NYFW: DKNY Resort Collection 2012 Show with American Express

Pictured:  A great looking red dress at the DKNY Resort Collection show (photo: M. Hall)

Donna Karan closed out New York Fashion Week last Thursday with the debut of her  DKNY 2012 Resort Collection in a special show with American Express at Lincoln Center.  This show was a different kind of Fashion Week show because the audience was consumers, not just press, buyers (retailer stores) and bloggers like me. The other difference in the show was its format, this was not a pure runway show, it was a fashion entertainment show featuring an interview with the designer before the show and a musical performance from artist Lykke Li.  “This is probably one of the highlights of Fashion Week for me,” said Donna Karan before the show. “Showing in season to customers. Really communicating with the customer, really talking to the consumer, really having one on one communication with the consumer to get her excited about a season that she can really buy now.”   In an industry where the shows are really about the season to come, this is a novel concept.

Approximately 1,000 people attended the show, almost double the size of most DKNY fashion shows. American Express cardmembers were able to buy tickets to the DKNY resort show and other fashion shows (the shows besides the DKNY resort show were only viewable from the American Express Skybox.) American Express has done well selling their fashion show packages which retail for $150 to $250 (depending upon seating).  I think it’s a great idea to sell the tickets, although I do wish they were a bit lower priced, say starting at $50.00 to $75.00. A lower price point would make the shows truly more accessible to the consumers.

Pictured: The final walk at DKNY Resort 2012, photo courtesy of American Express.

DKNY’s Resort Collection for 2012 was a different kind of collection.  Usually a Resort Collection features tropical, bright colors.  Not so DKNY Resort 2012. There were some great looking little black dress and some stunning red dresses.  In the interview segment of the show, the designer admitted that black was her favorite color, followed by red.  “Red and black are the same to me,” noted Ms. Karan. That was clear when the models came out for the final walk and red and black dominated the runway.  I really liked all the dresses shown, they were on trendy, but nothing that will go out of fashion quickly.  The styles could definitely be worn for more than one season.

What do you think of the idea NYFW shows with ticket sales for consumers? Would you buy a ticket to see a show, just as you might a sporting event or rock concert?