How Fashion Designers Are Adapting to the Pandemic

Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, and many other big brands that usually present their collections during New York Fashion Week are all sitting out this season. The void in the September calendar has left designers scrambling to decide how to present their spring lines. Do they mount an in-person outdoor presentation—or go the virtual route? What about shooting a digital look book? Hosting private appointments? Or maybe something different, like a conversation? There are so many alternative routes to take, but some New York Fashion Week stalwarts just couldn’t stay away this season. “Anything that can bring joy and aspiration in these times is a great thing,” says production designer Stefan Beckman. “There is no substitute for the live performance, but you can still do something and have a small number of guests but also shoot it in an innovative way. So everyone else can be a part of the experience.”

Home improvement mecca Lowe’s tapped designers Jason Wu and Christian Siriano to provide furniture and decor for their in-person shows using products from the brand’s website. “I thought Jason’s show was a standout thanks to its seamless staging,” says fashion consultant Robert Burke. “It was smart of Jason to take this chance, and he really went for it creatively. It represents a new format for the shows, and the collection was right for the time.” Burke also cited Carolina Herrera in conversation with the house’s current creative director, Wes Gordon, as a thoughtful presentation. “What Carolina and Wes did gave you a glimpse into both of their worlds with this private intimate conversation inside Herrera’s townhouse,” says Burke. “People want to be a part of this, and it draws on the assets of the brand, highlighting Wes as the designer carrying the brand into the future.” Prabal Gurung, for one, is eager to see what his peers have in store this season. “I hope that this new normal opens the door for us all to explore innovative ways to show that maybe weren’t possible before,” he says. We spoke with seven designers on how they’re rising to meet this new landscape.

Michael Kors

Michael Kors will present his spring/summer 2021 Michael Kors Collection line via a multilayered digital experience across the brand’s social and digital platforms globally on October 15. “Over the last six months, I think we’ve all realized that we don’t have to do things the way they’ve always been done,” says Kors. “We’re showing when it makes the most sense for us and the seasons, and most importantly, for our customer. We’re also making fewer collections a year because I want every piece to resonate and not overwhelm the customer with too much information and product. This is a true reset with an emphasis on longevity, quality, versatility, and investment.”

Ulla Johnson

Ulla Johnson also staged an in-person runway show on September 9. “I felt strongly that we wanted to continue to honor the tradition of runway, to have strong self-possessed women walk the clothes into life,” Johnson explains. “There’s a reason people have been doing runway for decades: There’s really no other way to achieve the aggregate energy of the live experience, even without an audience.” With the city as her backdrop, Johnson and her team installed a graphic hand-painted runway across the expansive lawn at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island. “We’ve all been doing a lot of deep soul searching about the relevancy of what we do—the runway being one component but also just clothing in general. We wanted the event to feel like a celebration, a coming together, an experience both transcendent and deeply rooted in our place and time.”

Adam Lippes

Adam Lippes will be showing his collection at private appointments at his new studio this month. “I’ve cycled through different ways of showing the collection,” explains Lippes. “For most of the brand’s life, we showed at my Brooklyn home. We served breakfast from Sant Ambroeus and brought in Putnam & Putnam flowers. My desire was twofold: to show the collection where it might live and bring guests into my personal space to better understand the clothing’s inspiration.” Last February, the brand held its first runway show over breakfast at the newly opened Veronika. “This season, I decided it would be the most intimate show of my career. It’s a celebration of the best of New York, with 360-degree views from the 42^nd floor. I’ve brought in pieces I love, from a 19^th-century Japanese screen of clouds, to a set of French neoclassical chairs, a Biedermeier secretaire, and a Swedish still life.” But don’t worry, there will still be Sant Ambroeus pastries and Putnam & Putnam flowers.

Prabal Gurung

Although he’s the first to admit he loves a splashy runway show, Prabal Gurung is showing his spring 2021 collection privately to buyers and press outside of New York Fashion Week. “I always say that there is nothing more magical than seeing your vision come to life on the runway. The spectacle and fantasy, the dance of the clothing in the light of flashes—it is bliss,” says Gurung. “But as much as I will miss all that, our team has a lot to gain from taking a break from showing this season. In so many ways, the hamster wheel I was on to constantly design was not serving my creativity, so I am taking this time to reconnect with my roots and what I want to bring into this world.”

Jason Wu

Jason Wu is one of the few designers who hosted an in-person fashion show for his eponymous contemporary collection. On September 13, the rooftop at Tribeca’s Spring Studios played host to the Tulum-inspired tropical beach jungle runway with socially distanced seating—thanks to help from Lowe’s, which provided the materials. “I had worked with Brizo and Interior Define before, so this partnership with Lowe’s felt like a good fit,” says Wu, who also partnered with Emily Thompson on the floral installations (the trees were also provided by Lowe’s). “We wanted people to feel like they were on vacation even for 10 minutes. We all need that moment to keep inspiration alive and to provide hope and optimism. It was a feel-good show.” Sand and palm trees were brought in to set the scene, inspired by fashion favorite Hotel Esencia in Mexico, where Wu and his husband, Gustavo, were married in 2016. “I missed human interaction this spring and summer,” says Wu. “This was a real fashion meditation for me.”

Christian Siriano

Christian Siriano presented his spring 2021 collection in front of 80 guests at his new Westport, Connecticut home (all fully furnished during lockdown) on September 17 in partnership with Lowe’s. “Because I’m showing my collection at my home for the first time, it made sense to partner with a brand that celebrates home design and decor,” explains Siriano. “I’m really excited about how we are using pieces in the show from the store. Anyone who’s watching will be able to visualize these pieces in their own home, which is really fun.” Siriano wanted to show all the showstopping pieces he’s known for creating in a fun, upbeat setting and even added bridges over his pool to make for a dramatic runway. “My love for fashion is the visual fantasy of clothes coming to life and my clothes need a moment to walk so you can see the fabric move, and that’s the beauty of my work so it didn’t make sense to do something digital this season,” he says.

Carolina Herrera

Instead of staging a presentation, Carolina Herrera hosted a conversation between the label’s founder and the house’s current creative director Wes Gordon about the state of fashion. “This season we went home, quite literally, to visit the founder of our house, Carolina Herrera, in her living room,” says Gordon. “This moment is a time for something honest, intimate, and personal. I wanted to bring our audience into Mrs. Herrera’s home to witness a conversation between us about our shared belief that life is beautiful. Fashion is not only how you dress, it’s how you live. It’s friendship. It’s your family. It’s laughter. It’s your dogs. It’s the flowers on your table.”

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest