Why Mega-Brands Like Tommy Hilfiger and Puma Are Back at New York Fashion Week

For the past several seasons, editors, buyers, stylists, and influencers have complained about how New York Fashion Week didn’t have the ambiance of the glory days at Bryant Park and Lincoln Center. The industry had changed. The old guard of editors had moved on, many top stylists had moved to Los Angeles to focus on celebrity, and the bloggers turned influencers now ruled the front rows.

Over time, many of the big-name designers also moved away from the showing in New York. Tommy Hilfiger took his show on the road to cities including London, Milan, and Paris. Tom Ford even showed in London for a few seasons. International designers, who would on surprise occasions mix things up and show in New York City, had stuck to their home countries.

Then came COVID-19, when the entire world stopped and paused. Fashion shows were mostly limited to digital shows, plus a few in-person events with limited audiences present.

A buzzier, busier New York Fashion Week is expected this year—running Sept. 9 through to Sept. 14, with a banner block of big names taking up prime calendar space. Fendi, Marni, and Puma are all showing at NYFW, alongside big-name designers including Tommy Hilfiger, Tom Ford, Carolina Herrera, and Michael Kors. The mega-labels are back.

“My heart immediately went to New York’s iconic creative culture when I thought about where to launch our return to fashion week,” Tommy Hilfiger said in a statement. “This is where fashion, art, music and entertainment was all coming together when I first started out in the industry. And today, it is still this approach that inspires me to engage with the cutting-edge communities building new creative experiences. This season is all about the collision of my favorite archival inspirations with new live event concepts and virtual worlds. It’s the perfect expression of what we stand for as we pay homage to our roots with a return to NYFW.”

The event “will connect people through spontaneous moments of creativity at an IRL showcase set at the Skyline Drive-In in Brooklyn and in a parallel metaverse activation,” a company statement from Hilfiger read.

Fendi’s reason for choosing to show in New York is in honor of the 25th anniversary of the Fendi baguette bag, largely made popular in America thanks to the iconic TV series Sex and the City. Marni’s decision to show in New York is part of their new approach to taking a multi-seasonal journey that will see them travel to different Fashion Weeks globally going forward.

Puma is also having its first fashion show at NYFW since 2017 when it last collaborated with fashion icon, beauty mogul, and musician Rihanna for the Fenty x Puma collection. H&M-owned brand COS is also showing at New York Fashion Week, after previously showing at London Fashion Week in September 2021.

“Returning to NYFW is a pivotal moment for PUMA as a brand,” Adam Petrick, chief brand officer, told The Daily Beast. “As the kickoff of the celebration of our 75th anniversary, this is our moment to showcase our commitment to our most authentic classic styles, from our iconic Suede trainer, to our legendary Clyde basketball shoe to our instantly recognizable T-7 track suit. But we’re doing so in an extraordinarily elevated and exciting way—in keeping with both our brand mantra of ‘Forever Faster,’ and the spirit of Fashion Week itself.”

It wasn’t too long ago, the closing day of New York Fashion Week would see shows from Ralph Lauren and Calvin Klein. Now, Calvin Klein no longer has a runway collection, and Ralph Lauren has opted to show off-season, even deciding to show in Los Angeles this season. With a new slate of anchors to draw in international press attention and industry members, this New York Fashion Week has positioned itself as one for the books. Many felt this sort of reboot of New York Fashion Week was long overdue.

Anique Monae, a social media influencer, editor, and New York Fashion Week guest for over a decade, said, “Before COVID-19, New York Fashion Week was a sinking ship, fledging at best. It’s been in dire need of a makeover and the pandemic has given it a reason to have its own ‘great reset.’

Other Fashion Weeks, like London, Milan, Paris, and even Tokyo and Berlin, navigated through the global crisis almost with ease as they were able to think quickly on their feet. September 2021 and February 2022 at NYFW were less than desirable. The return of major labels and brands will help solidify NYFW again. These brands still draw attention and crowds. In the age of social media influencers from Instagram to TikTok, this gives everyone at NYFW the attention they deserve and so desperately need.”

Others felt that New York Fashion Week still needs to go a step further. Nolan Meader, a fashion stylist, said, “It’s unfortunate that most of the major shows aren’t even high-end American designers. Fendi chose to show at Hammerstein Ballroom. It’s like the Italian invasion.

“Where is Ralph Lauren? Where is Oscar de la Renta? Carolina Herrera, Markarian, and Tom Ford all understood the assignment. Markarian showing at the Ukrainian Institute is so fitting because it benefits Ukraine and goes with the vibe of the brand. Tom Ford is trying something new and showing downtown. The Fashion Week after parties are also back, which is a plus.”

Alex Blynn, a freelance fashion producer and the editorial director of Ladygunn, feels that New York Fashion Week is having its moment again, but is expecting its popularity to continue ebbing and flowing. “New York Fashion Week is very cyclical, its popularity goes up and down,” he said. “At the moment, it’s enjoying a renaissance post-pandemic. A lot of people were counting New York out and saying the city was done after the lockdown, and that didn’t end up being the case at all. Fashion brands also realize this. Just a few months ago, Alexander McQueen had a show here.”

He added, “We are in a much more globalized society now, so one standalone Fashion Week, like New York, isn’t as important as it used to be. There are so many global Fashion Weeks, so there’s a lot of competition, but that plays into the popularity of New York itself. However, you also see from year-to-year, that there’s less consistency. If New York Fashion Week is popular one season, you’ll see a lot of mega-brands showing, but then a year or two later, the brands will move to another city like London, Milan, or Paris.

“The way the fashion industry functions is so much more global now. Brands are willing to go anywhere. There are fashion shows in the middle of the desert. If the traditional fashion calendar doesn’t work for them, they’ll just show off-season.”