New York – Ashish N. Soni of India, Doo Ri Chung of South Korea, Tomer Gendler of Israel.
They’re not delegates to the United Nations but are among a group of emerging designers attempting to make their mark on Seventh Avenue. If they succeed, they may become the next Calvin Klein, Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren.
Among the nearly 90 shows on the official schedule for Fashion Week’s spring 2006 collections, which runs through Friday, are a few dozen designers making their debut in the tents at Bryant Park and around town.
Not only are they getting a lot of buzz, their front rows are filled with top magazine editors and store executives from around the country. The designers are getting this
high-profile opportunity because of deep- pocketed sponsors such as UPS, the government of India and Swarovski crystals.
Even though their names are not well- known, the new designers have studied their craft at top schools, landed jobs in the back rooms of some of the industry’s leading houses and have a client roster studded with stars. Soni is one of India’s most popular designers, Chung assisted the late Geoffrey Beene, and Gendler counts Adrian Brody and Jamie Foxx as fans.
Showing Sunday in the UPS-sponsored tent, Soni referenced his native country with layered ensembles of intricately beaded jackets, cropped trousers he called Thai boxing skirts and elongated Madras silk sherwani jackets. (Americans think of them as “Nehru.”)
Chung, who has had her own label since 2001, sent sexy, draped dresses down the runway. (“Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria wore a similar style at the recent Video Music Awards.) Also in Chung’s lineup were delicate net shrugs and halter dresses shimmering with crystals from Swarovski, the company that provided money and materials to help produce the line.
“I couldn’t survive without sponsorship from them, UPS and Shiseido. They made it happen for me,” Chung said backstage as she was congratulated by retailers and fans, including her grandmother. “As a student of fashion, being in the tents kind of feels like I’ve arrived. This is a real show as opposed to baby steps.”
The fashion industry is eager to embrace these innovative designers whose clothes don’t follow the predictable trends dished out by the establishment season after season. Women have become bored with uninspired offerings that look like what they already have.
“I’m thrilled,” said Joan Kaner, fashion director for Neiman Marcus. “We need new talent; it’s the lifeblood of the industry. We realize there’s a sameness in the stores. We have to be ready to help along the next generation.”
What women want, retailers say, is that one special piece – a beautifully draped dress, a perfectly cut pair of pants – that will give a pop to their wardrobes and make them stand out from the crowd.
“Stores have seen that customers want something unique,” says Mary Gelhar, a fashion consultant to Gen Art, which supports young designers and hosts a show each Fashion Week. “Shoppers are open to buying an unknown name because they want to have something special that no one else has.” The newbie crop of designers also is encouraged by the success other fresh faces like Esteban Cortazar, Zac Posen and Proenza Schouler have enjoyed.
Although the newcomers may be enjoying their moment in the spotlight this week, the real work lies ahead.
“The hard thing is to come back and do it again in six months,” Gelhar says. “It takes years to build a business, and it doesn’t matter how talented you are. That’s the nature of the industry. You don’t want to discourage anyone, but they need to realize what they’re up against.”
