NYFW Spring 2016 Guide: Schedules, Locations, and Shows That Matter

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New York Fashion Week officially kicks off this Thursday, September 10th, with all kinds of changes in store. There are new venues to know, credential requirements to have, designer switch-ups, and brand opt-outs. Consider this your complete guide to everything you need to know about this season (which is spring 2016, BTW), from Givenchy's New York drop-in to Kanye's second Adidas show.

The Marriage of IMG and Made

IMG, which runs fashion week (now titled NYFW: The Shows), acquired its biggest competitor, Made, in January. This will be Made's first season under IMG's thumb, and it's unclear what the impact will be. Made, operating out of Milk Studios in Manhattan's Meatpacking District, has a reputation for launching buzzy up-and-comer designers.

Milk Studios will be one of three official NYFW show spaces, joined by Skylight at Moynihan Station on West 33rd Street near Penn Station and Skylight Clarkson Square on Washington Street in the West Village. Sayonara, Lincoln Center.

NYFW HQ

Another big update this season is the addition of an official NYFW headquarters, adjacent to Milk Studios. NYFW HQ, as it's called, will "showcase art installations, talk series, and additional events," Vogue.com reports. Some of the programming, running September 11 to September 16, will be open to the public.

NYFW.com, the entity's digital arm, will livestream all IMG-run shows, which includes Mara Hoffman, Derek Lam, and Calvin Klein, but not biggies like Marc Jacobs or Alexander Wang. As for getting into shows, the site informs that "IMG will only be issuing credentials to major media outlets. Individual agencies or freelancers interested in attending must be on official assignment from said outlets and have supporting documentation," so the crashers — or microbloggers — should be barred.

Designer Debuts

Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne for DKNY

One of the most hotly-anticipated designer shakeups this is at DKNY, where Dao-Yi Chow and Maxwell Osborne — the cool dude duo behind Public School — will show their first collection for the Donna Karan-diffusion line. The two were appointed to creative director roles in April. Public School, founded in 2008 as a men's line and having since expanded to womenswear, has a reputation as designer-grade streetwear, with a number of CFDA awards under its belt. It will be interesting to see how the duo draws the line between their own collection and DKNY. At the very least, expect a stellar front row and possibly some surprise celebs on the runway for the show, which goes down at 3pm on Wednesday, September 16th.

Somsack Sikhounmuong for J.Crew

Another designer switch-up worth having an eye on: Somsack Sikhounmuong at J.Crew. The brand poached the designer from its sister line, Madewell, this summer, replacing head women's designer Tom Mora. An inside source tells us most of the spring 2016 collection was completed before Sikhounmuong came on board, but we're confident some of his vision will shine through, and we can't wait to see what that looks like. All will be revealed Wednesday, September 16th at 4pm.

Brandon Maxwell

Every season brings a host of "ones to watch." We're most interested in what Brandon Maxwell, longtime stylist for Lady Gaga, will present at his collection debut. This is the guy responsible for the more elegant Gaga we've seen in recent years, dressing her in designers like Azzedine Alaia, as well as his own designs (her slinky, silver Grammys look is a good reference). The show's venue is the mega upscale Chinese restaurant Mr. Chow's, perhaps teasing a theme. It's late, too, showing at 9pm on Monday, September 14th, which leads us to believe the collection will be heavy on eveningwear. Bring it, Maxwell.

Givenchy's Public Show

The most curious addition to the NYFW scheduled, however, goes to Givenchy. Yep, the historic French brand is eschewing Paris for New York this year, all in celebration of its new Madison Avenue flagship. Additionally, the show is open to the public — sort of. The brand held a public RSVP on its website September 2nd, offering seats to the first 410 people (each with a guest) who responded, plus 280 seats saved for fashion students, and 100 for local residents. That's a grand total of 1,200 non-industry seats. The show is being put on with the artist Marina Abramovic, taking place at Pier 26 on September 11th and 6:30pm — expect many Instagrams of gorgeous waterfront sunsets. New Yorkers who didn't luck out on tickets can still watch the show in real time via simulcast "at various outposts around Manhattan," creative director Riccardo Tisci told WWD.

