New York Fashion Week (NYFW), a biannual event where fashion designers and brands conduct runway shows to demonstrate their collections for the upcoming seasons, recently concluded on September 14th. When scrolling through social media this past month, you may have noticed an abnormal amount of fashion content. Or maybe you recognized that many of your favorite celebrities migrated to New York around the same time. If you didn’t note any of these situations, this article should enlighten you on the event.

New York fashion week is just one of many fashion weeks around the globe: Tokyo, Paris, and Milan are some of the largest ones out there. Every year there are two fashion weeks, one for spring/summer and one for fall/winter. Each of these events are usually comprised of a series of large runway shows, where top designers will display their looks for the respective seasons. Generally, the spring/summer fashion week occurs during the autumn before the upcoming spring/summer season, and likewise, the fall/winter collections are displayed during the spring before the next fall/winter season. This rotation allows designers to prepare the collections that they plan to sell to the public and give people an idea of what the inspiration behind their ready to wear clothing is.

The 2022 New York Fashion Week was huge, following exponentially smaller events as a result of Covid-19-induced lockdowns. Local, United States-based brands are generally the main participants of NYFW, but this year some international brands such as Marni and Fendi displayed their collections. Some of the most well-known brands that appeared at the event this year were Carolina Herrera, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, and Tory Burch. While the designers and brands run the catwalks at NYFW, streetwear gains almost equal attention during the week. Celebrities, influencers, and models demonstrate their individual style while walking from show to show in New York City. “I really like what Fried Rice did with their pieces,” Ritvik Vasudeva (11) comments, “I feel like they had a really nice blend of streetwear elements mixed with flashy colors, which I haven’t seen very often.”

The largest topic of discussion surrounding fashion has been sustainability and ethicality while making the clothing. How can an industry whose niche is the materialism which surrounds it create an environmentally conscious and ethically sound business model? The common consensus has remained that something must change in the industry-and soon. Inclusivity has also frequently been a struggle in the industry. Recently, however, designers have been working to create pieces that can be worn by all. “Over the past few years, these shows have become more inclusive in all areas such as gender, race, and body types, which I believe is healthy for one’s mental state.” Sarah Addo (11) observed.

New York Fashion Week is an event where art and practicality come together, and people in the fashion industry can display their work. This past Fashion Week was demonstrating designs for spring/summer of 2023, so now is the time to prepare your wardrobe for the season (if you think that far ahead). Next comes fall/winter NYFW in February of 2023!