Lost in the Sauce: NYFW isn’t dead… Yet
The NYFW Spring/Summer 2018 shows are over and I’m snug in my bed in LA. After a few rants to friends, I’ve decided to give a little opinion piece.
Disclaimer: I don’t want to be a “pc blogger.” I want to give you 100% of my real thoughts, so here it goes. My When. Where. Why. How questions on why NYFW is lost in the sauce.
When.
When did magazine editors start liking everything? This whole week I wondered if any editors were going to critic collections. I saw nothing. The few disagreeing post I saw only showed up when a brand’s integrity was questioned and a culture was being exploited. It was almost as if they were worried about politics rather than clothes.
Opinions rarely are showcased in the fashion world amongst todays social media editors. You like everything. You dislike nothing. When readers turn away, instead of going back to the drawing boards and becoming innovative, magazines go completely digital. You can tell me that “we are in a completely digital age” but this excuse doesn’t hold up when artist such as Frank Ocean can sell out zines in the matter of minutes. What are you doing to push the magazine narrative? Why should your readers stay?
Where.
Where is the fashion week spirit? I’ve been going fashion week since I was 16. At 23, I remember past NYFW being defined by the hustle and bustle of jumping from train to train, taxi to taxi, the intense research for shows and hoping maybe just maybethey need seat fillers. That was when there wasn’t enough time to get to a show let alone have a outfit change. Now everything is about advertising. Quick question: How is it that all the shows are separate in location but major shows have enough time allotted to get “every important influencer” in their front row seat with matching branded looks? How come we can check each Instagram from blogger to magazine and everyone is at the same show? Are Ubers really that fast in the city or is this a advertising thing?
Why.
Bloggers. I have a love hate relationship with bloggers. Maybe it is because I have to categorize myself as one. Maybe because I feel like blogging has taken the fashion world into depths of saturation that we can’t dig ourselves out of. Here’s a question for discussion: Why do bloggers have teams? Why do bloggers have interns? I understand blogging has become a multi-million dollar business and everyone needs a little help sometimes. But when does your voice as a blogger become you, your intern, your photographer, your assistant, and etc? It’s like going to see a rap concert and there are 10 people on stage hyping the main guy up. If you look at Instagram it’s blogging is all about the “Boyfriends, Money, Clothes, Boyfriend, Money, Clothes” * Jay-z Voice* You’re being sold a package. At first bloggers only had photographers, but now there are entourages and sometimes even stylist. We want to see your personality. We want to see you for you. At this point I honestly feel like agencies could just find an attractive girl or guy, give them a team and wah-lah a new influencer. They do that for Youtuber’s. If J.Cole can go platinum with no features, I’m pretty sure you can tackle fashion week with a photographer and a calendar.
Skipping models because I’m skipping models.
Designers. I don’t have much to say about you. Putting celebrities or Instagram models in your show will not make the clothes look better. Yes you will get more clicks and make money off of advertising but then what? In the long run, designers are spending more money making the show look good online than worrying about garment design, sorting fabric and having a product that people want to buy. If thats the case, just throw afterparties with presentations. Save some money.
OPINION.
Who the fuck came up with corporate street style? Paid looks? No one knows what I’m talking about? I had this thought 2 seasons ago that magazine editors give photographers a list of looks and brands to purposely shoot. I had a photographer tell me “Streetstyle Photographers are photographing looks that show personality. Looks with layers. Looks following the trends.” Bull shit. I seen New York construction workers and Nanny’s in Soho with more personality than most of the people on the “Best Dressed List.” Goodbye are the days where Bill Cunningham, R.I.P., showed us what street style really was. Humans of New York & New York Nico are the closest thing to Bill Cunningham that we got. They show you real life. Style. Originality.
Honestly I’d rather have seen Cardi B in FashionNova than ½ of the current influencers showcased as “street style looks” you find on Vogue.
How.
I don’t know how to fix NYFW but I know that LA isn’t it guys. Sorry to kill some dreams. Fast fashion has created the narrative and instead of us progressing we have become the lesser of the fashion weeks. We aren’t creating trends, we are following them. To those of us paying attention to the decline ,I don’t know what we are all looking for but we want something new.
I said this before and I will say this again. NYFW has turned into Clout Fest. It’s the fashion worlds version of Coachella. For $1799 a day you can get a “first row ticket” to be apart of the in-crowd. It’s Accessible. You pay to show. You pay to sit. There needs to be a new theme, a new objective.
As Jim Carrey said,”It’s meaningless.”
We have to find the meaning again. I know my opinion is just one of many but Hey thats ok. NYFW needs to get back to its New York State of Mind. Bring back Fashion Night Out. Ignore the need to be popular. Create an opportunity to showcase the home grown talent as well as talent from overseas. Stop outsourcing everything. Stop advertising nothing but after parties. Get back to the clothes.
-Asha Moné