Big Brand Exits

Donna Karan

There will be no Donna Karan show this season, as the designer has stepped down from her role as chief designer of Donna Karan International. DKI has since suspended Donna Karan runway shows and collections, choosing to focus efforts on DKNY (further piquing interest in what Chow and Osborne will do for the label).

Marc by Marc Jacobs

There also will be no Marc by Marc Jacobs show, as the label has been folded into the designer's main line. News of the contemporary line's end came back in March. It was a surprising announcement, as MBMJ had been relaunched for the fall 2014 season under Katie Hillier and Luella Bartley. At the time, Marc Jacobs president Robert Duffy told WWD that 70% of Marc Jacobs' business is done in MBMJ.

Stunts

Misha Nonoo's Insta-Show

Misha Nonoo, whose namesake label launched in fall 2011, is skipping a runway show. Instead of a live presentation, the designer is doing an "Insta-show," taking place on a dedicated Instagram handle, @mishanonoo_show. The IG account will go live Saturday, September 12th at 10am.

Carrie Underwood Activewear

Every season sees at least one mainstream brand attempt to pull a J.Crew and latch on to the NYFW calendar. (February's notables were Banana Republic, which is showing again this season, and Athleta, which is not.) Spring 2016's mass retailer at fashion week is *drumroll please* Calia, the activewear brand designed by Carrie Underwood (who will be present at the show) and sold exclusively through Dick's Sporting Goods. That goes down the morning of Thursday, September 10th at the NYFW HQ.

Lauren Conrad for Kohl's

Scott Walker fave Kohl's will have a NYFW presence, too, via admirably self-aware basic Lauren Conrad. Her collection for the Wisconsin-based discount department store will show 35 "vintage-inspired" looks channeling "enchanted forests and modern day fairytales." The 7pm show on Wednesday, September 9th will be complete with red carpet, backstage, and runway livestreams.

The Fat Jew's 'The Dad Show'

Instagram meme-r The Fat Jew will present 'The Dad Show,' on September 16th with the support of Made, for whatever reason. The Cut reports that the collection, debuting at Made Studios at the Standard Hotel, will be "an eclectic collection of apparel" that celebrates "the moods and personalities of dads of all ages." Ostrovsky, while not a father himself, has been a vocal defender of the dadbod, telling Style.com "I just want to inspire people of my size and my gender to be comfortable in their own skin, because it's OK to have a mediocre body and very, very high cholesterol, as long as you look great doing it."

Potential Scenes

Alexander Wang and Phillip Lim Celebrate Ten-Year Anniversaries

Both Alexander Wang and Phillip Lim are celebrating ten years this season, sure to be marked with epic shows and mindblowing afterparties. Wang has already launched a ten-item capsule collection in celebration, bringing back a selection of archive pieces from the last decade. His shows are always a spectacle and this season's will no doubt be a knockout. Tune into your social feed of choice on Saturday, September 12th at 9pm for what will surely be an onslaught of user-generated coverage. Lim's show, on Tuesday the 14th at 3pm, will also be particularly photo-friendly, with a sculptural installation by the artist Maya Lin.

Kanye West for Adidas Returns

Last but certainly not least: the second Adidas collection from 2020 presidential hopeful Kanye West. Complex noticed that movie ticket website Fandango offered tickets at two theatres — in Montebello, CA and Ontario, CA — to screenings of Yeezy Season 2 on Thursday, September 10th, presumably in tandem with a live show. Details on this have not been firmed up, but with just two days 'til kickoff, we should have word soon.

Made Fashion Week Schedule — Spring 2016

NYFW: The Shows Fashion Week Schedule — Spring 2016