Why Mega-Brands like Tommy Hilfiger and Puma are back at New York Fashion Week

For the past several seasons, editors, buyers, designers and influencers have complained about how New York Fashion Week lacked the ambiance of the glory days at Bryant Park and Lincoln Center. The industry had changed. The old guard of editors had moved on, many top designers had moved to Los Angeles to focus on celebrities, and bloggers-turned-influencers now ruled the front rows.

Over time, many of the famous designers also left the New York show. Tommy Hilfiger took his show on the road to cities including London, Milan and Paris. Tom Ford even appeared in London for several seasons. International designers, who would occasionally mix things up and show in New York City, remained in their home countries.

Then came COVID-19, when the whole world stopped and stopped. Fashion shows were mostly limited to digital shows, plus some in-person events with limited audiences in attendance.

One of New York’s loudest and busiest fashion weeks is in store this year – running from September 9 to September 14, with a block of big-name banners taking up prime space on the calendar. Fendi, Marni and Puma are all showing at NYFW, along with famous designers including Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera and Michael Kors. The mega-labels are back.

“My heart immediately went to New York’s iconic creative culture when I thought about where to start our return to fashion week,” Tommy Hilfiger said in a statement. “This is where fashion, art, music and entertainment were all coming together when I first started in the industry. And today, it’s still this approach that inspires me to engage with cutting-edge communities creating new creative experiences. This season is all about colliding my favorite archival inspirations with new live event concepts and virtual worlds. It’s the perfect expression of what we stand for as we pay homage to our roots with a return to NYFW.”

The event “will connect people through spontaneous moments of creativity in an IRL showcase located at Brooklyn’s Skyline Drive-In and a parallel metaverse activation,” Hilfiger said in a company statement.

The reason Fendi chose to show in New York is in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Fendi baguette bag, which became widely known in America thanks to the iconic TV series. Sex and the City. Marni’s decision to show in New York is part of their new approach to embark on a multi-season journey that will see them travel to various Fashion Weeks around the world.

Puma also has its first NYFW fashion show since 2017, when it last collaborated with fashion icon, beauty mogul and musician Rihanna for the Fenty x Puma collection. H&M-owned brand COS is also showing at New York Fashion Week, having previously shown at London Fashion Week in September 2021.

“The return to NYFW is a pivotal moment for PUMA as a brand,” Adam Petrick, the brand’s chief executive, told the Daily Beast. “As we kick off our 75th anniversary celebration, this is our moment to showcase our commitment to our most authentic classic styles, from our iconic Suede trainer to our legendary Clyde basketball shoes to our signature suit immediately T-7. But we’re doing it in an incredibly elevated and exciting way—in keeping with our ‘Forever Faster’ brand mantra and the spirit of Fashion Week itself.”

It wasn’t that long ago that the closing day of New York Fashion Week would see shows from Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Now, Calvin Klein no longer has a runway collection and Ralph Lauren has chosen to show off-season, even deciding to show in Los Angeles this season. With a new slate of anchors to capture the attention of international press and industry insiders, this New York Fashion Week is shaping up to be one for the books. Many felt that this kind of reboot of New York Fashion Week was long overdue.

Anique Monae, a social media influencer, editor and guest at New York Fashion Week for more than a decade, said: “Prior to COVID-19, New York Fashion Week was a sinking ship, in best that is running away. It has been in dire need of a change and the pandemic has given it a reason to have its ‘big reset’.

Other fashion weeks, such as London, Milan, Paris, and even Tokyo and Berlin, weathered the global crisis almost with ease as they were able to think quickly on their feet. September 2021 and February 2022 at NYFW were less than desirable. The return of major labels and brands will help make NYFW strong again. These brands still attract attention and crowds. In the age of social media influencers from Instagram to TikTok, this gives everyone at NYFW the attention they deserve and so desperately need.”

Others felt that New York Fashion Week still needs to go a step further. Nolan Meader, a fashion designer, said: “It’s unfortunate that most of the main shows aren’t even high-end American designers. Fendi chose to show at the Hammerstein Ballroom. It’s like the Italian invasion.

“Where’s Ralph Lauren? Where is Oscar de la Renta? Carolina Herrera, Markarian and Tom Ford all understood the task. Markarian’s show at the Ukrainian Institute is so fitting because it benefits Ukraine and goes with the vibe of the brand. Tom Ford is trying something new and showing downtown. Fashion Week is back too, which is a plus.”

Alex Blynn, a freelance fashion producer and editorial director of Ladygunn, thinks New York Fashion Week is having its moment again, but expects its popularity to continue to ebb and flow. “New York Fashion Week is very cyclical, its popularity goes up and down,” he said. “At the moment, it is enjoying a post-pandemic renaissance. A lot of people were counting New York out and saying the city was done after lockdown, and it didn’t end up like that at all. Even fashion brands understand this. Just a few months ago, Alexander McQueen had a show here.”

He added, “We’re in a much more globalized society now, so an independent fashion week like New York isn’t as important as it used to be. There are so many global fashion weeks, so there is a lot of competition, but that affects the popularity of New York itself. However, you also see from year to year, that there is less consistency. If New York Fashion Week is popular one season, you’ll see a lot of mega-brands showing up, but then a year or two later, the brands will move to another city like London, Milan or Paris.

“The way the fashion industry works is much more global now. Brands are willing to go anywhere. There are fashion shows in the middle of the desert. If the traditional fashion calendar doesn’t work for them, they’ll just appear out of season.”