I didn’t think New York Fashion Week still existed. Last week it was reported that over the past decade, the garment biz has taken a hit with a loss of over 50,000 jobs, low enrollment in design schools and the overall feeling that NYC has lost its star standing as THE fashion Mecca.
The truth is social media took over and now there is a fashion show every minute. Like the popular art critic Jerry Saltz says about the art scene, you don’t need museums or galleries now. “Art is coming from everywhere all at once being made by everyone.” Same with fashion. There’s no need for fashion magazines or editors. All that seems to be left is Anna Wintour’s Met Gala and that has become a tired drag show. But this too shall pass.
The only recent New York Fashion Week fashion show I caught was a minute reel on Ralph Lauren’s Spring Collection in the Hamptons. Of course, it looked spectacular because Ralph has made The American Style an institution. It’s all basically the same theme, but nobody can do Indian concho belts over sequin blue slip dresses, denim jackets over cashmere trousers and cowboy hats with bomber jackets better than Ralph.
Ralph doesn’t have to update anything. He’s holding his Western Classic line. He is now and forever; and is moving into restaurants and coffee shops. That’s the new fashion.
The truth is, NYC hasn’t been a fashion hub since Bill Cunningham died in 2016, because he made it known that fashion wasn’t on the runways — but on the streets. Then the influencers took over. Suddenly, the department stores started to wobble, Barneys closed, Saks started to sink, and boutiques got stale.
Then the pandemic pushed it all under the bus. It’s been reported that the whole merchandising scene has shifted to Costco and T.J. Maxx and, of course, Amazon. But supposedly The Gap is making a comeback with colorful sweat suits and J.Crew is getting resuscitated this year by reissuing their vintage catalogs for the first time in six years.
Nobody really follows the couture “houses” anymore because creative directors are constantly being replaced and nobody has really brought forth any new trends outside of costume or deluxe athleisure wear. I doubt we will ever get past sneakers and sweats. Are we past jeans?
Last week I thought the Venice Film Festival offered some visual energy with Brad Pitt and George Clooney seemingly having a great time (promoting their new film “Wolfs” which didn’t get much acclaim) sashaying together down the aisle to “smooth operator.” George even grabbed one of the paparazzi’s cameras and took a few shots himself. Brad wore a great Louis Vuitton black suit with old fashioned flared boot-cut pants. He also had a new lifted face and his latest gal pal on his arm who resembled George Clooney’s wife. So they all fit perfectly. Apparently, Brad Pitt is now a designer for a line called God’s True Cashmere. So far it looks like a lot of cashmere Pendleton plaid shirts for $2,250 and a few surf shorts for $1,559. Is there a market? Who cares — it’s Brad!
Along with the Venice Film Festival upstaging any Fashion Week anywhere, you also have any Kansas City Chiefs football game featuring Taylor Swift in the stands. NFL is boasting a bigger female audience since Swift started becoming a regular. Apparently when she wears KC swag (big red bomber jacket or KC logo hats) it sells out. Football players’ wives and girlfriends are huge on Instagram reporting their eyelashes and nail and hair extensions after every game.
Hard to believe that sports VIP boxes have taken over catwalks, but again fashion is everywhere — online! Look at the “Ketamine Queen” (Jasveen Sangha who was accused of providing the drug that killed Matthew Perry) presenting herself in her Instafeed dolled up in Versace and Vuitton fashion shoots with the message “Life in plastic is so fantastic so let’s party.” whatever that means. She will have a Netflix docudrama in a year.
The other more serious sign of fashions swift change is the death of Bergdorf’s sales legend Betty Halbreich who worked for the store for 50 years as “the world’s most personal shopper.” Stand aside all you Hollywood stylists. Betty dressed everyone from basic rookies to the cast of Sex and the City to Joan Rivers, Lena Dunham, Betty Ford, Estee Lauder, Lauren Bacall, Meryl Streep. She was writing a new book at the time of her death, and I would follow her on Instagram as she struggled with the current fashion scene and life in general.
“Lately … I’ve seen a huge uptick in the young. It boggles the mind that they spend the prices that are demanded. They’re buying two things — handbags and shoes. Yet they will walk around in jeans and tanks all day.” She lamented the shift in manners a lot; “Customers now throw things around in dressing rooms and come out stripping. I won’t tolerate it. The only thing I demanded is ‘leave me with my dignity.’” Believe me, she left with a lot more than that. She was adored and respected. Her taste and timing were impeccable. She knew that style and class was over and so she left the room.
So that leaves us with the continued Instagram series hit of Alexis Bittar’s (which also features his terrific jewelry and handbags) “Margeaux,” the Upper East Side terrorist and her style explosions.
But what I really notice (off Instagram) is the interest in men’s wear and beauty products. Aside from Brad’s new face we also have President Putin’s cheeks changing before our eyes monthly with more filler. Trump stays orange and combed-over while Joe Biden has taught us that too many pullbacks can’t save a Presidency.
But here’s something new — Nicolas Bijan. He’s the son of Bijan Pakzad, who founded House of Bijan in 1976 as the only “appointment-only Rodeo Drive fashion temple” of luxe for men. It was known as the most expensive store in the world. He died in 2011, and son Nicolas has started a brand called NB44. It costs $12,000 a year to join (no clothes included). Members get an all-in-one packaging of styling, networking, shopping, and dry cleaning (even a cigar). The cost is steep but for the 1% of 1%, who can top the convenience?
Now there are cashmere baseball caps, $6,000 unconstructed sports coats and $900 polo shirts. Remember, athleisure rules! Chosen for you and shipped four times a year or whenever. He already has 5000 members. 40 are under 30, and some are actually located in Nashville and Charlotte — not just Dubai and Paris.
No more storefront, it is all app driven. And they stage ‘invitation only’ special dinners for members to “Come and network overlooking the Hollywood Hills.” As the Wall Street Journal described it: “The medical world has concierge doctors. The golf world has elitist ivy-walled clubs. NB44 is just that approach, but for the clothing world.
So, is this the future for luxe shopping?
Personally I’ll stick to my own “shopping clubs;” Costco and Sam’s! And they both have convenient curbside delivery!
