New York Fashion Week opens this week amid fragmented luxury backdrop

By Alicia Powell

(Reuters) -Established apparel brands including Coach , Michael Kors , and Calvin Klein will hit the runway alongside emerging labels at the New York Fashion Week (NYFW), which kicks off on September 11. 

Yet, the event's unity is being tested as some of its most influential designers are opting to stage their shows outside the official calendar.

Marc Jacobs, owned by French luxury conglomerate LVMH, presented his Fall 2025 collection back in July at the New York Public Library, while Ralph Lauren will host a private showing at his studio on September 10, ahead of the official start.

Their absence from the core schedule has sparked renewed concerns about the relevance and reach of New York's biggest fashion event.

"When big anchor designers like that leave, it inevitably means fewer people from out of town are going to make the trip," Nicole Phelps, global director of Vogue Runway and Vogue Business, said in an interview.

The New York event's fragmented structure has prompted calls for reform, with critics arguing NYFW lacks the cohesion and prestige of its European counterparts.

In response, fashion platform KFN, created to reform the NYFW, is spearheading a revitalization effort in partnership with the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

The initiative aims to expand NYFW's physical and digital footprint and create more accessible avenues for designers to showcase their work.

One of the most ambitious proposals slated for this season includes a network of 10 venues set within a 15-minute perimeter of each other, offered free of charge for designers. In recent years, NYFW shows have been scattered around the city since the elimination of a central hub for shows.

"You might have bigger venues for big shows, smaller spaces for appointments or presentations, and even shared spaces where designers could pool resources," said Phelps. Staging a single runway show can cost up to a million dollars.

One of the biggest changes could be streamlining NYFW into just one season in September, instead of having another one in February, though that has not yet been confirmed by the CFDA, the organizer of the official NYFW schedule.

"I definitely know that some people are agitating for one New York Fashion Week a year and for one New York Fashion Week to be in September. It's glorious out here. It's a great time to be here in the city," said Phelps, although adding that big labels like Tory Burch and Michael Kors were unlikely to support such a move.

The broader luxury industry is meanwhile grappling with consumers pulling back on discretionary spending, with a wave of executive and creative director changes across major fashion houses adding to the sense of instability.

New York Fashion Week will run through September 16, with over 60 brands debuting new collections.

(Reporting by Alicia Powell; Writing by Samantha Marshak; Editing by Lisa Jucca and Richard Chang)