IMG Releases Programming for New York Fashion Week in February
IMG, the official organizer and operator of NYFW: The Shows, has released its full slate of programming and events.
NYFW takes place Feb. 9 to 14, and IMG will activate across the city with three main locations: RXR’s Starrett-Lehigh Building, the official designer runway venue of NYFW: The Shows, the consumer-focused NYFW Backstage at 21Greene, and NYFW: The Showrooms at High Line Nine, all produced by Focus.
More from WWD
For the first time, IMG will launch NYFW Backstage, a pop-up experience providing an inside look into the fashion show process from ideation to runway. NYFW Backstage was designed in consultation with creative director Ethan Tobman (a WME client), who is known for his work on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour.
WME Fashion Alliance designers 3.1 Phillip Lim, Eckhaus Latta, Jason Wu and Sergio Hudson will appear throughout NYFW at NYFW Backstage, giving insights into their collections and their creative process via ticketed events.
Since February 2020, IMG has provided more than $20 million in funding to American designers through initiatives including the WME Fashion Alliance and by allowing brands to integrate organically into NYFW and providing designers funds to help offset costs. Other initiatives include NYFW’s Small Business Grant in partnership with Empire State Development, which awarded $500,000 to 10 independent designers in 2022, and the Black in Fashion Council Showrooms, which helped raise awareness for designers Theophilio, Diotima and House of Aama, among others.
NYFW Backstage will take visitors through the process of hair, dressing, first-looks photography, and how that culminates on the runway. Aspiring models will have the chance to be scouted by IMG Models at the Get Scouted Studio. The TreSemmé Style Studios will once again be open for consumers and will offer the option to book appointments in advance with reservations opening on Feb. 5.
NYFW will present a panel conversation on the “Roadmap to Size Inclusivity: The Next 10 Years,” as well as livestreamed fashion shows, shoppable merchandise only available during NYFW, an embroidery station for customized tote bags, and coffee from Bluestone Lane Cafe.
Kicking off with a launch party and preview, NYFW Backstage will open to the public Feb. 9 and remain open for the duration of NYFW.
For the first time, WME Fashion created a NYFW campaign showcasing New York City’s cultural diversity, and celebrating fashion through the lens of photographer Sam Hellman. IMG models Chloé Vero, Sara Arabzadeh, Shantae Leslie and Xue Huizi are shown wearing American designers with The Wall Group’s Stoj doing makeup, Adam Markarian doing hair, and Chino Castillo of Mastermind Studio handling styling.
Black Beauty Roster will host a dinner during NYFW to celebrate a landmark year for beauty equity with legislation in New York and New Jersey mandating training in textured hair and SAG-AFTRA’s inclusion of measures to ensure talent’s diverse beauty needs are formally recognized and met on productions. Black Beauty Report will gather beauty executives, artists, policy makers, brand and key stakeholders to celebrate these wins and discuss the future of inclusion and equality in beauty.
As an official partner of NYFW, On Location will offer consumers premium access to runway moments that only take place at NYFW through NYFW: The Experience. Tickets can be purchased to select runway shows including Altuzarra, Bach Mai, Badgley Mischka, Bibhu Mohapatra, Cucculelli Shaheen, Gigi Burris, Libertine, Private Policy, Proenza Schouler, Sergio Hudson and The Blonds, among others. Information is available at onlocationexp.com/new-york-fashion-week-tickets.
NYFW: The Menu returns for a second season with 25 restaurants from across New York City participating, including Caviar Kaspia at The Mark, Jean’s, Bangkok Supper Club and more, all offering special menu items available only during NYFW. By dining at any of the participating restaurants, patrons have the opportunity to win tickets to a September 2024 NYFW show and a VIP shopping experience. More information is available at NYFW.com/the menu.
Returning for an eighth season in collaboration with IMG is the Black in Fashion Council Discovery Showrooms presented by Rakuten and featuring designers Amari Cater, Blackstock & Weber, BruceGlen, GVDS, Keeyahri, Nia Thomas, Omol, QOH Jewelry, Silver and Riley, and V. Bellan. The BIFC Discovery Showrooms will be open Feb. 9 to 13 at NYFW: The Showrooms at High Line Nine, offering a platform for emerging Black designers to reach leading fashion press, buyers and other industry stakeholders. Other designers that will host showrooms or stage fashion presentations at High Line Nine throughout the week include Agbobly and Dotima.
NYFW is presented in partnership with Rakuten and TreSemmé.
The official expanded programming schedule for NYFW: The Shows February 2024 is now live on NYFW.com/schedule, complementing the Official NYFW Schedule released earlier this month by the Council of Fashion Designers of America, in partnership with IMG.
Best of WWD
