It’s just Day 1 – Do we really need a New York Fashion Week

It’s hard to believe that it was time once again for New York Fashion Week Men’s. However the once must attend event for male wanabee fashionistas and social media stars has morphed into something much different. When this year’s calendar came out, the number of shows was significantly lower than previous seasons. I had to wonder, “Do we really need a New York Fashion Week Men’s?” I decided to reserve judgment until the end of the week (actually just three days.)

One of the things that has not changed is the excitement surrounding the start of the week with New York Men’s Day. Originally around prior to the split of men’s fashion week from women’s, New York Men’s Day (NYMD) was started by Agentry PR. The agency wanted to create a group of shows to showcase their hottest designers and give them a forum to present their work. It was a way to show menswear and not be lost among the multitude of women’s shows. Now as the kick-off to Men’s Day, it’s one of the most highly anticipated events.

1. Descendent of Thieves 2. Krammer and Stoudt

This year 10 designers were split evenly into two sessions. The morning session included Krammer & Stoudt, Sundae School, Descendent of Thieves, David Hart and newcomer, Vacilus Loizides. The afternoon session presented collections from Chan Chit Lo, Tanaka, Ka Wa Key, Dear Miller and O.N.S. All of the evening designers were first timers this season.

David Hart A/W 2019

Perennial favorite, David Hart showed a collection inspired by a minimalist collection. The five piece tonal look was a paired down version of what has been show in years past. It sort of echoed the New York Fashion Week Men’s vibe as a whole. Suggesting that less is still vital. Hinting an answer to the question, “Do we really need a New York Fashion Week Men’s?” The answer appears to be yes we do. It may not be as much but what we have is essential.

1. Jospeh /Abboud – courtesy of Joseph Abbout/PurplePR 2. Todd Snyder – photo by Maria Valentino

While larger brands and designers have seemingly abandoned showing this week, later on in the day Joseph Abboud and Todd Snyder put on large-scale runway shows. Abboud has been the epitome of American fashion. His show of sumptuous pieces was a nod to the men who ventured through Ellis Island. While Snyder’s designs continue to have the strong New York sensibilities. He also introduced his latest collaboration with Timex, a watch company with long-term American routes. That both designers still show during New York Fashion Week would also support the positive assertion when asked do we really need a fashion week.

So what did I wear on this first day? Having been to the big show since its inception, I decided to change up my look. I wanted to be a little more casual (except I did change into a Joseph Abboud suit for the show. I was supposed to interview him but circumstances prevented that from happening.) My elevated casual look featured a varsity style sweater with plaid pants, which were big, this season and a comfy pair of combat boots. Do we really need New York Fashion Week to pull of this look? In this case, “No!” You can wear this anywhere.

Details:

Varsity sweater – Alexander McQueen | Off white tee – John Varvatos | Plaid trousers – Ovadia and Sons| Black star combat boots – Valentino (chelsea boot version)| Mirrored sunglasses – Saint Laurent

For more coverage of New York Fashion Week Men’s keep checking out The DCFashion Fool.

My outfit photos: Cory Luckett