Six NYFW shows that brought the catwalk to the public

Alexandria Best reports from New York Fashion Week, where designers included the public in their shows in new ways, marking a departure from the runway show as an exclusive insider event. From street presentations to ticketed events, these shows signal a shift towards inclusivity, enabling the public to engage with collections IRL, rather than just through digital sharing. Here are our six favourite examples from S/S 20.

 

Cynthia Rowley
The designer’s show, titled Oh, The Places You’ll Go, was held in a quiet alley on Jay Street in Tribeca, where those living above or walking past could see the event. The show almost seemed to be designed to attract attention in the street, with bold colours and lively music. Rowley plans to tour the show internationally for global audiences, with the next stop in Los Angeles this October.

Collina Strada
Collina Strada staged a neighbourhood event at Stuyvesant Square Park near the East Village in Manhattan, which – catwalk show aside – felt remarkably like a regular day in the park, complete with local farmer’s market. It resulted in the brand getting one of its largest audiences for a catwalk show, compared with the last few seasons.

Pyer Moss
Pyer Moss presented its collection in an immersive show at the historic Kings Theater in Brooklyn, and offered hundreds of free tickets to the public. Locals sat among celebrities and industry figures at the show, which was the brand’s largest catwalk event to date. It included a live choir performance, and also drew a crowd on the street outside. Influencer Ziggy Mack Johnson, who attended, said: “The show was hectic getting in, as the venue was at capacity. After the show everyone was invited to party inside the venue – everyone including celebrities were mingling in the same area.”

Tommy Hilfiger x Zendaya
Tommy Hilfiger and actress and singer Zendaya teamed up for their second co-created collection, presented at the Apollo Theater in Harlem. In typical Tommy fashion, the collection was offered as see-now-buy now via a livestream virtual reality commerce experience on Instagram, along with a pop-up bus outside the show and in NYC the following weekend.

Coach
Coach held its show outdoors at The High Line public park in Manhattan, near the brand’s headquarters, and showcased a line of vintage handbags. After the show, the public could head to a pop-up on Madison Avenue for a limited time to shop The Coach Originals handbag collection.

Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs invited fans to the brand’s Madison Avenue store via Instagram, where they could watch a livestream of the S/S 20 show and enjoy small bites and refreshments. As well as giving the public exclusive and immediate access to the show, it also helped build hype to shop in store, with the added inducement of free giveaways.

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