Photo: NY Post
This season, fashionistas will have to sport their outfits with mandatory masks to attend New York Fashion Week, complying to COVID-19 mandates implemented for smaller catwalk shows.
Organizers are adapting to a “new normal” blended with in-person and virtual representations with the comeback of physical shows in September after virtual fashion weeks early in the pandemic.
The showrunner of New York Fashion Week: The Shows, IMG Fashion said that prominent designers such as Michael Kors, Carolina Herrera, and Christian Soriano will display their masterpieces live throughout the event from February 11 – 16.
Moreover, others including Badgley Mischka and Tadashi Shoji will offer digital releases, all seeking to capitalize on skyrocketing demands for luxury products as consumers splash out after the lockdowns.
IMG Fashion’s director of designer relations and development Noah Kozlowski said in an interview, “It’s the new normal. This season there will be indoor mask wearing that’ll be a requirement across all shows, proof of vaccination, that will be a must.”
“Those who are eligible to be boosted will be required to show proof of doing so. If not, they’ll have to provide a PCR test within 48 hours or an Antigen test within six hours.”
The guest list is composed of a smaller crowd with only around 200 audience members likely to come on average, just like last season.
Kozlowski said, “The biggest challenge will be for the decision makers of who gets to attend the shows since across the board there will be decreased capacities similar to what we saw last season.”
New York, which begins the seasonal catwalk calendar, is popular for prominent brands and newer streetwear labels.
Style director at Women’s Wear Daily Alex Badia said, “American fashion has never been as powerful as it (is) right now.”
London, Milan, and Paris, fellow fashion capitals, will organize busy in-person show schedules following New York.
