by Noble Ezeala

It’s been two years in the making, but it is finally happening. New York Fashion Week will launch this summer as announced by the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA). It will be a standalone showcase for men’s fashion made in America and will be held from July 13th to July 16th at Skylight Clarkson Square in SoHo. These dates will include a combination of runway shows, presentations and special events just like at New York Fashion Week.

CEO of the CFDA, Steven Kolb said the main purpose of creating this separate fashion week is to give American menswear designers the same level of exposure and stature as the menswear designers in Europe gain from London Collections: Men. He says, “We’re not trying to be London, Milan or Paris. This will be New York and America. American men’s designers are equally as creative and deserve their own platform.” The necessity of this separate fashion week we borne out of long-running complaints by American menswear designers that their shows are overshadowed by their womenswear counterparts every year. The only problem with its date is that while the Fall/Winter 2016 shows to be held next spring would be unaffected, the Spring/Summer 2016 shows to be held with its inception in July would merely be for show as they occur after the buying cycle of most menswear retailers.

We cannot wait to see the launch of this monumental moment in fashion.

Noble Ezeala