This afternoon, Italy’s fashion chamber, the Camera Nationale dell Moda Italiana, issued its latest proposal with regard to the Fashion Week Scheduling Scandal of 2011.
In early October Italy announced it would move up the dates of Milan Fashion week, overlapping with London and New York Fashion Weeks during the third week of September 2012. The case attracted wide publicity as London, New York and Milan began a battle of wills over the respective dates. Diane Von Furstenberg, president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, issued stern statement, refusing to budge from New York’s scheduled dates. Italy similarly dug in its heels. However, despite staying firm on the September 2012 dates, Italy has now agreed to compromise on future dates.
Italy’s chamber said it accepted the proposal put forward in October by Diane von Furstenberg, president of the Council of Fashion Designers of America, to begin New York Fashion Week on the second Thursday in September, starting in 2013. But the chamber made two conditions: First, New York would have to shed its last day, so that London can have an extra day to present its men’s wear collections, and, second, Paris would have to agree with the schedule. It would mean that Paris, as always, would have to go after Milan and its shows wouldn’t start until Oct. 2 in 2013 and Oct. 1 in 2014, slightly later than currently.
Now, the Italian fashion council appears to have reverted back to their regularly scheduled programming. Here’s the statement:
The Board of Directors of Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana met today and, with regard to the issue concerning the future dates of our fashion weeks’ schedules, it unanimously deliberated to:
Confirm the previous schedule for September 2012 with New York fashion week starting on Thursday 6 of September, followed by London, Milan and Paris Agree for the next two years ( September 2013 and September 2014) with the proposal of Diane Von Furstenberg, President of Council of Fashion Designers of America, to start New York Fashion Week on the second Thursday of September, that is to say on September 12th in 2013 and on September 11th in 2014.
This, at the following conditions:
2.a New York’s last day should be on September 18th in 2013 and on September 17th in 2014 in order to allow London an additional day for the presentation of the menswear collections.
2.b. Paris will accept this structure and follow Milan as always, starting on Wednesday 2nd of October in 2013 and on Wednesday 1st in 2014
In case those conditions didn’t happen, the above mentioned solution could not be applied.
Camera Nazionale della Moda Italiana is looking forward to receiving a feedback (sic) from New York, London and Paris.
With that, the Italian chamber dug in its heels, saying that if the conditions aren’t accepted, it will take back its offer.
Steven Kolb, CFDA chief executive officer, confirmed receipt of the letter and said that it is currently being reviewed.
A spokesperson for the British Fashion Council said, “We have just received an official letter from the Camera Nazionale Della Moda Italiana following their board meeting earlier today. We will discuss this proposal directly with our counterparts at CNMI, CFDA and Federation Française de la Mode. Our priority is to find stability and an agreement to ensure the focus can be on our designers and their collections in time for fashion week in February.”
On Wednesday, Didier Grumbach, president of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture, said for Paris “nothing has changed for 2012” and that members of the French association would meet in December to talk about dates for Paris Fashion Week in 2013 and 2014.
As previously agreed, the chamber confirmed it will hold next fall’s fashion shows in Milan Sept. 19 to 25.
