Thom Browne and Tory Burch Host CFDA Kick-off of New York Fashion Week at Bar SixtyFive
Designers, fashion and retail executives and the media ascended to the 65th floor of Rockefeller Center Wednesday night for the CFDA’s New York Fashion Week kick-off at Bar SixtyFive at Rainbow Room.
The event provided a much-needed break for many designers preparing for shows this week, as they mixed and mingled and enjoyed panoramic views of Manhattan and the Empire State Building.
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Hosted by CFDA chairman Thom Browne and Tory Burch, the 200 guests included Wes Gordon, David Lauren, Linda Fargo, Prabal Gurung, Todd Snyder, Zac Posen, Julie Gilhart, Jenna Lyons, Stan Herman, Fern Mallis, Roopal Patel, Bach Mai, Alina Cho, Jonathan Cohen, Henry Zankov, Jacques Agbobly, Alexis Bittar, Maria Cornejo, Dennis Basso, and Dao-Yi Chow.
“I know this is probably the worst time to have a party, particularly for designers with fittings and alterations and casting and last-minute show prep. I know your time is very precious so we appreciate you being here with us tonight,” said Steven Kolb, chief executive officer of the CFDA.
“But even though it’s the worst time to have a party, I also think it’s the best time to have a party. Look where we are. We’re on top of Rockefeller Center overlooking the most beautiful city in the world . . . . It’s really a city full of ideas and creativity and possibility.”
WWD asked several designers if they have a particular regimen they follow to prepare for their upcoming fashion shows and presentations.
“Work, work, work, work, work is my regimen for fashion week,” said Gordon, creative director of Carolina Herrera. “I get excited, and I try to balance it with time with my kids [ages 2 and 4] whenever possible. I try to make it home for bedtime stories,” he said.
Burch said, “I’m just barely getting through. I’ve been working literally around the clock. I don’t think I’ll be ready until it’s there.”
Asked how she stays focused with so much chaos going on in the world, Burch said, “I’m very good at compartmentalizing. I’m not that good, but I’m working on it.”
Gurung told WWD about his regimen for show day: “I wake up, I work out, I meditate and I swim. I call my mom, then have breakfast.”
How does he remain focused with so much going on in the world? “It’s tough. I think the calendar is very regimented. You have to be. Every minute is accounted for. I tend to talk to my mom and my sister and my brother almost every day which keeps me grounded, and I swim for 45 minutes every morning or evening,” said Gurung.
When asked what she’s most excited about for fashion week, Linda Fargo, senior vice president, women’s fashion and director of store presentation at Bergdorf Goodman, said, “You mean fashion month? This is such a time of change. January was maybe one of the intense Januarys we’ve all experienced. You couple that with the amount of change in the industry. Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Global, a new BG president. There’s so much change in the air, it’s exciting.”
Asked if it’s hard to separate all the disturbing news in the world from doing their jobs, she said, “We’re all professionals at that. We’re like Olympians. Fashion people in particular. Our business is about change. I think we’re Olympian in our ability to keep pivoting and keep our eye on the things that keep the business going. With Saks Global being our new umbrella company, I see that as an opportunity for new ideas… I’m really bullish on harnessing the disruption.”
Nardos Iman, the designer behind Nardos, said, “I’m under a lot of stress. I’m not sleeping. We did a lot of fittings today. You’re pushing yourself every minute.” While not a CFDA member yet, she said she’s showing her ready-to-wear at the Plaza Hotel Monday at 3 p.m. and her collection, which is styled by Kate Young, is very feminine and inspired by jewelry.
Emily Smith, creative director of Lafayette 148, said, “We do a presentation, so I feel like the hard part is on my marketing team.”
Kobi Halperin said, “I’m very proud to say that I’m basically done with everything. My show is on Monday. If anyone needs any help on Saturday, I’m available.”
Discussing how he stays focus with all the chaos going on, Halperin said, “Fashion, what I do, is a way to run away from all the issues and all the problems. When I can create, it gives me the ability to connect to myself and allows the noises in the background to disappear. The idea of being able to create and simply remember there are people out there who want to look and feel beautiful, and I can be proud of that. With everything going on the last few years, I realize that fashion and simply making clothes is a way of connecting us and uniting us. I called my collection, ‘Threaded in Unity.’ I actually feel very proud of being a fashion designer these days. It’s a tool that we have to bring beauty to the world, and the world needs it more than ever.”
Launch Gallery: Thom Browne, Tory Burch, Wes Gordon and More Kick Off New York Fashion Week with CFDA
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