Before It Starts, New York Times Declares Fashion Week Over

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New York Fashion Week officially starts tomorrow, but according to the Times, it's already passé. (Stop us if you've heard this one before.) The newspaper of record spoke to a group of fashion folks and heard essentially the same message from everyone—we're tired and we don't feel like doing this.

Sighed Joseph Altuzarra, "It's depressing." Asked Suzy Menkes, "who needs more fashion and is gagging for yet another show?" And Fern Mallis, who arguably created this monster when she ran the shows at Bryant Park, said, "Fashion Week needs to be rethought." Meanwhile, designer Tamara Mellon, formerly of Jimmy Choo, is ditching NYFW entirely. Instead of showing her new label at Lincoln Center, she plans to introduce smaller collections throughout the year so that the clothes match the season.

It doesn't help that this Fashion Week falls over Rosh Hashanah, forcing many in the industry to choose between their faith and their jobs. As DNA PR's Lauren Kahn told Tablet, "Hiring temps is pretty much impossible because they don't know the brand. For me, it was never an option not to work."

Despite all this kvetching, the show must—and will—go on. Even if the entire shebang is forced to move once again. What's unclear is if the circus will accompany it.
· Is New York Fashion Week Near the End of the Runway? [NYT]
· When Rosh Hashanah and Fashion Week Collide [Tablet]
· New York Fashion Week Relocation Is Looking Very Likely [Racked]
· 21 Signs Fashion Week Might Have Jumped the Shark [Racked]