Fashion Week Is So Over
Within the 21st century alone, the evolution of fashion has progressed at a pace faster than the speed of light. An obvious observation, right? But let’s really think about it. From the way we shop for clothing to how we choose to express ourselves through it, we have revolutionized what style is in ways our predecessors could never have predicted.
In spite of all that has changed, the one constant that has remained is fashion week.
New York Fashion Week has always proven to be the event of the year, a moment for designer debuts and supermodel comebacks alike. However, in recent years, media coverage has sparked debates on whether the anticipated moment is as exciting as it once was. It’s no secret that fashion is an ever-evolving world. With fast fashion companies and social media single-handedly creating new “aesthetics” to follow daily (don’t get me started on the code of ethics, this involves), the concept of designers dropping new collections during fashion week is just not as moving.
So I guess the question is… have the runways reached a dead end?
New York is one of the fashion capitals of the world. Aside from being home to the biggest corporate headquarters and design schools, it is also diverse, in turn, generating a plethora of creativity. While the concept of fashion week emerged in Paris, it became an American staple in the 60s and has since remained. Refer to my article “History of the Supermodel: The Catwalk.”
If you’re chronically on fashion TikTok, your For You Page might look a bit similar to mine in regard to the constant discourse. If not, I’ll provide a few links to videos on this very topic.
https://www.tiktok.com/@elysiaberman/video/7550322611293539614?_r=1&_t=ZP-8zn2JEvdX14
https://www.tiktok.com/@smactok4/video/7548461868688379167?_r=1&_t=ZP-8zn2K6tR5Ti
One of the main arguments surrounds influencers. Since the rise of the “content creator,” companies and brands have used this new-age career as a way to capitalize on them. A give-and-take type of situation. The fashion industry has been no exception.
This has its pros and cons because while it has positively opened up an array of inclusion, it comes down to who is being invited to these events. Many talented and passionate fashion-focused influencers like Wisdom Kaye and Olivia Joan (just to name a few) are who you’d imagine in the frontlines of the chaos we call fashion week. While we do have the pleasure of seeing well-deserving individuals in these spaces, we also see a substantial amount of social media content, distracting us from proper reporting.
Where are the editors? Believe it or not, journalism is still very much alive. Articles are not where most people get their news first anymore. With that being said, the overall influencer presence has diverted our attention from what everyone used to look forward to, which is the seasonal pieces on display.
Might I add, in theory, there’s nothing wrong with this. An opportunity is an opportunity, and if I were invited, I would be in the front row expeditiously. Who wouldn’t?! What we’re missing is the coverage, the witty yet sophisticated reviews, and high-quality photography. There’s room for everyone, and I’ll always stand by that, but the industry has to find a happy medium. A way to include relatable content without sacrificing the professionalism that the shows used to possess.
It has been apparent that fewer and fewer fashion houses are participating in NYFW for the last few years. The cost of runway shows has reached an all-time high, which has caused brands to shift their marketing strategies, instead utilizing social media or redirecting to more intimate events like pop-ups.
American brands like Thom Browne have announced that they will be debuting their collection in Paris in the coming days, as opposed to remaining in the US. According to Vogue, Paris Fashion Week, Ready-to-Wear Spring 2026 will host “a total of 76 shows and 36 presentations,” compared to Spring 2025 (held in 2024), which hosted 66 shows and 40 presentations. Only a fewer presentations, but ten extra shows, quite the jump, and this might only be the beginning.
Fashion is political, and it makes me wonder if fashion houses opting to debut their newest work in Paris or even Milan is their way of disconnecting from current events. If you think about it, New York Fashion Week became what it was in the 60s, a time of political, racial, and environmental movements. Now, during a time when we’re seeing a movement towards erasure, whether that’s the revoking of reproductive rights, black history, health care, or the ICE raids, fashion designers are choosing to dissociate themselves from the country in its entirety. Coincidence? That’s for you to decide.
Some of you may be saying, “It’s not that deep.” You can choose to believe that. But if I haven’t made it clear in all of my previous articles, everything, even fashion, is interconnected in the grand scheme of things.
Do I hope to attend fashion week someday? Absolutely. My point of this piece was to create discourse surrounding the event and what could be changed. From a general standpoint, yes, fashion week isn’t what it used to be. As we continue to progress (fingers crossed for the better), so does fashion. Learning to navigate social media in the world of art is something we’ll have to deal with, and if we can find a way to incorporate the old with the new, we can build an even better industry.
Sources
Guilbault, Laure. “Paris Fashion Week Unveils Busy Schedule Ahead of High-Stakes Season.” Vogue, Vogue, 24 July 2025, www.vogue.com/article/paris-fashion-week-unveils-busy-schedule-ahead-of-high-stakes-season.
