New York Fashion Week ended on Monday with plenty of reasons to fête the American Collections. On Tuesday, WWD and the CFDA did exactly that, taking over popular eatery Le Rock to celebrate a closing dinner with Rockefeller Center, Tishman Speyer and Genesys for a curated group of designers and executives.
“Congratulations on an outstanding New York Fashion Week,” Fairchild Media Group (FMG) CEO Amanda Smith told the crowd.
CFDA CEO and President echoed the sentiment, pointing to a partnership with Rockefeller Center and Tishman Speyer, and, last September, the addition of Genesys, which supported the CFDA’s NYFW Live at Rockefeller Center public screening of shows.
“This past Fashion Week was inspiring and a great mix of young talent and big brands,” he said. “It’s the most diverse fashion week globally, and I like to share the statistic that more than half of the creative directors on the Official NYFW Schedule are women.
“It wasn’t without challenges,” he added. “There are some interesting roadblocks for the industry, such as inflation, immigration, tariffs, and of course the changing landscape of wholesale, but we are a resilient industry and move forward. Even more than the challenges, there are opportunities. There is a long, wide and open road. Companies like Genesys and many of you here are leading us on that road.”
The room was buzzing with guests mingling and exchanging notes. Nicky Campbell, Batsheva Hay, Jameel Mohammed, Ana Khouri, Sander Lak, Haley Kalil, Ashley Moubayed, Brandon Blackwood, Gigi Burris O’Hara, Kim Shui, Danielle Frankel-Hirsch, as Richie Tanner and Kasell Fletcher were some of the guests in attendance.
Vaibhav Jain, Chanel’s Senior Group Director of Digital Growth, and John Grieco, Tiffany & Co.’s Vice President and Global Chief Technology Officer, and Tishman Speyer Chief Marketing Officer Alicia Parker also addressed guests.
“It’s a great room filled with people from all sides of the fashion industry,” Kate Barton noted. “There were conversations reminiscing on earlier eras of New York fashion, when designers showed in their Garment District showrooms and everything felt more intimate and interconnected. It was really fun hearing those stories!”
Designer Bernard James enjoyed his talks with peers and new colleagues alike. “I felt like after a jam-packed week, it was refreshing to hear thoughts, opinions and reflections from different industry leaders of how we can continue to grow and innovate,” James said. “I’d also never turn down a moment to dine and catch up with friends in a gorgeous space, listening to a talented jazz band.”
And what’s better than that?
