While many of the fashion elite are scrambling around for last minute outfits and shoes for preparation of the kick off for Fashion Week (really, Fashion MONTH), there are now some designers who are scrambling for new dates and times for their shows starting at New York Fashion Week. The cause? Not the weather, not the guest list, not even money. No, the reason is Kanye West.
The CFDA has a digital system that ensures there will be no scheduling conflicts between two shows that might draw the same crowds, at times publishing scheduling updates up to six months ahead of time just so people will be aware.
Kanye West has decided (at a last minute decision made for his Yeezy collection and ‘Waves’ debut) to have his show the first day of NYFW at 4 p.m. The problem? Two labels were already slotted to show at the same time.
Banana Republic creative director Marissa Webb, whose show was also scheduled for 4 p.m. on the 11th; and Adam Selman whose show was scheduled for 5 p.m., both rescheduled their shows at the end of last week, after news broke of the Yeezy season 3 event.
West’s decision to make last minute decisions have put other designers in a tough spot. Although these are brands that have long-standings in the fashion world, everyone knows the anticipation that circles around Kanye West, his fashion brand and even his family (because Kim will obviously be there, right?)
Webb’s PR team sent out an email on Friday evening informing recipients of an “updated show time” to 3 p.m., writing: “Due to unforeseen circumstances, we are ‘swishing’ the time of the show to 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 11. Sorry for making ‘waves.’” I enjoy the pun.
This isn’t the first time West has disrupted a designer’s Fashion Week plans by announcing his own show at the last minute. Last season, it was the new designer Anne Bowen, who amid frustration for the last second change , told WWD, “We have been prepping for a year for this at considerable financial, labor and commitment-cost to our company. Our show date has been scheduled for months and has been on the Fashion Calendar for weeks… Kanye knows he is a media sensation and it is just not ethical to do this.” She was forced to show on a different date, “which [was] a logistical nightmare.”
Guess we will all stencil the Yeezy collection into our calendars for the 11th.