Alexander Wang Is Leaving New York Fashion Week, But the #WangFest Will Continue

Last fall, a miracle happened: Kim Kardashian, Kris Jenner, and Kendall Jenner were all spotted in Bushwick. And not just the gentrified part of the still semi-industrial Brooklyn neighborhood: They actually stood on the sidewalk outside of an abandoned lot, looking entirely out of place standing behind a barricade, surrounded by New York concrete and metal storefront security gates on what was definitely not the balmiest of nights.

Only the designer Alexander Wang could have been behind arranging and achieving such a feat, though now, it looks like it’s one we won’t be witnessing again any time soon. Not even a month into the new year, Wang has announced that he’s joined the mass exodus of designers and labels like Proenza Schouler, Altuzarra, Thom Browne, and Rodarte—in other words, the biggest names of New York Fashion Week—in leaving behind the usual Fashion Week schedule, starting this summer.

Victoria Beckham did beat Wang to the trend a few days ago, but her shows are decidedly a more intimate affair than the extravaganzas that Wang is famous for: besides the Bushwick-based #Wangfest, where grilled cheese, donuts, and Red Bull slushies were served until 11 p.m., Wang has been known to throw post-show parties beloved for their unabashed acceptance of junk food, from 7-11 Slurpees to McDonald’s, and performers ranging from Courtney Love to Fetty Wap to Lil Wayne to Missy Elliott.

A more chill direction seems to be where the designer has been going, though, ever since stepping down from the helm of Balenciaga in 2015, and ceding his role of CEO at his own brand late last year to Lisa Gersh, who came from Goop. To be fair, his latest move doesn’t mean he’s exactly taking it easy: Wang is instead shifting to the pre-collection schedule, meaning he’ll be showing in June and December rather than the usual months of February and September. The brand will also combine its pre-collections and main collections, but keep things up by doing monthly deliveries—which seems to be New York Times-speak for monthly drops—in what it said it thought was “widely considered to be a transformative solution for the global industry, breaking out of the conventional fashion calendar.”

The significance of Wang and others’s moves has not been lost on the Council of Fashion Designers of America, which organizes the main Fashion Week calendar. Steven Kolb, the CFDA’s president and CEO, told WWD that “there are others who are part of this idea,” which he said he could see “happening” this past summer, and that “Alex is one of many designers the CFDA has spoken to about the idea, and we support him in this business decision.”

Still, as of now, the CFDA plans to stick with its usual calendar, which is definitely good news for the designers and labels with shows already planned for next month. Here’s hoping showgoers like White Castle, because it looks like it’s up to Telfar to take charge of providing NYFW’s fast food this season and no doubt in seasons to come.

Related: Kim Kardashian and Cardi B Trek to Bushwick for “Alexander Wang, Bitch”