The CFDA Rolls Out The Revamped Fashion Calendar

by Dena Silver

With just under a month before New York Fashion Week takes the city by storm, the Council of Fashion Designers of America has unveiled their revamped version of the Fashion Calendar. The tool, which was started by Ruth Finley 65 years ago, was acquired by the CFDA in October. Since then, they’ve taken on a full management role of scheduling fashion week, in addition to tapping creative agency Sideways to revamp the site. Yesterday, a group of editors were guided through the calendar’s new features, with CFDA president Steven Kolb leading the charge.

The main takeaway was that the Fashion Calendar been given a total digital makeover, replete with interactive features and a functional calendar interface. The Calendar’s current roster of 650 subscribers will be greeted with the new look, and yes, you must be a subscriber to access the site. A one-year subscription will cost $550, but allows multiple log-ins under one username plus four complimentary event listings. A seven day-long subscription will be available for certain market weeks, running $150; a single event listing will cost $325.

Editors (and assistants) will be happy to learn that the cal allows for exporting events directly to Google and Outlook calendars. As each listing will feature event location, organizer details, RSVP info, and a Google Map feature, this could make transportation between events a bit easier. The site also includes filters, ranging from event type, market category, and CFDA members. Plus, there’s a section offering NYFW highlights. “I think there’s a lot of clutter during fashion week. Anonymously, top editors and retailers [told us] what they think are the top 40 or 50 shows. So if you don’t have any patience or ability to sort through all this, you could just hit that and know that these are the top shows,” said Kolb.

But based on yesterday’s presentation, it’s clear that this is just phase one in the calendar’s improvement. Future functions could include a mobile app, a slew of subscription options, plus partnerships and activations with the likes of the MTA and Uber. In an attempt to return a sense of exclusivity to Fashion Week, designers who have not shown on the calendar previously will have to fill out an application to be considered for inclusion on September’s schedule. Additionally, expect to see a bit of creative action alongside the listings: “With Marc [Karimzadeh of WWD] joining CFDA next week, [he’s] bringing a critical eye with some editorial opportunity that’s originated by the CFDA and connected to the calendar,” Kolb told the crowd.

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