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The CFDA announced today that American men's fashion will officially get its own dedicated fashion week. New York Fashion Week: Men's will run from July 13th through July 16th at Skylight Clarkson Sq in West Soho. And in the bizarro world of Ameican fashion, where men's collections have been something of an afterthought at past New York Fashion Weeks, the launch of New York Fashion Week: Men's is very much an experiment.
"We're not naïve enough to think that we're going to create a huge, international mega men's fashion week immediately. We know we have to build it from the ground up. But we're going to do a good job, and we know we'll be able to compete on a more global basis in the future," CFDA CEO Steven Kolb told Buro 24/7. So far, designers like Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein Collection, Michael Kors, Rag & Bone, Public School, Billy Reid, Michael Bastian, Duckie Brown, and Timo Weiland have committed to participating in the event, but it's not clear to what extent. Buro 24/7 notes that Ralph Lauren chose not to participate.
A men's fashion week has been in the works for awhile, but the event hinged on securing sponsorship. Amazon signed on, and New York Fashion Week: Men's will be presented by Amazon's fashion sites like Amazon Fashion, East Dane, and MyHabit, with additional support from Shinola.
· New York Fashion Week: Men's' Showcase Is Confirmed [Buro 24/7]
· Menswear Might Get Its Own New York Fashion Week [Racked]
· The Glamorous Past, Troubled Present, and Uncertain Future of NYFW [Racked]