While the continuing relevance of the “September issue” has been hotly debated over the past few years in glossy magazine-land, the recent news emerging from the fashion world indicates that it might be back, for a limited time, in an IRL incarnation this fall.
No, Glamour is not reviving its print run (RIP), and it’s doubtful Anna Wintour is expecting Vogue to be absolutely bursting at the seams with ads come September, however… New York Fashion Week is back! The Met Gala is back!
The Council of Fashion Designers of America announced that NYFW will be back Sept. 8-12 in what they’re calling a “mixed format,” known around these parts as a hybrid experience (leave it to the good ol’ CFDA to dress up that colloquial phrasing). Details are scant at the moment, with CFDA CEO Steven Kolb telling Business of Fashion that, “With current signs of progress in the pace of vaccinations and the strategic, gradual reopening and tangible reawakening of New York City, we look forward to a strong fashion season that celebrates the best of American fashion in both physical and digital presentation formats.”
Despite the lack of 411 on the programming, we do know what the golden ticket will be this September: The industry is practically frothing at the mouth over the return of Pyer Moss to NYFW after a two-year absence. The menswear label has wowed the crowds over the years with unabashedly political (and celebrity-studded) shows and, given what’s transpired these past several months, there’s no doubt that the debut of Kerby Jean-Raymond’s new lines will be an experience (or several) not to be missed.
The Met Gala will also return in a “more intimate” form (don’t worry, there will be a red carpet to swoon/smirk over) on Sept. 13, and apparently the show is so nice, they’re doing it twice, with a larger event scheduled for their regular May time slot in 2022. The dual galas will kick off a two-part exhibition exploring American fashion that will run through September 2022. The exhibition is fully embracing XP, with filmmaker Melina Matsoukas commissioned to make a film to project throughout the galleries that will evolve as the show continues. As for the gala hosts, that’s still TBA, though the grapevine is buzzing with rumors that Amanda Gorman and Tom Ford will both have roles in the September event. Both Instagram and Condé Nast are signed on a main sponsors.
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