The New Tribalism Of American Fashion

So what’s going on with New York Fashion Week? The schedule released by the Council of Fashion Designers of America last week tells a bit of a sad story: a number of the usual must-see menswear designers, like Pyer Moss, Telfar, John Elliott, and Ralph Lauren, are not staging shows. And those who are on the agenda—Tom Ford, Collina Strada, Eckhaus Latta, etc—are mostly planning to do “digital activations,” one of those would-be forward-thinking concepts that American fashion has circled for years without really executing in an exciting way. Going by that schedule alone, you might feel a little sad for old New York, which people on LinkedIn say is dead. Is the city’s fashion—or even fashion itself—on life support, too? No! Contrary to what that calendar may suggest, many of New York’s best emerging or independent brands are excited about the future of the city’s fashion scene, which, for this season at least, is shaping up to something weirder and more guerilla than usual. Instead of aiming for mass attention with runway shows and star-studded front rows, designers are focusing on projects that serve and represent their loyal followers best. Read more at GQ.