London – When Proenza Schouler presents its Fall 16 collection during New York
Fashion Week next Wednesday, customers will be able to buy a capsule of
styles straight after the show.
Called The Early Edition collection, eight runway looks and four versions
of their Hava handbag will be available for purchase the morning after
their show at their boutique at 121 Greene Street. Accessories will also be
sold on ProenzaSchouler.com.
Over the last week, a series of announcements have been reverberating
through the fashion industry complaining of the outmoded fashion calendar.
Major brands, including Burberry, Tom Ford, Vetements and Paul Smith have
all voiced profound dissatisfaction saying that they will be taking
alternative routes.
“This is part of a bigger conversation about changing the calendar, which
we’ve been collectively talking about for what seems like years now,” says
Proenza Schouler co-founder Lazaro Hernandez. “We’ve just felt over the
years that there’s been this disconnect between when you first see clothes
in the runway and their availability in stores. It’s becoming increasingly
clear that there’s a problem with how the system currently works.”
“We’re finding that the customers are more savvy, and they’re much more in
tune with the shows, which used to be insider events for editors and
buyers,” continues co-founder Jack McCollough. “But now the public is
watching them in real time. So for them, by the time the collections ship
six months later, it’s old news. We’re trying to shorten that time gap from
when they first see clothes to when they’ll be available in stores.”
It’s another example of how the internet and social media is transforming
the landscape of the industry. The way we consume images from runway shows
has sped up rapidly – the way we consume items of clothing from them is
still, by and large, subject to a six-month delay.