NYFW Was Different This Year

I recently attended New York Fashion Week for the first time, and after thinking about all the events during the week, I have a lot of takeaways. Going into NYFW, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew that there would be a lot of creators and artists attending. From what I’ve heard, five years ago NYFW was not exactly something that this many creators would attend, but it felt like this year was the year when influencers and digital creators were heavily involved in every aspect.

See Now, Buy Now

One of the first things I noticed when I was there was the number of brands that have transitioned their strategy from showing their new line and it not being available until the new season to a “See Now, Buy Now” strategy where garments are immediately available DTC after the show. I think this has a lot to do with social media and affiliate platforms, TikTok, Instagram, and LTK, to name a few, where a person can see a creator wearing something and instantly buy it. Before the runway show even ends, looks are all over Instagram and TikTok. Brands like H&M, Kendra Scott, and COS took advantage of that consumer behavior, with See Now, Buy Now becoming a core part of their business strategy.

In the future, I’d expect live shopping to play an even bigger role at NYFW. Imagine watching a show on a brand’s social media account, and while the model is walking down the runway, you’re able to shop and buy that exact look. This has been popular in China for a while now. MeiONE sells clothing on WeChat that viewers can instantly buy when it appears on the runway.

Creators & NYFW

It’s not a new concept to invite creators to fashion shows, but I thought that compared to previous years, the number of creators attending events increased significantly. We’ve seen this trend play out early with Coachella, where creators are becoming more and more involved (this trend was also noticeable at Cannes). Whether it’s creators launching their own lines like Kai Cenat’s VIVET, walking in shows (Marlon), or being the focal brand ambassadors like Quenlin Blackwell x Tommy Hilfiger, creators were front and center.

Marlon walks down the runway at the VIVET show.

It’s hard to ignore the waves that VIVET has been creating since NYFW. There was a lot of buzz surrounding the show at Cipriani in New York City. Given all of the social clips I’ve seen online, it exceeded expectations. Huge congrats to the team, and if you haven’t seen it, watch the debut fashion show here.

What Happens To NYFW?

The last thing that I continued to hear in all my conversations with other people in the industry was that NYFW has slowly become less important compared to the international shows like Paris or Milan. Which could be an opportunity for creators to take advantage of high-end luxury brands no longer showcasing in New York.

The Big Takeaway

NYFW is changing. As more luxury brands look toward international shows, I think there’s an opportunity for NYFW to become even more creator focused and digitally native. Creators are no longer just attending fashion week, they’re launching brands, walking in shows, becoming brand ambassadors, and helping turn attention into sales.

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GTA VI officially kicked off its marketing in a big way. Normally I don’t yap too much about video games anymore, but it’s hard to ignore the impact that this game will have on the entire entertainment industry. I personally think this will be the biggest piece of media ever sold, and I hope to keep you up to date with how it evolves prior, during, and after its launch. All eyes on Miami.