New York Bridal Week to go digital

One of bridal fashion’s biggest events of the year, NYFW: Bridal has confirmed that in the light of the “ever-changing Coronavirus (Covid-19) situation” that it has decided that the April bridal market would be held “digitally”.

NYFW: Bridal was scheduled to run between April 16 and 20 across New York, but both The Bridal Council and the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) said that its decision to go digital was to protect the “health and wellbeing of all teams” and that it has been in touch with designers, retailers and media to have their “collective input” in making the decision.

In a statement, The Bridal Council said: “As everyone’s health and wellbeing is our main concern, this approach will allow for the designers’ collections to be seen by the retailers, media and other industry professionals, without needing to travel to NYC.

“We ask the designers to present their collection via Zoom or Join Me technology, allowing an audience of up to 500 to log on to their computers and see the collection at one time. The camera will become the audience and the designer or sales director can show the collection on a few models or from the rack.”

NYFW: Bridal to held “digitally” in light of Coronavirus

The Bridal Council added that this was just a suggestion and it realised that some brands may opt for an alternative way to present their collection.

The CFDA added: “With the support of The Bridal Council, we strongly advise all teams to postpone or reformat live shows and presentations scheduled next month, and show their newest collections digitally, or in a similar format. This measure is advocated to protect both the safety of all participants while respecting brands’ businesses and operations both domestically and abroad.”

Both organisations said that they will continue to upload bridal collections on their websites, with The Bridal Council having a ‘Gown Gallery’ that will feature the fronts and backs of dresses and sales contact for each collection, while the CFDA will promote designers via digital lookbook collection releases on a “centralised portal” on its website.

The October edition of NYFW: Bridal featuring more than 40 designers including Carolina Herrera, Lela Rose, Marchesa, Vera Wang, Galia Lahav, Savannah Miller and Anne Barge.

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Image: courtesy of Anne Barge by Collin Pierson