By Kaitlyn Frey
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo gave New York Fashion Week the green light for this September, but due to coronavirus safety precautions, the fashion-filled week won’t look the same.
IMG announced that NYFW: The Shows will take place from Sept. 13 to 17 in-person at New York City’s Spring Studios, as well as online at NYFW.com. According to Cuomo, the live shows, presentations and events will be held “in strict compliance” with New York State’s health and safety guidelines.
“New York City is the fashion capital of the world and New York Fashion Week celebrates the ingenuity of this city, and our unmatched creative talent,” Cuomo said in his announcement on Tuesday.
“When COVID-19 hit New York, so many of our cherished events were forced to cancel or be postponed,” he continued. “The pandemic is far from over, but we’re proud to support event organizer IMG in moving forward with NYFW, in adherence with strict state public health guidance. Safety, as always, is our top priority and we commend the hosts, and all participating designers, for their innovative, New York Smart solutions to bring this event to life.”
To facilitate safe social distancing, all outdoor programming will be restricted to 50 people or fewer and less than 50 percent of maximum occupancy for the particular area. And for the first time ever, there will be no star-studded front row at indoor runway shows. Cuomo’s release states that any NYFW-affiliated indoor events are required to have “no spectators.”
Other precautions that will be taken include administering temperature checks before admittance, limiting in-person workforce to only essential personnel, requiring face coverings at all times and ensuring all personnel, vendors, designers, models and guests comply with New York State’s travel advisory.
“The past six months have been exceedingly difficult for the fashion industry, and we are proud to offer an avenue for designers, models, stylists, hair and makeup artists, photographers, production teams – and the innumerable other professionals who work in, or adjacent to, the fashion industry during New York Fashion Week – to safely get back to work this September,” IMG’s Fashion Events Group Executive Vice President Leslie Russo said.
Fashion shows will also be returning to Paris this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic. In June, French fashion authority Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode confirmed that spring 2021 ready-to-wear collections will be shown in-person during Paris Fashion Week from Sept. 28 through Oct. 6.
The Fédération ensured that Paris Fashion Week “will comply for its implementation to the recommendations of public authorities,” but at the time of the announcement, it was unclear what specific health and safety guidelines will be enforced during the event.
Over the past few months, several designers have tried to digitally replicate the in-real-life fashion show experience during quarantine. In July, the first-ever virtual Couture Fashion Week week took place, which was followed by virtual men’s fashion shows in Paris and Milan.
