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Here comes New York Fashion Week fall 2016 — or should we say spring 2016? The biggest shake-up this season is fashion brands showing in-season collections, meaning they'll present spring clothes that are in stores soon (and, in some cases, immediately shoppable; more on that below).
Related: The Council of Fashion Designers of America, which holds the official calendar of NYFW, has hired Boston Consulting Group to fix what it calls "a broken system," possibly advancing the movement of fashion shows from industry events to consumer-facing affairs. "Because of social media, people are confused," CFDA chairman Diane von Furstenburg told WWD. "Everyone seems to feel that the shows being consumer-driven is a very good idea." The study, which was due to kick off after the holiday season, won't impact this month's shows.
Before we get a boatload of change, things will press on as usual, including no shortage of celebrity events. Rihanna, Kanye West, and the Sisters Jenner all have plans to show and/or celebrate their collections (and/or albums — any excuse for a party).
Everything you need to know in advance of NYFW February 2016 is below, organized by time (EST) and date. Mark your iCal accordingly, and get ready for the internet flood.
For as-they-happen updates, keep an eye on racked.com/fashion-week and join us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat (RackedDotCom).
Show Now, Shop Now
The biggest trend of fashion week has already emerged, and it's in-season shows. Last week, Burberry, Tom Ford, and Vetements (whose creative director will be replacing Alexander Wang at Balenciga, ICYMI) all announced they will be showing in-season collections. The movement actually began in New York; Rebecca Minkoff announced her plans to show in-season back in December.
Saturday, Feb. 13, 12pm: Rebecca Minkoff will present her already-in-stores spring 2016 collection (previously shown during NYFW September 2015) as well as a capsule of new spring merch. Everything at the runway show, which you'll find ample social coverage under #SeeBuyWear, will be available to purchase within 60 days.
Saturday, Feb. 13, 3:30pm: Banana Republic, which no longer counts Marissa Webb as creative director (though she does still consult on the brand), will have select styles from its presentation available for immediate purchase.
Sunday, Feb. 14, 1:00pm: LaQuan Smith's collection (which is fall 2016) will be immediately shoppable. The presentation will include tablets next to models but regular people can shop too on the designer's site.
Celebrity Collections
Monday, Feb. 8, 8:00pm: Kendall and Kylie are launching a new collection (it's called, inventively, Kendall + Kylie) and while they won't be showing it during fashion week, they will be celebrating it. Definitely join us on Snapchat (RackedDotCom) for that.
Thursday, Feb. 11, 4:00pm: Kanye West is back at it, showing his third installment of Yeezy Season. The fashion show is taking place at Madison Square Garden, where he'll also be debuting his new album, whose title keep changing. One more time: Snapchat. Be there. It will be wild.
Friday, Feb. 12, 8:00pm: Rihanna, officially the most marketable celebrity in the world, is staging a fashion show for her collaboration with Puma. The front row will likely be insane. And, of course, we'll be there — smartphones in tow — with the play-by-play.
Saturday, Feb. 13: Okay, this isn't exactly a celebrity collection, but Erykah Badu will be styling the Pyer Moss show and that's certainly notable.
What's New at J.Crew
Sunday, Feb. 14, 2:30pm: J.Crew will show its first full collection under the direction of Somsack Sikhounmuong. The designer was poached internally from J.Crew Group-owned Madewell, after Sikhounmuong proved to be tremendously successful there (his first collection for Madewell was spring 2014 — in that fiscal year, Madewell posted a 35% sales increase, while J.Crew grew just 4%).
Tommy's InstaPit
Monday, Feb. 15, 11:00am: The Tommy Hilfiger runway show will have a special photo pit just for Instagrammers. It is called... the InstaPit. Happy fashion week.
For the entire New York Fashion Week February 2016 schedule, click here.