Batsheva adds a retail element to NYFW presentation
Batsheva’s Fall/Winter 2019 presentation was not your typical
fashion week show. An array of VIP models including Christina Ricci,
Veronica Webb, Rainey Qualley, Esther McGregor walked the spiral
staircase runway that was also part of a sound installation and spoken
word performance, using lyrics by Courtney Love of Hole, who was also
in attendance.
Even more notable was the show’s location: a space in Soho, New
York, that designer Batsheva Hay had filled with seamstresses and
Singer sewing machines as a pop up retail concept that allows
customers to shop dresses, pick out fabrics and watch their clothing
be made. The multifunctional space was still in use as a workspace
during the show, with seamstresses busy at work as Courtney Love sat
just feet away from them and Christina Ricci walked by sporting a look
from the Fall 2019 collection.
“I think that nowadays, retail is so hard, it’s kind of nice to be
able to have your space be all in one and also be able to engage your
customer where you actually work,” Hay said to FashionUnited. “I think
that the consolidation aspect is nice, but also having a direct
relationship with your consumer.”
The pop up opened early February, coinciding with the start of New
York Fashion Week intended as an extension of Hay’s custom-made
service that allows her customers to see and understand the
craftsmanship behind each garment. “We’re ordering fast fashion things
online, we’re clicking and it arrives, and we don’t care how it’s
made,” she had explained to Vogue at the time.
During the show on February 12, Hay told FashionUntied that the pop
up’s first week had experienced a great response. “It’s been people
just passing by and discovering my brand, but also people have sought
it out specifically and come from far away and have to go straight to
and airplane after they come here. It’s really been amazing.”
A changing NYFW landscape
The retail pop up runs through February 21, therefore having
existed throughout the duration of New York Fashion Week. The season
saw a quite a few brands utilizing retail elements to allow consumers
more engagement with the showing week, such as 11 Honoré’s use of a
shoppable catalog powered by Shopify during its runway show.
“As brands begin to have more direct relationships with their
customers, via social media and direct sales, it makes sense that
brands will want to really be conversing and presenting to the
customers, not just the editors,” Hay said.
“When I show my clothes, I want people to get close to the
experience – to feel the clothes, try them on, and imagine themselves
in them. Ideally, they can take one home.”
The Batsheva Fall/Winter 2019 collection showcased the brand’s
signature design elements that experiment with historical American
styles of feminine dress, from Victorian to Pioneer and from housewife
to hippie, and updated them with a nod to seasonal inspirations and
current trends. The pieces featured an array of patterns and textures,
derived from vintage Holly Hobby prints, old Russian textiles, plaid
and the grunge era.
Photos: Alexei Hay, courtesy of PR Consulting