Designers pull out of NY Fashion Week

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Vera Wang and Betsey Johnson will not be showing their respective collections at New York Fashion Week's official tents next season, with both citing the economy as a factor.

Wang, who is best known for her celebrated bridal designs, will instead show her autumn/winter '09 collection in her NY store. The move marks the first time in four years that the designer won't be showing at the Bryant Park venue.

She commented to WWD,  'It seems relevant today. I don’t want to seem irrelevant or unaware of what’s going on in the rest of the world — not just the fashion world… The intimacy of a smaller show feels much more appropriate for these times. I say that as a business owner, as a designer and as a person.'

By staging her show in-store, the designer will be able to cut the amount of models she uses by at least 10, and will limit her guest list to just 100-150.  At the tents she would typically invite up to 900 buyers, press and celebrities to attend the show.

Johnson, who has been a regular at the tents for the last five seasons, will also switch to a smaller presentation, as will designer Carmen Marc Valvo.

Many fear that these initial moves will see designers shift away from the official venue, and instead opt for smaller shows and presentations.

And it's not just New York designers who are feeling the pinch. Cacharel has announced that it will not be showing  at Paris Fashion Week in February.

Thursday 18 December 2008

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