:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/46088616/John_Varvatos__Men_s_Fashion_Designer__Steven_Kolb__PresidentCEO__CFDA.0.0.jpg)
Racked is no longer publishing. Thank you to everyone who read our work over the years. The archives will remain available here; for new stories, head over to Vox.com, where our staff is covering consumer culture for The Goods by Vox. You can also see what we’re up to by signing up here.
Giving a big leg up to the first-ever New York Fashion Week: Men's shows is John Varvatos, who just confirmed that he'll be closing the three-day event at Skylight Clarkson Square with a runway show for his spring 2016 collection on July 16th. The American-based designer last showed in New York in 2008, and has since presented in Milan.
"From the time I started my brand in 2000, the timing between NYFW and the menswear calendar was never truly aligned," Varvatos said in a release. I am very excited about coming home to help launch the first ever NYC menswear week!"
"The CFDA is proud to welcome John back home," CFDA CEO Steven Kolb added. "Having him show during New York Fashion Week: Men's solidifies our efforts and emphasizes the importance of New York City as an international influence on the business of menswear."
The last time we heard about NYFW: Men's, things weren't so upbeat. The conglomeration of shows was still looking for another major sponsor and a prominent American male celebrity or athlete to be the face of the event. Adding a designer of Varvatos' status could help speed both of those processes along.
WWD reports that the designer roster includes Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Rag & Bone, Public School, Billy Reid, Todd Snyder, Michael Bastian, Duckie Brown, Patrik Ervell, and Timo Weiland. Thom Browne and Calvin Klein will continue to respectively show in Paris and Milan, but plan to participate "in some form," while the quintessential Americana man, Ralph Lauren, has yet to announce plans.
Partly inspired to show again in America from opening a store in his hometown of Detroit, Varvatos emphasized to the paper that he isn't trying to generate buzz for himself (despite Kolb referring to his show as "the tentpost of the week"). "I almost feel embarrassed about making a big deal about it...it's the right thing to do, and we're only promoting it to get other strong American designers on the train."