Will the revamp of New York Fashion Week succeed?

During the New York Fashion Week in February, a new partnership was presented between the CFDA (Council of Fashion Designers of America) and KFN, a new organization supporting designers in the Big Apple. The collaboration will officially begin in September, during the fashion month dedicated to womenswear, and aims to radically transform NYFW—and, consequently, the future of American fashion. This is a critical moment for the American fashion system: the country’s biggest brands, from Tommy Hilfiger to Ralph Lauren, are trying to regain the power they’ve lost in recent years after surrendering to mass distribution, while smaller or independent businesses are moving to London and Paris, like Puppets and Puppets and The Row. Efforts by the industry to restart New York fashion are many and admirable: Capri Holdings, the conglomerate once owner of Versace, has sold the brand to the Prada Group to focus on Michael Kors; after last September’s strike, the Fashion Workers Act was approved to protect freelancers, such as models and independent designers, and now KFN will try to bring value (and funding) back to New York Fashion Week.

KFN is a company born from the merger of KF Fashion and N4XT Experiences, two event and entertainment companies: the former, a division of Kilburn Media, will finance the project, while N4XT Experiences, which acquired the Los Angeles Fashion Week in 2022, will contribute the expertise of its co-founder Imad Izemrane, who will lead the new company together with former IMG events president Leslie Russo. During a recent press conference, some KFN representatives shared the NYFW relaunch plan, revealing that it is a long-term project ideally expected to conclude in 2027. The first step is the launch of the Venue Collective during the upcoming September New York Fashion Week—an open showroom and exhibition space where designers can present their collections at no cost. KFN stated that the runway will be available to about thirty designers, so they can not only save on the excessive costs of venues and shows but also have better chances of attracting the attention of buyers and other fashion insiders, who can discover New York’s new talents without needing to travel all over the city.

Following this, two consumer-focused projects will be launched: one is the American Fashion Festival, scheduled for 2026 and inspired by Miami’s Art Basel, which will allow designers who are typically excluded from the official NYFW calendar to present their collections in a ticketed-access space. Next year, city engagement initiatives will begin to raise new funds, and a digital platform will be unveiled for NYFW participants. Despite KFN’s support, the CFDA will remain the event’s main organizer, as clarified by the council in a statement. Pushing forward consumer-focused events will be one of KFN’s priorities, although the choice might risk NYFW’s reputation. Getting closer to the public and typical American brand consumers (who, unlike cities like Paris, are much more aspirational and tied to street style) would transform NYFW from a private, exclusive event into a collective celebration for the entire city—a project that, if well executed, could finally help American fashion restart.