The New York Effect

[Faust]

/\ hahaha :-).

It's not unheard of that the fashion mantle can be stolen from one city to another - Florence conceded it to Rome, which in turn conceded it to Milan. But these were cities in the same country. Geography is something to consider, and Sao Paolo is not exactly in the center of the globe. I think it's one of the reasons Tokyo fashion week is not on the same map as London, even though lord knows it's much more exciting.

[gaitortrout]

All true, but with the general increasing connectivity in the world today, who's to say the future's big designer or consumer of fashion isn't South American or East Asian?

I think Tokyo has a lot of room to grow, and from personal experience it seems like the Chinese consumer has an affinity to Japanese designers over European one (fit being a main concern) and a shift in the Chinese consumer's preference towards luxury goods would see Japan given a boost. (Of course, it would help too if Julius, Number (N)ine et al. kept to showing in Tokyo.)

[slalom]

for the people who remember, how did helmut lang succeed in new york? was it the advertising or was the brand seen as a european/paris label that adapted to new york sensibility? did the new york market have to adapt to helmut lang as a brand?

[zamb]

for the people who remember, how did helmut lang succeed in new york? was it the advertising or was the brand seen as a european/paris label that adapted to new york sensibility? did the new york market have to adapt to helmut lang as a brand?

Hemut Lang was very successful and well recieved in New York.
the beauty of Helmut Lang as a brand is that while being Avant Garde, in was consistently minimalist and clearly a brand for a Client with an urban Sensibility..............a City Dweller. It was the arrival of HL in New york that effectively move the new York fashion week to being the first on the Calendar than the last. there was a hige amount of Support and goodwill for him here. i will never forget those Iconic Taxi Cab ads, whch has started just before I arrived in NY.

It was the selling of His company to the Prada Group and hos return to Europe that signaled the demise of his company...............

[Faust]

All true, but with the general increasing connectivity in the world today, who's to say the future's big designer or consumer of fashion isn't South American or East Asian?

I think Tokyo has a lot of room to grow, and from personal experience it seems like the Chinese consumer has an affinity to Japanese designers over European one (fit being a main concern) and a shift in the Chinese consumer's preference towards luxury goods would see Japan given a boost. (Of course, it would help too if Julius, Number (N)ine et al. kept to showing in Tokyo.)

Of course they are becoming the biggest consumers, but they want all things European. The Chinese consumer, just like any other consumer, has affinity to what's on the pages of Vogue - and it ain't Julius, I'll tell you that. Let's not get carried away with the SZ effect . Japan has long been the biggest luxury market in the world (I believe China has or is about to eclipse them), but it's mostly the European luxury they are after - Hermes scarves, LV bags, Zegna suits, the usual.

[Faust]

What Zam says about HL is true (although I believe he moved to NYC because it moved ahead in the schedule, because he was afraid of knockoffs - which, btw, seems counter-intuitive). But, yes, he was very well-received, and indeed his style worked very well in NY. But Helmut was already famous when he moved here. Preen never really had my interest - it's always one of those "almost good" labels - someone worth watching, thinking they are capable of producing something excellent, and then getting tired, because they don't.

[surver]

eg

an interesting anomaly in the new york scene is Engineered Garments... which, in it's own realm has become extremely successful and well-received... although stylistically it might not be quite 'sz' but conceptually and in spirit i certainly believe so...

[surver]

that being said... i'm not so sure i can say the same for the rest of the so-called harbringers of 'american trad' (seems most of them are based in nyc)...

[Lane]

New York is a swamp. Between the pressure to sell and the instant rock-star syndrome, it's very hard to produce anything edgy here. Sometimes I see some student work from Parsons and it's fucking mindblowing. Where does it go once they graduate? Gets lost in the dungeons of Ralph Lauren.

this is quite a disturbing truth. Why is everything so tainted with politics....

[suesy]

New York is a swamp. Between the pressure to sell and the instant rock-star syndrome, it's very hard to produce anything edgy here. Sometimes I see some student work from Parsons and it's fucking mindblowing. Where does it go once they graduate? Gets lost in the dungeons of Ralph Lauren.

I totally agree with you. All the edgy stuff is now happening in Berlin, Germany. I think all young cool designers go there because of the atmosphere and cheap accomodations. An El Dorado for trashy edginess. ;)

[kbi]

I think it's just because of berghain partys ;)