Do we care about unknown designers?
New York--A journalist friend with no interest in the fashion world was curious about how exactly the seasonal fashion weeks work. "Why are you looking at fall stuff when it's not even spring? How do you know a no-name designer is going to be a star one day? Who goes?"
It's easy to become too insider-y here and his questions were a good touchstone to remind me that the casual observer thinks it's an odd spectacle. It actually is for the fashion editor, too.
The first question is easy to answer--in the retail cycle, buyers have to see what's new and order what they think will sell in time for designers to make and deliver the clothes. That would account for the six months of lead time.
Unknown designers are part of the eight days of New York's fall 2005 fashion week, a continuous run of catwalk shows and presentations that draw an audience by showcasing established designers such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors and Vera Wang.
But there are many others whose names aren't familiar to those who don't follow fashion.
Names such as Thakoon Panichgul, a former fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar with a business degree from Boston University.
Designing under the label Thakoon, the 30-year-old newcomer showed a small collection of 15 outfits in a Chelsea warehouse on Sunday. His clothes are retro feminine but at the same time, very urban. Looks included a rose pink satin jacket with a dark lace overlay that looks like a find from a Victorian estate sale and a see-through vinal peacoat that was decidedly futuristic.
He's currently a favorite among magazine editors, which is why he may be unknown to the masses but he's about to become a name you'll hear more often.
The "Who Goes?" question is one I've asked for years but the answers I get back are always vague. Retailers for big stores such as Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's, luxury boutiques and magazine editors and press from newspapers, obviously. But then there are seats reserved for stylists, celebrities and wealthy customers loyal to the designer. There are show crashers who cleverly talk their way in past security or use connections, however inflated they are. And there are those who don't fall into any of the above categories.
It makes for an interesting people-watching venue.
It's easy to become too insider-y here and his questions were a good touchstone to remind me that the casual observer thinks it's an odd spectacle. It actually is for the fashion editor, too.
The first question is easy to answer--in the retail cycle, buyers have to see what's new and order what they think will sell in time for designers to make and deliver the clothes. That would account for the six months of lead time.
Unknown designers are part of the eight days of New York's fall 2005 fashion week, a continuous run of catwalk shows and presentations that draw an audience by showcasing established designers such as Carolina Herrera, Oscar de la Renta, Michael Kors and Vera Wang.
But there are many others whose names aren't familiar to those who don't follow fashion.
Names such as Thakoon Panichgul, a former fashion editor for Harper's Bazaar with a business degree from Boston University.
Designing under the label Thakoon, the 30-year-old newcomer showed a small collection of 15 outfits in a Chelsea warehouse on Sunday. His clothes are retro feminine but at the same time, very urban. Looks included a rose pink satin jacket with a dark lace overlay that looks like a find from a Victorian estate sale and a see-through vinal peacoat that was decidedly futuristic.
He's currently a favorite among magazine editors, which is why he may be unknown to the masses but he's about to become a name you'll hear more often.
The "Who Goes?" question is one I've asked for years but the answers I get back are always vague. Retailers for big stores such as Macy's, Neiman Marcus and Bloomingdale's, luxury boutiques and magazine editors and press from newspapers, obviously. But then there are seats reserved for stylists, celebrities and wealthy customers loyal to the designer. There are show crashers who cleverly talk their way in past security or use connections, however inflated they are. And there are those who don't fall into any of the above categories.
It makes for an interesting people-watching venue.
posted by Donna Kato at 9:17 AM
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