New York fashion kicks off with millennials on the mind

New York : New York turns fashion hub of the world for a week starting Thursday, as top designers do battle for the hearts and minds of millennials in a social-media whirlwind of models and celebrities. 

US designer Tom Ford -- fresh back from a stint in Paris -- will open the extravaganza that is New York's Spring/Summer Fashion Week on Wednesday evening.

Among the most hotly anticipated collections is Raf Simons' second line for Calvin Klein, after an avant-garde show designed along with American artist Sterling Ruby last February.

Considered one of the most talented designers of his generation, the 49-year-old Belgian joined Calvin Klein from Dior in 2016, embarking on a mission to overhaul the iconic New York brand, redesigning its logo and transforming its Madison Avenue flagship store.

Simons will be rubbing shoulders with some of the great names of American fashion, from Ralph Lauren to Marc Jacobs, as well as newcomers Matthew Adams Dolan or Snow Xue Ga.

But New York Fashion Week is still smarting from the loss of a string of designers who have taken their collections to Paris or Los Angeles.

Among the departees are Proenza Schouler and Joseph Altuzarra, who joined the likes of Tommy Hilfiger and Rodarte in leaving New York.

"When a big name like Altuzarra announces he is leaving, it weakens New York as a creative hub a little more each time," said Rene Celestin, founder of fashion show production group Obo.

He believes that while the fraught US political climate "does not help," there are many reasons behind New York's waning popularity -- and none which cannot be solved.