A household name at New York Fashion Week, Alexander Wang, has shaken the industry following the recent announcement that his shows will no longer be presented during NYFW. The AW18 collection presented this week, which was summative of Wang’s style as artistic director – combining bulky and sleek, sportswear with tailoring, the soft with the hard –will be his last for NYFW.

Shocking, perhaps, but not so surprising in light of the wider changes that have been occurring within the industry in recent years. Wang’s move is one of an increasing number of designers in rejecting the traditional Fashion Week schedule. In contrast to the February/September shows, Wang is presenting closer to the current pre-collection schedule. He will instead show in June and December, notably reducing the time between presenting his collections and their availability to purchase.

"Technology and the rise of social media, however, have widened the direct audience of fashion week, and thus changed the role of shows."

Traditionally, Fashion Week has essentially been an opportunity for designers to present their collections to buyers, for buyers to make orders and for fashion insiders to forecast trends. NYFW was initially called “Press Week”, reflective of the founding ethos and purpose beneath the event which now garners much wider attention in itself. Wang’s “innovative approach” is being framed as something fundamentally consumer-lead and profit-driven. Technology and the rise of social media, however, have widened the direct audience of fashion week, and thus changed the role of shows. Shows are live-streamed and the key looks are plastered across social media platforms such as Instagram. High fashion is no longer a world of exclusivity, it would seem (until you read the price tag).

Dreams do come true #TIGHT

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Alexander Wang with Janet Jackson

Lisa Gersh, CEO of Alexander Wang told WWD in an interview that the move sought to “give customers more relevant and consistent merchandise throughout the year”. Such a trend is not isolated from the ‘See Now, Buy Now’ culture which has emerged in the industry in recent years. Big houses, most notably Burberry, have been making the switch from the traditional 6-month gap between presenting and selling their collection, to having the pieces available to buy the moment they hit the runway. Indeed, Tom Ford noted that “the current way of showing a collection […] before it is available to customers is an antiquated idea”.

Moves by those such as Wang, Hilfiger and Bailey at Burberry are attempts to address the problem that an outdated model of fashion month causes to their businesses in an age where social media has become an intrinsic part of the industry. The changes are certainly market-oriented: a more consumer-led approach, giving people the opportunity to ‘wear now’ in the face of “a certain apathy” created towards clothes which have been over-seen online, becoming dry and uninteresting by the time they hit stores. Far from causing the Council of Fashion Designers America (CFDA) a massive #Wangover, the CFDA have been supportive of the move and are proposing holding Summer/Winter shows to account for the bundle of brands who are challenging the conventional framework.

It seems a slight understatement to describe the fashion world as in flux; it may well have a revolution on its hands. Yet it remains to be seen the kind of industry this pivotal change will produce. High street stores still follow the traditional seasons, by necessity. While ‘See Now, Buy Now’ might serve the consumers who can afford Burberry, Wang and Hilfiger, will it truly serve the interests of the average consumer? This remains to be seen, but Wang’s move is certainly a land-mark in an industry which is known for being slow to change.


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In business, Wang has shown, when it comes to profit, big names can make a big difference in creating change in an old and tradition-oriented industry. We cannot forget, however, the criticism of him among other designers for the continued use of extremely under-weight models. Let’s hope that a revolution in one facet of fashion will result in throwing out other outdated tropes within the industry.