Almost Wall-to-Wall Parties Before the Shows Must Go on, That Is New York Fashion Week: The Shows

The "Sign Me Up" and "Lavish" styles from the Nine West Fall 2015 collection. Photo by Yours Truly.

ONE is a ballet-type with strings; the other is a pump with straps on the vamp and at the ankle. Both are the belles of this ball.

Of all of the shoes on the walls, counters and other surfaces, “Sign Me Up” ($79) and “Lavish” ($99) are the two Fall 2015 styles getting the most fits at “Step Out.”

Hosted by Nine West, InStyle magazine and actress Jamie Chung, “Step Out” was one of a boatload of parties Wednesday night, heralding New York Fashion Week. The official start of the eight-day gussied-up tradeshow is today.

Speaking of which, this dog and pony show not only has a new venue(s) and new sponsors, it has a new name. That’s New York Fashion Week: The Shows to you, you, you and you …

That’s right, no more Mercedes-Benz. There is still an automobile sponsor – lead partner in IMG-speak – but the moniker of Lexus does not appear on the name of the event.

"Step Out" was an occasion to get up, close and personal with new shoes. Photo by Yours Truly.

Much of this change is informed by the acquisition a few years ago of fashion week owner,IMG, by William Morris Endeavor, formerly Agency. Like IMG, WME/IMG has an interest in a number of fashion weeks around the world, including London, Milan and Russia, but not Paris.

Not so surprisingly, this new world order has given rise to confusion and consternation. For instance, there are the shows under the umbrella of IMG and/or the ones under the umbrella of the CFDA, which used to run fashion week before it handed it off to IMG. Further, there are the MADE shows. They are owned by IMG.

To that end, there is not one major hub such as a Bryant Park or the much pilloried Lincoln Center, but three. Press, buyers, tastemakers, crashers and others will toggle from Skylight at Moynihan Station (360 West 33rd Street) to Skylight Clarkson Sq (558 Washington Street) to MADE at Milk Studios (450 West 15th St).

That’s not all, though, lest one forget the designers – and there are many – who refuse to show in either of the Big Three venues. Even more travel.

“Not everybody is a fashion editor with a driver,” groused one journalist.

There are a few shuttle services such as the NEXTPERT Stylextech Mobile Lounge, but not nearly enough considering the number of “off-site(s)” shows. It will be interesting if nothing else.

Sklyight at Moynihan Station is one of three major hubs of New York Fashion Week: The Shows. Photo courtesy of Moynihan Station.

Meanwhile some things remain the same: Nicholas K will open New York Fashion Week: The Shows and Marc Jacobs will close it out.(See video above of Nicholas K S/S2015 show).

Thanks for tender mercies.

On deck today, Day 1: Nicholas K, BCBG, Area, Erin Fetherston, Assembly NY, Creatures of the Wind, 5:31 Jerome, Tess Giberson, Brothers Vellies, Tadashi Shoji, M. Martin, Desigual, Marissa Webb, Creatures of Comfort, Natori, Tome, Malan Breton, Raquel Allegra, Ulla Johnson, Rodebjer, Yuna Yang, Edie Parker, Ohne Titel, Gant, Alison Lou, Kempner, Adam Selman

Visit http://www.nyfw.com/ to learn more about New York Fashion Week: The Shows, including show information, videos and installations.