New York Fashion Week cut to 5 days

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced on Thursday that New York Fashion Week will no longer last for a full week, but five days, a change that responds to the calls of industry professionals eager to see the event relaunched.

Womenswear Fashion Week, which traditionally began on Wednesday, will now kick off on Friday evening. This means that next season's event will start on September 6 and finish on the evening of September 11. 

New York Fashion Week has been going through something of a rough patch over the last few seasons, with a number of designers stepping away from the event, including Tommy Hilfiger, Zac Posen, Altuzarra, Alexander Wang, Thom Browne and Virgil Abloh. 

"This effort is not only for U.S. industry and talent but will also serve as the change needed to further globalize New York Fashion Week," explained the CFDA on its website. 

The change, which comes in response to strong demand from the industry, looks to be an initiative from new CFDA chairman Tom Ford. The American designer will not officially step into his new role until June 1, but is already busy behind the scenes. 

Indeed, on its Twitter account, the association specified that the decision to shorten the biannual event had been made by "Tom Ford and the CFDA".

Ford has a markedly different profile to that of his successor, Diane von Furstenberg, who has held the position of CFDA chairman for 13 years. Unlike DVF, who has lived in New York for the last 50 years, Texas-born Ford lived and worked in Italy and the UK before eventually moving to Los Angeles. 

The designer, who relaunched Gucci in the early 90s, has already made it clear that he will be looking to use his international experience and contacts as much as possible in his new role.