CFDA chairman Tom Ford has spoken! Via a letter sent to members, the designer announced today that the New York Fashion Week show schedule will now be known as ‘American Collections Calendar.’
Ford stated that the CFDA will now be including all American designers within the show calendar and on its digital runway platform Runway360, regardless of where they’re based or when they’re releasing their collection. The announcement comes as American designers—both younger, indie names and stalwarts like Michael Kors and Tory Burch—have been showing their wares on their own time, or in cities like Paris.
Ford, who opted to show his last physical show in Los Angeles, wrote: “While the CFDA will continue to encourage American designers to show in New York during New York Fashion Week, we recognize the need for some to broaden their global visibility. In the past few years, many of our members have chosen to show in Europe, Asia, and other key markets and in many cases off-calendar. The events of the past year have only highlighted the need for flexibility within the fashion system.”
He added that this new plan is in line with the CFDA’s primary goal: to promote American talent both domestically and abroad. And facing into another challenging season, Ford says that renaming NYFW to American Collections Calendar will ensure global recognition.
As of yet, the CFDA hasn’t issued its show schedule—despite the fact that the official dates, February 14-17, are looming. It’s believed that the likes of Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, and Tory Burch will show later in the season. However, in his letter, Ford said that the notion of New York Fashion Week will remain a priority.
See below for a statement posted online this morning:
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