Rumors about a New York Men’s Fashion Week have been circulating for some time now. This past summer, we reported that the Council of Fashion Designers of America were seriously looking into creating a separate week for men’s shows—similar to those of London, Paris, and Milan. However, the members needed to receive funding first and were actively seeking sponsors to make the week a reality.
Well, it turns out the council’s efforts paid off and have already secured money from Amazon, DreamWorks and Shinola, a source told WWD. But now they’re looking to obtain a title sponsor in order to finalize the event.
“We have a little bit of money committed, but we need a little bit more,” Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA, told WWD. “There are still a lot of boxes that need to be checked, but we have tentative dates for July of ’15 to be the first one.”
This is excellent news for menswear designers who have often complained about being overlooked during the February and August shows in NYC. It will also be quite beneficial to buyers who won’t have to rush purchasing the collections after viewing them so close to the upcoming season.
“We deserve a men’s week or a men’s moment every season here in New York City,” said Daniel Silver, codesigner of Duckie Brown. “The question is, can I get the same amount of press coverage as I do showing the first days of the women’s calendar? That’s a question mark. But, certainly, it would be better for sales, especially during the spring season, as we sell in July and show in September and then have to sell in September again.”
With the recent hype surrounding menswear, we're excited to see a New York Men's Fashion Week in the works. Here's hoping the CFDA comes through.
[via WWD]
