It's Vena Cava in the lead... wait... what's this? Nicholas K is coming up around the bend leaving Ruffian and Richard Chai in the dust... And the fashion horse race is on!
Don't know about you, but I am exhausted already from the trifecta that is New York Fashion Week. Between the shows uptown and downtown coupled with Fashion's Night Out, one needs an oxygen tank and a jet pack to get to where all the main events are happening around New York City. With all the strategic planning for Fashion's Night Out and the Spring 2011 fashion shows in full gallop, the safest bet is knowing that all this fabulousness is great for the big picture, but many small companies will lose the race. From the looks of the initial coverage from Day 1 and Day 2, there is much ado about a lot of clothes that will never see the light of day... at retail.
It's too early in the process to judge the new designers that are showing early in the week in an effort not to go up against Marc Jacobs or Alexander Wang. What these first days prove is that buyers and press are not missing that much. The Jews who decided to celebrate Rosh Hashannah rather than give into the pressure of attending shows on the High Holidays, will see what they missed another way. And it's nothing that a great look book can't cure. That said, if I were a young designer, I would do a fierce fashion/music video showing a few key looks that express the mood of the collection while entertaining the editors and buyers in the comfort of their office or home. My suggestion... take note people... is to establish a cable/web channel... a la MTV... that just shows these fashion videos. And they should be vetted by a committee of editors so the people that matter are not slogging through a bunch of video crap. Watch this video as a great example of a new fashion collection being introduced through this hybrid of music video slash fashion look book as a teaser to peak interest. The click of a button and you can request an appointment in the showroom or desk side.
Now, it's not because I produced and conceived this piece that I say this. Rather, it is part of what Time magazine calls the viral trend of original content that speaks specifically to the audience that attends the shows and impacts the business. If I were a designer, I would offer limited edition goods via e-commerce as well, so's not to rely on retailers who are busy trying to reconfigure their bottom line. Anyway... what do I know... besides a lot.