Tracy Reese to replace fashion show with fashion film at NYFW

By

Obi Anyanwu

Published
Jan 31, 2016

Tracy Reese is one of many designers this season looking to change how fashion is presented to the press and public. The Detroit-born designer will skip the traditional runway show to screen an original short fashion film, “A Detroit Love Song,” followed by a model presentation.

 
Reese collaborated with local Detroit talent to produce the film, which features the fall 2016 collection and pays tribute to the history and evolution of Detroit. Jazz violinist and Detroit native, Regina Carter scored the piece.
 
“As I was thinking about this runway season, I strongly felt the need to try something new,” says Reese. “In changing our format, we are hoping to produce a more immersive and intimate experience with the collection.”

Reese’s announcement of a non-traditional NYFW show follows Misha Nonoo’s announcement that she will skip fashion week for the second consecutive season in order to show the collection closer to its launch date in September. Nonoo first skipped fashion week in September 2015 and previewed the collection on the brand’s Instagram page, which led to an immediate increase in sales.
 
Rebecca Minkoff announced that her show will feature spring pieces that will be available in stores shortly after the presentation, something that Jeremy Scott has done for Moschino and Thakoon has done in the past, in an attempt to boost sales and increase the public’s involvement of the show. The conversation has brewed so much that the CFDA hired Boston Consulting Group to look into how fashion shows can be corrected.
 
Tracy Reese will premiere A Detroit Love Song and her Fall 2016 collection in the theater at The Roxy on Sunday, February 14 at 2:00.