First Stop – New York

Back in the 1990’s New York was the last stop on the international show circuit but after accusations that American designers copied their European contemporaries and requests from big brands such as Calvin Klein and Helmut Lang, New York Fashion Week was re-scheduled to the start.

New York Fashion Week has since evolved into a jam-packed nine-day event with over 300 shows. Around eighty of which show as part of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, held in Lincoln Center; about 40 are part of Made Fashion Week at Milk Studios, Chelsea and the rest are held in off-site locations around the city. Known as the financial power player of the four New York Fashion Week generates an estimated $532 million in direct visitor spending annually, according to New York City Economic Development Corporation.

 

This season, Spring/Summer 2014, key trends on show include graphic black & white prints at Diane von Furstenberg, structured separates at Victoria Beckham, and a minimal, masculine look with additional 90’s references at Alexander Wang. Showing for the first time Opening Ceremony, a collaborative label by Humberto Leon and Carol Lim, pulled in an A-list front row and presented oversize neoprene T-shirt tops with op art prints along with wide-leg pants and cargo-shorts. Spring/Summer 2014 is indeed, shaping up to be the season to mix and match those separates – and show-off a perfectly toned torso while you are at it!

More coverage from the shows coming soon…