see some brilliant innovations and changes.

SHAYLA HAYWARD-LUNDY, New York