New York Fashion Week SS 2024: The Return of Icons

From his official residence, Gracie Mansion, Mayor Eric Adams of New York launched the week with a resounding declaration: "Fashion is New York, and New York is fashion!" This marked the beginning of the fashion week and its inaugural soirée. Surrounded by Anna Wintour and a select group of fashion insiders, Tom Browne, President of the Council of Fashion Designers Of America (CFDA), emphasized that fashion is an integral part of everyone's daily life. This season, a massive Times Square billboard, in partnership with Spotify, allowed everyone to access the official New York Fashion Week playlist, adding a rhythmic backdrop to the 71 shows that made up this bustling week. Steven Kolb, CEO of the CFDA, referred to it as "a show every hour," although the only downside was the particularly dense traffic in the city. Construction on every street corner, closed roads, and the completely congested Williamsburg Bridge added complexity to the schedule, exacerbated by the dispersion of presentations now organized throughout New York's neighborhoods: Harlem, Wall Street, the Whitney Museum, Roosevelt Island, and, of course, Brooklyn, which has become an essential location for fashion shows. To top it off, scorching heat, thunderstorms, and rain added to the excitement.

"This week proved New York's major role in the fashion sector," affirmed Fern Mallis, the creator of NYFW, author, and presenter of Fashion Icons interviews at the 92nd Street Y cultural center. "The audience has changed. Influencers and independent e-commerce sites have redefined the face of fashion week. It has become a massive event."

Runway shows, presentations, dinners, and product launches punctuated the days and nights of the fashion week. Among these events, the memorable Victoria's Secret soirée at the Manhattan Center celebrated Tour'23. This show marked the grand return of Victoria's Secret after its last runway in 2018, marred by various scandals. The pink room saw a gathering of celebrities, including movie stars, models, designers, and former Angels Naomi Campbell, Gigi Hadid, Candice Swanepoel, and Adriana Lima. On the red carpet, the new generation, including Lila Grace Moss, Lourdes Leon, and Iris Law, posed in lingerie. Bodies, high-waisted panties worn over stockings, corsets, balconette bras, and, of course, the season's standout trend, the transparent dress, were all prominently featured. Tour'23, which brought together 20 artists from diverse backgrounds, will air on September 26 on Amazon Prime.

Another celebration during fashion week was Tiffany & Co's exclusive unveiling of 25 new pieces from its latest Blue Look 2023 collection. In the spectacular Peter Marino-designed boutique on 5th Avenue, 200 carefully selected guests admired Givenchy's 15 haute couture and ready-to-wear looks styled by Carine Roitfeld, complementing the latest high jewelry creations inspired by the sea.

On the runway, the official program featured a plethora of young talents, emerging brands, industry heavyweights, and a notable absence of plus-size models, with a significant presence of models from different ethnic backgrounds. Gigi and Bella Hadid, and Kendall Jenner made way for supermodels Naomi, Cindy, Linda, and Christy, a nod to the upcoming Supermodels documentary scheduled to premiere on Apple TV on September 20.