(9/2018) The month of September beckons a new season for fashion in more ways than one. Calling the fashion world into new beginnings, fresh designs and creative works, fashion magazines filled with fall advertisement campaigns, and a fashion week of new collections also brings new appointments, collaborations and appearances.

When I was in college, such catalysts of September fashion month were the agents of my daydreams. In my senior year at The Mount I remember sitting on the rug laid across my apartment’s living room floor, scrolling on my MacBook through my favorite website: Style.com, the current VogueRunway.com. Squeezing time in for runway recaps and reviews before classes I read from my favorite writers: Nicole Phelps and Tim Blanks then clicked through photos of magical runway collections. From New York, to London, Paris and Milan, I was transported to new lands. In these worlds of fashion, clothing dominated communication and their reviews made sense of a love for fashion design and clothing, an interest I previously knew through shopping at malls with my mom and sisters during the summer months and back to school season. With excitement and anticipation, September fashion month beckons ambition and creativity, enough to spark hope for a new season in fashion.

In the wake of recent not-so-glamorous industry activity — crazy scary lay offs, magazine folds and industry leads leaving their traditional status jobs to retreat to unconventional contributions — I too jumped ship. Now more than ever fashion needs its September Fashion Week: its Bible thick magazine issue, fresh perspectives on styling presented at the runway and haste for the next show, as they run back to back in different venues across the city. The hustle keeps momentum in an age of turbulent change. Novel creative expression debuted on the front covers of the September issues and in advertisement — all independent from the excitement of the runway builds September to become the most important month on the fashion calendar.

The September Issue

The infamous September Issue, not to be mistaken with the documentary that followed Vogue’s Editor-in-Chief around her New York office to experience the work accomplished behind the largest magazine issue of the year, has become a cultural statement, despite it previously standing as the case for Vogue Magazine.

The collection of September covers are exclamations less about clothing, but rather declarations that have been achieved in the culture of fashion: women of color boldly shine in appearances within the issues of the industry’s top influential companies. Beyonce covers Vogue, Rhianna for British Vogue, and her muse, Slick Woods delights the cover of Elle and Lupita Nyong’ enchants Porter Magazine.

Each cover shows opportunity for fashion to become an industry focused on female empowerment. This month the magazine shows its value in feminism and diversity in a world drowned in criticism, strife and disrespect. The covers highlight the impact each woman carries, while allowing an opportunity for transparency in sharing their stories. Beyonce announces the worth of every voice, Rhianna: a model of self-assurance and individuality, Slick Woods shares her perspective on sexuality and pregnancy, while Lupita captivates the cover with her power and influence. With full force the industry is setting a tone for a strong fashion week season.

Fashion campaigns

Read through the September Issues and find a host of high-budget fashion advertisements. These campaigns fuel the revenue of each magazine, while lending ambiance for the popular styles predicted to dictate the trends for the season. This year, denim brands such as Frame, AG, and J Brand campaign their labels, traditionally stylish jean brands with fashion statements made without attention towards denim. The exception to the trend is Current/Elliot, who dressed model Stella Maxwell in a Canadian Tuxedo, a fashionable suit. In such advertisements, these brands capture our attention through classically styled fashionable outfits, leading us to wonder all the new styles the denim industry will present this season.

Fashion week

This September, Fashion Week commences in New York on September 6th and then travels the world like a circus, entertaining the culture of its host city as people of all backgrounds visit with wild outfits and extreme expression, presenting novel ideas on the presentation of clothing and advancing fashion design. As an individual that loves clothing and fashion, now with less engagement, as I no longer work among the chaos of fashion, I continue to write to share my passion and optimism for more vegan, sustainable and transparent ventures. Such projects present new considerations to the fashion world. There are more stories to be shared, honored and valued, more experiments and expressions yet to be. When fashion accomplishes such achievements — of new ideas towards fashion — it shows its complexity. Aside from all the flashy dresses, price tags and Gucci logos, fashion is, in the same way, a personal expression and response to culture.

In my last year of school I interned my first fashion week. Coming back to Mount St. Mary’s, after a week of working alongside my sister for a boutique casting agency, I felt my exhaustion physically, but kept my attention on the week back to school. Texts back and forth with my best friend bottled with anticipation, as our class schedules didn’t allow for a reunion until school ended for the day.

At 2 p.m. she stormed through the door to our basement level apartment, with equal excitement and all the grace she carries, she said " Oh my gosh you look exhausted." My afterthoughts drifted south: after spending a full day in classes why didn’t anyone else tell me the expression of my hard work shown from the bags under my eyes, a gauntly and ghostly appearance of fatigue? In my world of excitement, eagerness and passion for fashion, the diligent and tireless work was worth the experience. Such is the feeling September fashion week brings: new opportunities, new expressions and advancements to the industry, presented to share with the world encompassing. For these reasons September is the most important month to the fashion calendar. The September issues, advertisements and fashion week events not only fuels, but refreshes the industry forward with contemporary achievements and creative statements for the season ahead.