New York, London, Milan and Paris: What to expect from fashion month

September is here, which means a fresh school year, autumn vibes and a whole lot of new fashion.

Fashion month kicks off with New York Fashion Week (NYFW) on September 9th, and will cycle through London (LFW), Milan (MFW) and Paris (PFW), giving us plenty of opportunities to check out the new trends and spot various well-dressed celebrities on the front row of shows.

Even though the weather might be turning, this season is all about spring/summer trends. Here’s everything you need to know to stay ahead of the fashion pack this month…

New York

When is it? September 9th-14th.

Who’s showing? Proenza Schouler is kicking off proceedings with its 20th anniversary show, and New York legend Tommy Hilfiger is back on the schedule after some time away. There are also some more unexpected names from Europe joining the NYC fun, including Fendi (with a special show celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Fendi Baguette) and Marni.

Of course, there are the designers we’ve come to know and love at NYFW, including Prabal Gurung, Michael Kors and Carolina Herrera.

And it’s not just designers on the schedule – the event getting in on the NFT (non-fungible tokens) hype as well. The buy now, pay later platform Afterpay – a sponsor of NYFW – is unveiling limited-edition NFTs from a range of designers, including Jonathan Simkhai and Jonathan Altuzarra.

Afterpay says: “Each designer NFT is a one-of-a-kind phygital collectible, serving as a digital object that will welcome fashion enthusiasts into the blockchain while also unlocking IRL access to New York Fashion Week” – and all proceeds go to non-profit Free Arts NYC.

London

When is it? September 15th-20th.

Who’s showing? This season London is also welcoming a big name back home: JW Anderson, who’s spent the past couple of seasons showing in Paris and Milan instead.

Raf Simons will be bringing his eponymous label to London for the first time, joining the city’s big names in fashion – including Simone Rocha, Emilia Wickstead, Roksanda and Burberry. This could be one of the last times we see Riccardo Tisci’s Burberry on the catwalk – his contract is set to run out in early 2023, and the brand is said to be talking to other designers about the role.

Above all the other cities, London is known for encouraging fresh young talent, meaning the shows put on by talent incubator Fashion East are always full of exciting new voices.

Milan

When is it? September 20th-26th.

Who’s showing? While schedules to tend to change quite a lot in cities like New York and London, with fresh designers joining the ranks every season, things are a lot more set in stone in Milan and Paris.

However, while this season in Milan has all of the regular houses on the schedule, it is set to be an exciting one with plenty of new voices contributing. Filippo Grazioli will be showing his first womenswear collection as creative director for Missoni, Marco de Vincenzo is making his debut at Etro, and British rising star Maximilian Davis will be showing us his vision for Salvatore Ferragamo.

He’s not the only Brit headed for Italy – experimental designer Matty Bovan is joining the MFW schedule, with support from Dolce & Gabbana. Otherwise, keep an eye out for old favourites Gucci, Versace and Armani, all showing as normal.

Paris

When is it? September 26th – October 4th.

Who’s showing? London’s loss is Paris’s gain, with Victoria Beckham taking her show to the French capital for the first time. Along with the normal heavy hitters – Louis Vuitton, Dior, Chanel, Saint Laurent and co – all eyes will be on Off-White, where Ib Kamara will be showing for the first time as creative director after the death of Virgil Abloh.

What else should you keep an eye on? The Issey Miyake show is bound to be an emotional one after the founder’s death in August, and Comme des Garçons is back on the schedule for the first time since the pandemic.