Is Los Angeles the new fashion week?

This year, there’s been a noticeable trend in the status of fashion week’s upcoming shows. Instead of taking place in New York, where most elite designers have chosen to showcase their Spring/Summer ready-to-wear lines in the past; the shift has seemingly moved indefinitely to the West Coast.

The main location for New York Fashion Week (NYFW) usually takes place at Skylight in Moynihan Station off of 33rd Street. However, Los Angeles and Venice Beach have taken over as prime locations for 2017. Last year, designers flocked to New York to showcase their designs for the upcoming season at the traditional venue as New York has garnered a reputation in the U.S. currently as a the fashion capital of the country on an international level. Although Los Angeles has been catching up in terms of a fashion capital status, the city was still never considered quite at the same prestige as the East Coast. Recently, it seems that a couple of high-profile designers have chosen Los Angeles to debut their spring/summer shows instead, whether its due to a change of pace; a love for California culture; or to shake things up in terms of fashion week.

Rebecca Minkoff, Tom Ford, Tommy Hilfiger, and Rachel Zoe all to showcase in LAFW

So far in Los Angeles, at least four main designers have committed to showing their ready-to-wear line on the West Coast. Tom Ford, who has shown previously in Los Angeles, will be showcasing his new line in the city once again. He first made this change by choosing the city over his normal location in London for his Fall 2015 show. This year, he returns to L.A. for his 2017 spring show. Stylist Rachel Zoe, who has become a designer in her own right, also announced that she would be showing in L.A. Her next collection is set to show there instead of New York, in order to pay tribute to her roots. “I’m still a small designer; I can’t take over the Griffith Observatory, but I felt it was time to own being a L.A. designer,” Zoe told WWD.

Tommy Hilfiger also joined the L.A. trend by announcing his womenswear spring show to take place in Venice Beach. Following his past show of “Tommy Pier,” it seems that Hilfiger is sticking to the aesthetic of a strong West Coast vibe. “Gigi and I have loved fusing elements of her California lifestyle and a musical festival atmosphere in the second Tommy x Gigi Collection,” he told WWD of the collection. Following suit, Rebecca Minkoff was the most recent designer to announce her L.A. show as well. Taking place at The Grove, the ready-to-wear designer is pairing her show with a pop-up as well at the shopping destination.

According to a "Fashion Index" report by real estate website Trulia, Los Angeles was cited as the most fashionable city for fashion businesses and real estate opportunities. Going against all other U.S. cities, Los Angeles even won out over New York City, even though the city has garnered a high status for NYFW. As reported by InStyle, the study was based on ranking cities due to the number of businesses that focused on fashion as well as ranking fashion-conscious households. Los Angeles topped the list, with other cities such as Chicago, Orlando, and Seattle in the top ten.

It seems that the energy of Los Angeles is also appealing in making Los Angeles Fashion Week more prestigious. Unlike New York, Los Angeles is full of more emerging designers as well as start-up businesses and manufacturers. While the city lacks the experience that designers in New York have, Los Angeles makes up with its vitality and inventiveness. For instance, just this year, emerging designers in Los Angeles have contributed to the city's fashion capital status. Designers such as Bristol, Sav Noir, John Elliot + Co, Apolis, and Elder Statesmen have slowly but surely built their brand out this year in the city, gaining local traction.

The rising status of the designers choosing the West Coast for their show only proves for more positive traction and business in the L.A. area. The fashion industry has been growing for the past year in the city, as well as the buzz around L.A. as a fashion capital. With the announcement of these designers, it only further emerges the city’s position in fashion on a more international platform. While there’s still over a month left until the shows start, it’ll be interesting to see if any other designers make the shift to show in L.A., instead of the traditional New York venue.

Photos: Rachel Zoe / Tommy Hilfiger